This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.

Anyone who has watched Star Wars has thought the same thing, “How can I get my hands on one of those?” Ever since the first time the I watched Luke and Vader duke it out I started my search. Of course there was the Hasbro Lightsaber for kids. But I always wanted something more like the movies. Something with some weight to it and didn’t feel like a plastic flashlight.

Which brings us to the next entry in my quest: Master Replica’s FX Lightsabers. I was so excited to see a “movie accurate” prop with lights AND sounds. After receiving the saber I recall being disappointed in the quality of the hilt as well as the saber itself. As many of us found out, these sabers were very fragile. Mine was broke during shipping and upon investigation I realized the saber portion was made of a very thin plastic. Sure it looked great and was pretty on the shelf, but not quite what I was hoping for.

Finally after decades of looking, I’ve found my lightsaber, specifically the Exhalted by Saber Forge. I received my review copy in the mail shortly after I got home from work. From the long triangular box, I knew exactly what it was. After (literally) tearing through the box I mounted the saber (light) portion into the hilt, firmly held on with both hands and pushed the button.

The start up blasts followed by a hum pulsed from the bottom of the saber. As I swung the saber around the hum changed to a whooshing sound. The hilt and saber are designed and engineered for dueling. You can tell by how well the weight is distributed. For the final test I struck the nearest dining chair and was pleased to hear a crash from the saber. I then hit the floor with a little more force for a different crash sound. No signs of damage or cracking on the hilt or the saber. Saber Forge uses 1/8 inch walled polycarbonate blade. Very sturdy for dueling or just harassing your wife.

A few nice features worth mentioning:
• The hilt is machined from T-6 aircraft grade aluminum.
• Removable blade.
• Louder Sound FX and more of them. 10 swoosh, 10 clash, activation, idle hum and deactivation.
• Multiple blade sizes to choose from: 34″ 36″ 40″

Saber Forge offers the lightsabers in a few different packages. The simplest version comes with a hilt and saber with your choice of color. If you want just the hilt, you can order it that way too. From there you can upgrade your order to include a sound board and speaker or a rechargeable set up so you don’t have to use batteries. I would highly recommend adding the recharge feature. It’ll save you a lot in the long run.

Alright, let’s break this down:

PROS
• Very sturdy construction.
• Well weighted for dueling or just swinging it around. Not awkward or top heavy.
• LED provides a very bright light.
• Great value. For the price you really can’t get a better lightsaber.
• The sound is top notch. Has a much larger library than most sabers.

CONS
• The screw you use to hold the blade in place is a little awkward. You need an allen wrench to take the blade in or out. To be honest this is a pretty nit-picky CON since I am having a hard time thinking of one.

Overall I can’t praise these sabers enough. They are a very reasonable price point with enough variations to fit your style and budget. I would highly recommend this for yourself or the geek in your life.