Lightsabers : Shopping Guide

Like any other field, lightsabers have their own vocabulary. In the case of those designed by Sabertrio, it is very simple: the modules are always the same, only the design changes. Generally speaking, these terms tend to become more and more standard, inspired by the saga.

Emitter: the upper part of the sword in which the blade is housed. It usually has two retaining screws, one to stabilize the blade, and one to stabilize the LED in the hilt.

Choke:it is an area narrowed in diameter that can have several shapes and whose main purpose is to provide a point of support to perform rotary movements with the sword.

Handle: central part of the saber in which the electronic components and the battery are housed. Not to be confused with the literal translation of "Hilt" in English which also means "Handle" but in the sense that the lightsaber is a handle, which activates a blade. This is the equivalent of the "Grip" which is the part of the handle where the user places his hands.

Activation button: switch to turn on the saber, which is on Sabertrio sabers always in the form of a circular push button.

Auxiliary button: button opposite the activation button, which facilitates the use of the various saber functions.

Covertec belt clip: circular aluminum piece located just before the pommel that allows you to hang your sword in a belt clip.

Pommel: at the base of the saber, it lets the sound effects pass through via several slots. When it is removed, a coupler can be attached to it in order to create a double saber configuration. 

Stunt: Designed primarily for sport, the Stunt lightsaber has no special effects and does not emit sound, giving the battery a much longer life. The blade is designed for contact and is available in six colors. Several finishes are available for the handle while remaining at a more affordable price.

FX-E: The FX-E lightsaber is the perfect compromise between immersion and sport. Featuring a Delrin chassis with on-board electronics, it offers both a sound bank with numerous presets, as well as visual effects with many customization options for the blade. The FX Europe range was designed specifically for the European market by Sabertrio and is exclusively available at Adegan's Armory.

Neo: A collector's item or a high-end accessory for an outfit, the Neo lightsaber is an exceptional product containing all the latest technology in both the sword itself and the accompanying blade. Very complete in terms of special sound and visual effects, it is not recommended for any combat activity.

Lightsabers blades come in two versions: Stunt and Neo.

The first category, as its name indicates, is intended for contact activities. It is a hollow blade whose illumination is provided by a diffusion film that captures the light provided by the single color LED located in the emitter. Nowadays, the technology allows to have a very correct illumination with this model, the possibility of using it in sports practice is therefore at the cost of customization (colors and visual effects).

The second one is a blade containing inside its structure hundreds of leds distributed on two bands on the diffusion film. The base of the blade is equipped with a PCB connector that communicates with the electronics embedded in the handle of the sword. Although the whole is protected by a polyethylene foam, contact activities are strongly discouraged except for choreographed activities where the contact is mimed or of low intensity.

It should be noted that these blades are not interchangeable. The presence of a connector on the Neo blades means that they do not work with other sabers that project light directly into the tube. Similarly, Stunt blades that do not have a connector and a hollow blade do not work when connected to a Neo saber that needs to communicate with an electronic module and does not project light.

Shoto (24" - 61 cm) : Short blade especially designed for children but can also be used with a left hand sword as a short sword or a dagger.

Katana (30" - 76,2 cm) : Perfectblade to practice with ease in Jar'Kai form (two swords). It allows speed and fluidity.

Standard (32" - 81,3 cm) : Standardblade used by the FFE and most clubs. The swords of the main humanoids of the saga are also this size.

Nodachi (36" - 93,2 cm): Longblade specially designed for two-handed practice, it is recommended for taller fencers and people with a fighting style based on length.

Unlike the Saga, the blade has a weight here. Although light, it can slightly influence the center of gravity of the assembled sword. If you have any doubt, please contact us.

Midgrade: 1.8mm thick, it is perfect for choreography and cosplay activities. Because it has a thinner wall, the light generated will be slightly more intense. In the case of a duel, it is recommended not to go too high in the intensity of contacts or in the repetition of shocks.

Heavygrade: 3.2 mm thick, this is the blade designed for combat. It will be able to withstand many repeated shocks at the cost of a slightly reduced shine. In the case of a Neo Heavygrade blade, it is recommended to remain reasonable on the force applied during a shock, to preserve the life of the leds present in the blade.

In any case, avoid shocks between a Midgrade blade and a Heavygrade blade.

Regarding the tips, there are two for Sabertrio blades, ogive or rounded. Primarily a matter of style, however, rounded tips are preferred for contact activities, for the longevity of the tip and to limit the impact on the opponent's torso.Neo blades are available only in ogive tip.

There are two possible scenarios:

- Stunt and FX-E lightsabers where the blade is hollowed out and the light is projected by an integrated LED located in the saber's emitter. For Stunt sabers, the LED allows a single color, for FX-E sabers, the LED allows a set of 15 colors.

- Neo lightsabers where the light is emitted directly from the LEDs in the blade, allowing for virtually infinite color variations and blade effects such as crackle or unstable blade, while having the 15 most popular colors available in the saber preconfigurations. 

In the on-board electronics of the FX-E and Neo series sabers, an electronic card comes to provide a certain number of configurations and customization otpions.

Mistakenly called "sound card" because it links sound and visual effects, it is placed in the handle and is equipped with a micro SD card that can be easily removed and connected to a computer to make updates or additions.

Crystal Focus X: The latest card from Plecter Labs, it provides the most complete and realistic lightsaber experience. Designed to be managed directly from the lightsaber, all parameters and effects are easily modified directly with a series of presses on the activation button and the auxiliary button. Adding sound fonts is simply a series of steps on a computer.

ProffieBoard 2.2: with a comparable level of realism, the ProffieBoard differs from the Crystal Focus by its advanced programming, allowing a higher level of customization, requiring however some knowledge, each modification requiring to recompile and reflash the firmware of the board. The parameters that can be modified directly on the saber are less numerous than with the CFX.

Our FX-E and Neo sabers can all be equipped with a Crystal Focus X card. If you are already familiar with the environment and would like to get a ProffieBoard 2.2 to program your saber yourself, you should look at the Neo range.

You can get more information about both systems in our user manual.