Luke Skywalker Force Fx Lightsaber (Removable Blade) Review

Got this surprise gift from my wife for Christmas. Not being able to afford a "true" honest-to-goodness replica of Luke's iconic lightsaber from Episode IV, I've been eyeing the next best thing... the Force Fx version by Master Replicas. But, now that MR has regrettably gone belly up, I'm glad Hasbro has taken care of the Force Fx lines.

To my delight, Hasbro offers premium versions with easy-to-remove blades, allowing them to be displayed like pretty convincing replicas. This is the one I have here.

The craftsmanship could have been a little better, as there's evidence of tiny scratches near the screws, caused by an obvious slip of the hand from the assemblers. There are also a few minor scuffs and tiny traces of adhesive in a couple of areas. Again, quality control is the issue here. Which brings me to a long debated issue. Hasbro took over the Force Fx line of sabers first made famous by Master Replicas, the original distributor. Having learned that both lines are made in the same factory there shouldn't be any major difference in quality, though purists swear by the Master Replicas sabers, insisting the latter are of far superiors quality. This is difficult to prove definitively since there can be variances throughout any product line, even from the same manufacturer. If anything, it's possible Hasbro has somewhat looser quality control guidelines than Master Replicas did. Again, I can't be certain as I don't own identical Hasbro and Master Replicas samples to compare against each other.

Now on to this lovely item. First of all, yes, it is lovely to behold. Having seen many Force Fx sabers first hand, I can say with confidence that this is by far one of the most screen-accurate ones to date, and unlike most of the other sabers, this one does not seem to have been made larger and thicker to accommodate the internal electronics. The shape and form seems to be pretty spot on.











Most of the details are surprisingly faithful to the filming prop, which was fashioned out of an old fashioned Graflex camera flash handle. To the untrained eye, the hilt looks just like a Graflex handle, complete with all the screws and surface details you'd expect, with only a few minor details either simplified or removed. The metal is also a little thicker than it should be, but still pretty nice.







Having a miniature Luke saber replica on hand made by Master Replicas (made to the same specifications as their full-size limited edition replicas, except at 45% the original size) I decided to do a side-by side comparison. I can see where the Force Fx saber deviates in a few details (chrome where there should be brushed aluminum, a separate cast part when it should be one part, etc.) but none, in my opinion really detract from its overall presentation. In my opinion, it's a pretty convincing prop replica.

The blade is ridiculously easy to remove. Simply unscrew the top "button" and pull it out, releasing the blade.





You can then slide in the included insert which replicates the emitter. Plastic yes, but it does the trick.








The blade glows pretty nicely. Unfortunately I didn't have fresh batteries to test just how bright it gets, but it looks pretty great, especially in the dark, with only minor dim spots between the internal LED strips (should be less visible with new batteries).





The sound module is a topic of some controversy. Some say it's not as loud as what Master Replicas offered in the past. Again, I can't really prove this as I don't have two identical samples from both distributors, but I can say that my Empire Strikes Back Darth Vader Force Fx saber by Master Replicas is much louder and has a better quality speaker. Still, in my opinion, not bad at all.

Included are a display base and a belt clip so you can wear this thing to the mall and show all the chicks just what a catch you are.

Overal, this is a fine "toy". Yes, that what it is, an expensive toy for those of us who refuse to grow up. Seriously, every time I pick up one of these Force Fx sabers I'm suddenly seven years old. But it's also an impressibly accurate replica of Luke's iconic weapon as seen in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope and sure looks darn good on a shelf!

-AL

Thanks for this mate

I own a master reps Anakin EP2 (First FX lightsaber ever offered)
and the anakin EP3 (my fav)

Have been thinking about picking up a couple of the hasbro versions given that the blade can now be removed.

The pics sold this review, many thanks!

Funny, I was just playing around with my Luke ANH right before I saw this thread. :confused

I have this one and the ANH Vader with the removable blade. They are both awesome. I wish I had the MR limited replicas to compare them to. But based on comparison pictures online, my ESB Luke mini replica, and my basic knowledge of the original props, these look pretty darn close.

My main gripe with the ANH Luke is the clamp (or "rabbit ears") being chromed plastic and not a connected assembly. I'm pretty sure the original MR was like this too. Funny, because the ESB one got the clamp right, yet the hilt itself was scaled way too big.

I agree they are toys, but for my purposes (and since I'll never be able to afford the true replicas), they fall under the prop replica category for me. Plus with the removable blades, you can display them as one.

Great review! I noticed that that most of the graflex force fx sabers include a larger hole where the glass eye is. The Anakin ROTS has a large orange button there - but they must use the same "shell" for other graflexs.

I heard that theory before and it's entirely possible. The shapes are pretty identical.

I would just like to add that the sound of the hasbro ones are indeed quieter.
I have a Master Replicas yoda force fx and the Luke ANH saber.
The sound is alot more quiet but doesnt take away from the experience that much.

This thing is cool!

Where can we buy these removable blade light sabers?

Thanks for helping

You can find them for about $700. - $2000. if you look hard enough.
"Google"

What the heck? are you serious? I'd sell mine for that much!.

Those where the prices I saw while looking a few weeks ago.
Most sites where sold out years ago.

I jumped at a non- removable blade version here on the forum for under $200.

Prices are all over the place. Seems to be just the luck of finding them at a reasonable price:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...S0&_nkw=luke+removable+fx+lightsaber&_sacat=0

I saw the signature series were selling pretty high a couple weeks ago so I checked my closet for the mailer/box the two I bought from Thinkgeek 2 or 3 years ago (buy one get one 50% off). I paid $233 shipped for a Vader and a Luke ANH and they're the signature series. I've never displayed them, they're still in the box. I figured they would never go up in value but I guess they did.

Im sure you could buy a Black Series and convert it to a removable blade. Or if you really want this exact one just make a $2,000 donation to the Trooper Trent R2 build.

division 6 said:

You can find them for about $700. - $2000. if you look hard enough.
"Google"

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In this instance I think we need that sarcasm emoji... cause I wouldn't trade my '10 Luke for my mother's funeral plot...

I do kick myself for not buying them. But at that time I did not have a "stepdaughter" and my son was still a baby and I was all "meh, who needs a saber when you have diapers?

Diapers - they are a lot like the force. The have a light side, a dark (stinky) side, and they hold a lot together.

Anyway, any cheap alternatives out there?

Hollywood did bring up a great point, the price is all over the place. You could just keep checking eBay, make offers to those who have OBO, I've had a few people take half of what they were asking. Or you could go with something like a 2.0 and add the electronics yourself. You could always go with a Parks ESB but your kids might be heading to college by time you get it (takes awhile to ship). I'm not an FX guy but you can make one a lot better than this if you do the work yourself. You can add a crystal chamber, the possibilities are endless.

I've heard (read on forums) that they are coming out with a removable blade option for the Black Series that will cost about $20 to $50 more than these. You can get one with the non removeable Black Series for $150 or so.

How important is sound to you? Does it have to have sound and a removable blade?

DaddyfromNaboo said:

I do kick myself for not buying them. But at that time I did not have a "stepdaughter" and my son was still a baby and I was all "meh, who needs a saber when you have diapers?

Diapers - they are a lot like the force. The have a light side, a dark (stinky) side, and they hold a lot together.

Anyway, any cheap alternatives out there?

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