Darth Revan and Starkiller Lightsaber Reviews

[Tan Djarka]

Ok, I added some weight to the Revan, and it feels much better in the hand.

There's something that's always bugged me: The weight of saber replicas. I always see comments in reference to the relative heft of a saber, like "it feels like a real lightsaber". No, it doesn't. Seems to me a real saber would weigh about the same as a heavy duty flashlight (Maglite). In the real world the goal is to make weapons as light as is practical, isn't it?

Is the desire for a more weighted design merely preference, or does it aid in wielding the saber somehow?

 

[Jm419]

There's something that's always bugged me: The weight of saber replicas. I always see comments in reference to the relative heft of a saber, like "it feels like a real lightsaber". No, it doesn't. Seems to me a real saber would weigh about the same as a heavy duty flashlight (Maglite). In the real world the goal is to make weapons as light as is practical, isn't it?

Is the desire for a more weighted design merely preference, or does it aid in wielding the saber somehow?

There are 3 reasons that I can think of for why people would want to change the weight of the hilt.

1. Weight makes the whole thing seem much less cheap, at least to me. My dad always used to tell me, "If it's heavy, it's expensive," so I guess that idea was kinda ingrained in me subconsciously.

2. Balance. From a purely technical standpoint, the balance point on any blade affects how you wield it. If the weapon is too blade heavy, you get fatigued much more easily and much faster. If it's too hilt-heavy, then you lose accuracy in your strikes. The ideal balance point is at the point where the blade meets the hilt, and changing the weight of this particular saber brought the balance point closer to where it belonged. Lighter isn't always better in swords.

3. Light is weightless, and a very hilt-heavy lightsaber, though not my personal preference, makes some people feel that the experience is that much more authentic, as the heavy hilt contributes to the feeling of a weightless blade.