My Flamberge arrived today and this thing is amazing. I planned to do an unbox video but I had some issues with FedEx and ended up opening at the back of my car in the parking lot of the convention I went to so the video never happened. The saber was packed with Ultrasabers' usual care and was in perfect shape. I ordered mine with the 40" blade so I have a short section of box taped on top instead of closed flaps. As usual the packing popcorn went everywhere and the bubble wrap fully guarded the saber against any possibility of damage. I unwrapped this bad boy and even wearing my baby blue starmtrooper pew pew shirt I was a huge attention grabber. People instantly noticed the Flamberge. The most common phrases were "thets from the new movie isn't?" and "where'd you get that?" I passed out many cards.
Now to the saber itself:
My specs- Saber Finish = LE
Blade colors = All three Blazing Red
Blade lengths = 40" HG main, 8" HG guards
Batteries = Lithium Ion setup with buck puck
Sound = Obsidian Sound with red lighter AV Switch (I enquired about the V4 but would have had to pay a labor charge because my saber was already assemble so I passed on that for now)
First Impression = This thing is FAT! I love it.
As thick as the grip is it is completely comfortable. Even gripping it around the ring that allows the switch angle to be changed and hooking one finger over one of the guards is very comfortable. I carried it around the con for around four hours and never got tired if having it in my hands. The three rings just below the thickest part make for a nice grip point when moving it. They are very nicely cut and there is no hard edge to them to grind into skin. The balance of it, even with the HG blades all around is very nice. It just feels right in my hands.
Now pics and details:
Here it is among my other 3 favorite weapons (the Flamberge is number 1 now). The steel sword has a 36" blade so this is quite large. The hickory longsword has a 40" blade but the Flamberge has a much more comfortable and versatile grip range to it. Even the Omen has edges along the bottom of the emitter where you just can't put hands or fingers. The Flamberge has NO uncomfortable grip area. It may be large for some people with smaller hands but if you can get your hand around it it feels good.
My New Ultrasabers Flamberge by
Firehand10k, on Flickr
It does glow very well even under direct flash:
My New Ultrasabers Flamberge by
Firehand10k, on Flickr
Without the flash is even cooler looking:
My New Ultrasabers Flamberge by
Firehand10k, on Flickr
The details look great. The three lines below the switch add very nice contrast but personally I wish it had some sort of detail on the other side. There is none. Each set of rings is cut in a little different yet they all come together in a cohesive design.
My New Ultrasabers Flamberge by
Firehand10k, on Flickr
My New Ultrasabers Flamberge by
Firehand10k, on Flickr
The pommel is very nicely cut. The lines on it feel very comfortable when it is used as part of the grip. The pommel is thick and does well in the purpose of balancing the saber. It has the same cutout pattern as the Omens and lets the sound from the Obsidian card come through nicely. I did try it on my dark standard issue but it has a little bit of a lip because the SI is a bit thinner than the Flamberge.
My New Ultrasabers Flamberge by
Firehand10k, on Flickr
The head assembly of this saber is very impressive. The large ring portion at the top of the handle can be loosened and pivoted to align the switch however the user wants versus the guard blades. The LED units for the side blades are nicely fitted in the emitter cross. The three blade retainer rings are all the same and the three screw system hold the blade very securely even where the guard blades are not set very deep. My only minor complaint is that the center blade holder ring is almost perfectly flush with the cross collar. One has to use the blade to unscrew it and the blade retention screws are partially covered most of the time. I only see this is a draw back when heavy dueling and blade screws can work loose. I use a Heavy blade though, so I can lock it in very tight.
My New Ultrasabers Flamberge by
Firehand10k, on Flickr
With 8 Ultrasabers of my own and my daughter 3 in the house this is the pinnacle of my collection. When I first took it out I thought the handle looked a little stubby for my taste but after playing with it for a while I found it to be just right. There is plenty of space to move hands together or apart.
Final assessment: Amazing job Ultrasabers! The Flamberge is an incredible saber!
