Review of: UltraSabers
Use: Source for Custom Lightsabers
Durability
8/10
Battery
7/10
Design
5/10
Sound
7/10
Price
10/10
What we liked:
- Lightsabers Charge Quickly
- Lightsabers are Durable enough for duels
- UltraSabers ships fast
- Light is evenly spread throughout the blades
- affordable for beginners
- Lots of Custom lightsaber design choices
What we disliked:
- Too many bland "fancy flashlight designs"
- Battery life below competitors
- Not as bright as competitors
Summary: This saber smith is just perfect for fresh-faced padawans. There’s affordable pricing to test out your first blade. Each saber is durable enough to withstand a decent degree of punishment, whether from a dueling opponent or accidents.
There are a lot of designs to choose from, unfortunately many of them are a little bland resembling “fancy flashlights”. There are some sabers with real “Wow!” potential, but you get what you pay for. Cooler looking hilts may be out of your average beginners price range.
Pulling out the Lithium-Ion batteries to charge can be a little bit of a hassle, so smart buyers will usually opt for the charging port if available. Either way, charging time is reasonable so you busy Jedi can charge and go. However, the battery life isn’t as good as it could be, meaning you just may have to charge each day you take off on your grand adventures.
Introduction
Who doesn’t remember the good old days, when your parents went to the store and bought you a sweet plastic lightsaber.
With its little release button and folding plastic blade that would fly out as you slung it menacingly at the family dog. Ah. Those were the days.
But, we’re adults now! Adults can’t have or play with lightsabers! That’s absurd!
And that’s where you would be wrong my friend, aside from the many communities of cosplayers and duelists, you can still feel like a total badass with your own custom saber. Gone are the days of bending plastic toys! Now we have real lightsabers!
Well, as close to real as it gets.
With the ability to produce quality sound effects, function in combat, and choose custom hilt designs, saber smiths like Ultra Sabers ensure, my, your dream of becoming a Jedi has never been easier!
Fear not, young padawan. Build your own saber, you do not have to. Choose one with style, you may. Even select a color for your bade, you can. Hmmph.
I’ve mentioned Ultra Sabers has quite the selection, even though many of them are dull for my tastes.
You may be tempted to get a Graflex SE for that classic look, but many reviews point to it being far less durable than say, the Apprentice LE v4.
Ultrasabers Graflex SE Review (Arctic Blue)
Ultrasabers Apprentice LE v4 Review
So it pays to research your saber! After all, your blade is an extension of yourself. Are you so weak as to go into battle pretending to be someone else? Wielding another man’s weapon? No! This is your saber. There are many like it, but this one is yours. Not unlike wands in Harry Potter, the saber chooses the Jedi, not the other way around.
Go ahead, browse through Ultra Saber’s stock or many others. I think when you hold that bad boy in your hands for the first time, you’ll know I was right. 😉
Lightsaber Durability
Well there’s durability to consider. You can’t have your weapon falling apart from the clash of a foe’s blade. If you drop it, it should not shatter.
If you channel your inner Kylo Ren and go ham on your wall, it should be your victory, not the wall’s. (True story, I read a review where dude’s little girl plowed her saber into their wall. Saber came out fine. The wall on the other hand….)
Ultrasabers are actually used in real lightsaber duels around the world!
Stunt Sabers, Lightsaber Sound, and the Obsidian SoundBoard
You might have an air for the dramatic and desire your saber to “swoosh”, and clash, and of course, make that nostalgic on-and-off sound when you activate or deactivate it.
If that’s your bag, cool. Ultra Sabers has a basic sound package that seems acceptable for casual use.
One thing to note is that the normal lightsabers don't have sound out of the box. They are actually referenced"stunt sabers" on the site.
You must order the sound as an add-on or purchase a saber that has sound at a base level. These lightsabers come with the NEW Obsidian LITE Soundboard.
Here is a Ultrasabers youtube review video from a customer that has a lightsaber with basic LITE sound.
Then there’s the Premium “Obsidian” class sound. That’ll really get your clashes booming and you better believe everyone around you will take notice when your saber erupts to life. Unfortunately, that may also include your neighbors.
Here is a quick comparison explain the difference between premium and basic soundboards.
Obsidian Soundboard Premium VS Obsidian LITE Soundboard
Premium
- Fully customizable sounds
- Can control the power on and off sound
- control the sound on clash
- even change the idle "humm" sound
- overall great for personalization
- Prices start at $199
LITE
- Default sounds (they aren't bad though!)
- Non customizable
- Sound Clashes
- Prices start at $149!
- If your lightsaber doesn't have one of these sound boards your lightsaber won't have sound!!
Blade Types and Lightsaber Presentation
Presentation means a lot, doesn’t it? I mean if you’re investing in your very own lightsaber with combat grade durability, high end sound effects, and a, hopefully, wicked hilt design, the light in the blade should mean a lot too.
Ultra Sabers doesn’t have the brightest blades, but one thing they don’t do is fade towards the tip. Using Ultra Edge technology and a system of mirrors, that baby is fully lit through and through.
UltraSabers Blade Types Guide
Midgrade
- The basic blade type or anything not "heavy grade"
- weigh less
- can bend but shouldn't break in light combat
Ultra Edge Midgrade
- Upgraded Midgrade with Ultra Edge technology
- made of white polycarbonate to give it a more "full" illuminated effect by helping the light get to the end of the blade
Heavy Grade
- Twice as thick as Midgrade
- less bright
- more durability and strength
Ultra Edge Heavy Grade
- Upgraded Heavy Grade with Ultra Edge technology
- made of white polycarbonate to give it a more "full" illuminated effect by helping the light get to the end of the blade
Blade Lengths
- Blades usually come in at 36" normally stick with that length you can get 24" or 32"
- 24" blades are for Initiates
- 32" blades are for duel bladed sabers or upgraded intitaties
- A Heavy Grade is ideal for serious dueling!!
UltraSabers Pricing
As for price, well if you’re looking for something good to start with, and if you’re reading this you likely are, Ultra Sabers is a safe bet.
Forgo the bells and whistles and you have some of the cheapest combat ready sabers in the market.
And let’s be honest, once you’ve held that thing in your hands and ran it through its paces, you’ll realize it’s just the first of many.
DIY and Our recommendations
That brings us to the last hurrah. I said earlier that you did not have to build your own lightsaber.
But what if that’s what you want? Well crafting such a magnificent weapon requires a great deal of skill and knowledge.
If you’ve had a blade for a while and know what you want, or even if you’re just too stubborn and want to do it anyway – skill be damned- Ultra Sabers has your back.
They offer you the capability to DIY, aka become a master saber smith yourself!
What’s that? You want recommendations? Well, as I’ve said, it pays to do your own research.
Take your size, the size of your potential blade, and if dueling: your combat style. There are a lot of great resources for these in the Ultra Sabers forums.
What’s that? You still want recommendations? Fine! I suppose I can throw some ideas at you, maybe bring attention to a blade or two you might overlook.
Our Recommendations
Basic Recommendations
- (Dark) Apprentice V4, (Dark Initiate V4)
- These sabers are great for beginners with their versatility. Useful regardless of intentions.
- The choke points easily allow for one hand and two handed combat
- Their size and weight make them viable as main hand or off hand weapons
- Affordable entry price for the hobby starting at ($59.99 USD)
- check it out here
Resemblence Recommendations
- Menace
- The various Menace designs bear a resemblance to the blades of Darth Maul
- Mid-range Pricing ($154.00 USD)
- check it out here
- Mantis
- Fans should recognize the resemblance here to Count Dooku's curved blade
- Higher-end pricing Pricing ($179.00 USD)
- check it out here
- Renegade
- Many disavowed the cross-guard of Kylo Ren before the Episode VII's release. I'm willing to bet now there aren't so many detractors.
- Despite its large size, it's "surprisingly lightweight"
- Dedication Pricing ($214.00 USD)
- check it out here
- Prophecy
- One of the cheapest "replica design" hilts ($99.00 USD -Prophecy) ($119.99 USD Dark Prophecy)
- Bears a striking resemblance to the very iconic lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader.
- check it out here
Personal Style
- Reaper
- I'm a big fan of the menacing style of this original design, from the curved emitter with its windows, to the claws at either end. It's my kind of "Flashy"
- The silver shroud just below the blade looks like a great grip, particularly for the off-hand if that's your thing.
- Mid-Range Price ($149.00) makes it pricey but not terrible in comparison to other styles.
- check it out here
Customer Service and Closing Thoughts
Really the last thing I would consider before making the plunge is customer service and price. Ok that’s two things, sue me.
But, professional handling of the customer shows they can professionally handle your product. I can’t speak to correspondence, though I’ve read mixed and conflicting accounts, one thing is fairly certain.
Your saber will get to you quick, fast, and in a hurry. These people don’t mess around with getting their product out, something not all of their competitors can say.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to consider your size and the size of your blade when looking for the right one. It will save you a lot of heartache if you plan on ever swinging your blade.
Just remember fellow Jedi, “Do or do not. There is no try.”