When pop culture conventions host a variety of vendors selling lightsabers from Star Wars, the caveat is on choosing who to buy from. Some pop up type operations are looking to cash in on the craze, and others are true enthusiasts who deserve the moniker. When I fell deep into this rabbit hole, I made sure I looked around for years rather than impulse buy. There are a lot of things people need to be aware of before buying their first saber.
At its most basic level, what you’re buying at toy stores is a flashlight. Those are the cheapest. The next step up includes a sound board and a motion sensor to activate the various audio effects (known as fonts). Everything else is a modification, with more bells and whistles. The best chipset to use requires some computer programming knowledge.
The same rules apply to the shape of the hilt. Between a basic aluminum stick with some grooves and curves to movie-authentic, the cost will rise. The offerings found at conventions range from starter units to movie replicas. Those enterprises are mostly resellers and do little work to create something new for customers. One search on Alibaba or Temu will reveal who the true manufacturers are. TXQ and LGT/Nexus dominate the market. When a portion of lightsaber businesses make orders from them and do further customizations or come up with different names to make what they sell look like they got exclusive rights, they realistically do not.
After looking at a bunch of sellers far and wide online and in person, it’s easy to spot which items are mass-produced or not. If I wanted to buy from such a place, I’d hire a metalsmith for those one-offs. Fortunately, a handful of operations exists to create one offs from scratch. Other places like Vader’s Vault reportedly mill some of its own parts and The Custom Saber Shop looks like another. When in doubt, just ask.
When the hilts from various companies are incompatible with one another, this hobby can get expensive fast! Although you can adapt some inner electronics, the outer parts remain incongruous.
I bought my starter after I discovered one model I adored on sale at a local merchant. One day, after learning how to do acid etching, I plan on adding Egyptian hieroglyphic decor to this model which SaberX also sells.
Alternatively, some operations can engrave your name or a fancy symbol onto the aluminum, but they are few and far between. Sabertrio, NG Sabers and Vaults of Valhalla offer this service, and it’s best to inquire with them about when the service is available.
When buying, communicating with the seller is best for those who make this ultimate Star Wars toy. Newer models have additional sound/light effects to emulate dragging the blade on the ground, melting walls and the saber clash. Polycarbonate plastic makes up the blade tube. SWAT team shields also use this material. They protect the strip of LEDS inside from being destroyed.
At Island Fancon, I lucked out and got some insider’s information about this industry. Some go without saying (like how cliquey enthusiasts get), and for buying something modular, the model I was eyeing had areas where I know I can snap on bits and keep them in place with neodymium magnets. I was told new sound effects and music can be installed.
Chris of CR Sabers plans on expanding his operation to include offering add-on options like in what I have planned. Online, Stardust Sabers offers more permanent solutions. And Kyle of KY Sabers said he wants to start up a repair facility, so those owners of older or broken hilts (made from other manufacturers) have a place to get them fixed. Both are based in Canada. Worldwide, other operations exist, so warriors have a smith nearby to get their device upgraded.
Lightsaber Customization
When I have a 3D printer in my workshop, I can finally build my dream saber. I don’t believe in welding a stick. I want my light up sword to have a shape that’s very different from others. Also, it must have a personality from an ancient spirit or world I’m very much attuned to.
To get that level of personalisation is possible, but to find an operation that can create that from scratch means having a lot of money saved up to pay for the labour. These people are the true saber smiths because they pride themselves in making a product that belongs to only one user. They are based all around the world, and folks can find them by asking on Reddit or doing a Google search.
Savi’s Workshop in Disneyland limits its offerings to one or two saber shapes, leaving no basis for comparison. At least this assembly line product has quality control. However, to get one here means the Jedi or Sith Lord cannot mix and match from different themed packages. There are four. There’s only two options for each part of the hilt, and the choice of two of four sleeves which everything fits into. As much as I’d like to experience this, what I want requires customizing from three of the four packages to have something truly unique. I may do that one day through eBay (I don’t want to spend more money than I should if I’m only targeting one thing to do) as most of these bits have filtered through the secondary market that the Mouse has oddly decided not to mess with.
To conclude, for the true DIYer, The Custom Saber Shop is perhaps the oldest online operation since this fad started. They offer the most diverse amount of choices to create that hilt, and I’ve experimented with their online builder program. Even though that web app is great at helping realize ideas, it’s still missing a few things. Namely, there’s no random part category that includes adding fins or bunny ears (those two protrusions from Luke’s first lightsaber) to the design. Also, there’s no option to figure out where to drill in holes for the accent screws and brace the lightsaber. All I could find is just one drill spot location for the activator button. Also, some knowledge of electronics and soldering is required if one is to order all the bits to assemble a lightsaber from here.
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