Laser Sabres: Buying guide

Like any other field, that of lightsabers has its own vocabulary. In the case of Sabertrio's lightsabers, it's 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 saber in which the blade is housed. It generally has two retaining screws, one to stabilize the blade, and one to stabilize the LED housed in the hilt.

Neck: called the "Choke" in English, this is an area narrowed in diameter that can take several shapes and whose main purpose is to provide a fulcrum for rotary movements with the saber.

hilt : central part of the saber housing the electronic components and battery. Not to be confused with the literal translation of "Hilt", which also means "hilt", but in the sense that the Lightsaber is a hilt, which activates a blade. We're talking here about the equivalent of the "Grip", which is the part of the hilt where the user places his hands.

Activation button: saber ignition switch, which on Sabertrio sabers always takes the form of a circular push-button.

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

Covertec belt clip: circular aluminum part located just before the pommel, allowing the saber to be clipped into a belt clip.

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

Stunt: Designed primarily for sporting use, the Stunt saber has no special effects and emits no 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 hilt , all at a more affordable price.

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

Neo: Whether a collector's item or a top-of-the-range accessory for an outfit, the Neo saber is an exceptional product containing all the latest technologies in both the saber itself and the accompanying blade. Very complete in terms of special sound and visual effects, it is not recommended for any combat activity.

Saber blades are available in two versions: Stunt and Neo.

The first category, as its name suggests, is designed for contact activities. It's 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. Today's technology enables this model to provide very good illumination, so the possibility of using it in sports practice comes at the price of customization (colors and visual effects).

The second is a blade containing hundreds of LEDs inside its structure, distributed over two bands on the diffusion film. The base of the blade is fitted with a PCB connector that communicates with the on-board electronics in the hilt saber. Although the whole unit is protected by polyethylene foam, contact activities are strongly discouraged apart from choreographed activities where contact is mimed or of low intensity.

It should be noted that these blades are not interchangeable. The presence of a connector on Neo blades means that they do not work with sabers from other ranges that project light directly into the tube. Similarly, Stunt blades, which have no connector and a hollow blade, do not work when connected to a Neo saber, which needs to communicate with an electronic module and does not project light.

Shoto (24" - 61 cm): This short blade is particularly suitable for children, but can also be used with a left-handed saber such as a short sword or dagger.

Katana (30" - 76.2 cm): This blade is perfect for practicing with ease in the Jar'Kai (two-saber) form.

Standard (32" - 81.3 cm): Standard blade used by the FFE and most clubs. The swords of the main humanoids in the saga are also of this size.

Nodachi(36" - 93.2 cm): A long blade specially designed for two-handed practice, it is recommended for tall people and those with a fighting style based on length.

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

Midgrade: 1.8 mm thick, perfect for choreography and cosplay. As its wall is thinner, 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 contact or in the repetition of shocks.

Heavygrade: 3.2 mm thick, this is the blade designed for combat. It can withstand repeated shocks, at the cost of a slightly attenuated shine. In the case of a Neo Heavygrade blade, it's advisable to keep the force applied during impact reasonable, to preserve the life of the LEDs in the blade.

In all cases, avoid impacts between a Midgrade blade and a Heavygrade blade.

Sabertrio blades come in two types of tip: ogive or rounded. Primarily a question of style, rounded tips are preferred for contact activities, for the longevity of the tip and to limit impact on the opponent's torso, while Neo blades are only available with ogive tips.

There are two possible scenarios:

- Stunt and FX-E sabers, 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 sabers where the light is emitted directly from the LEDs in the blade, allowing virtually infinite color variations and blade effects such as crackling or unstable blade, while still having the 15 most popular colors available in the saber preconfigurations. 

The on-board electronics on FX-E and Neo series sabers include an electronic card that provides a number of configurations and customization options.

Wrongly called a "sound card" because it links sound and visual effects, it is located in the hilt and features a micro SD card that can be easily removed and connected to a computer for updates or additions.

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

ProffieBoard 2.2: with a comparable level of realism, the ProffieBoard distinguishes itself from the Crystal Focus by its advanced programming, enabling a higher level of customization, albeit requiring some knowledge, as each modification requires recompiling and reflashing the board's firmware. Fewer parameters can be modified directly on the saber than with the CFX.

Our FX-E and Neo sabers can all be fitted with a Crystal Focus X card. If you're already familiar with the environment and would like to acquire a ProffieBoard 2.2 to program your saber yourself, then the Neo range is the right choice for you.

You can find out more about both systems in our user manual.