Welcome, Guest
Username: Password: Remember me
Threaded Indented
  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2

TOPIC: ASP Saber - Nameless

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52553

  • Bradums
  • Bradums's Avatar
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • The Worst Grey Jedi Ever
  • Posts: 16
  • Thank you received: 16
So...first, I'll do a review on the saber and all the important stuff. After that, a couple personal notes, just for fun.

ASP Saber Images!



Empty hilt. It arrived assembled, but without the electronics and whatnot. Probably safer than shipping a bunch of loose parts, right?



With saber installed, lights off.




So...not sure how to summarize this, so I'll try to do it logically:

Saber Review!

1. Appearance: It looked exactly as I hoped. Black finish (no blemishes or flaws) and while I was unsure of the leather wrap at first, I actually love how the dark green leather looks with the black saber. And the Vengeance emitter (the part I had the hardest time committing to) matches the pommel and body perfectly, in my opinion, so I'm glad I went that route. All in all, I was really impressed with how it turned out.

2. Feel: I'm not a professional or expert, but I'm kind of a sword nerd. That said, I have no realistic idea how balanced or appropriate the weight of a lightsaber hilt should be, but I like the length of my hilt (seems a little longer than average) and the heft actually makes it easier to maneuver with my wrists and get fluid and fast swings. It feels like it might be a big heavier than most, but I like it.

3. Assembly: Full disclosure, I went into it blind. Intentionally. I didn't look up any tutorials or walkthroughs on assembly, because I wanted to see if it was dummy-proof. Turns out, it's fairly dummy proof. I assembled the hilt myself, then checked a video online to compare and realized that my saber was so different, the video wasn't overwhelmingly helpful. For example, I guess most sabers have two retention screws while the Vengeance emitter I got only had one up top (the ones around the trim pieces are solely to hold the trim pieces on). I would've gone insane trying to find a second retention screw. Overall, my saber was easy to put together. I set the switch in place, slid the locknut over the connector and screwed it tight to hold the switch in place, then put it together piece-by-piece. Easy. All threading with a little allen wrench action. Some people complain about the battery pack being too big, but mine was perfect. Too big to slide in without a fight, but big enough to be pushed in and remain in place on its own and with zero room for clanking around or shaking. Perfect.

That sounded like an innuendo. Sorry about that. Get your mind out of the gutter, though.

4. LED/Saber: The LED is surprisingly bright. Errr...well, I'm in the electrical business and I sell 12w LED lights for residential and commercial buildings, so I guess I should know how bright 12w LEDs are, but I was surprised it reflected so well in the saber. My first thought, and the first comments I got on it from some friends and my wife (who isn't a huge Star Wars fan, though she does like the movies) were all basically: "It looks real". The only semi-flaw I would report is that the pointed tip doesn't seem to light up as well as the pictures and the SF site show in regular ambient light (daytime or lights on), but most of the time and in darkness or low light, it's lit completely. Really, there's just some dead spots at certain angles, but for the most part, it's good. No complaints, since it doesn't make much of a difference, I'm just being a stickler for detail.

Overall Review

Pros: Hilt feels amazing to hold. The look is better than I expected, quality-wise, and the finished saber looks like the real deal. It was easy to assemble and if there are any parts I want in the future, I'm not afraid to take it all apart and reassemble it. Seriously, I love it. If I could go back in time and show it to 12-year-old me, I'd "Back to the Future" myself out of existence, because his tiny nerd heart would explode at the sight of it.

Cons: I didn't like that the blank switch was just a flat plate, more or less, with no way of securing it to the saber outside of adhesive like shoe goo or E6000. Not a big issue in any sense, but with everything else so awesome, it just seemed kinda lazy. There might be a reason for it, but since I don't know it, it just seems off-putting to have to glue a piece to the hilt. Also, while I haven't had an issue with it yet because I haven't actually hit anything with the saber, I'm iffy on the fact that the saber (and the LED module under it, in the case of my emitter) is held only by a single little retention screw. I can see either the retention screw gouging the blade and/or the blade coming loose. Maybe it's just me, though. For a "combat ready" saber, though, I just feel like one retention screw tightened down on a blade isn't really "combat ready". Again, and to be fair to SF...it obviously IS "combat ready", since there's a whole academy of duelists who obviously use the same thing, but as a first-time buyer, I had to do a double-take to make sure I wasn't missing something.

Overall, I was impressed with how it turned out, and very happy with it. The hilt looks better than the designer showed, the saber works perfectly, and any issues I have are extremely minor. I'm looking forward to the ASP shop opening up, because I feel like while the project obviously had some hiccups and issues, it's running at full (or at least fuller) speed now. As far as my own saber, I'll likely add sound and maybe an optional little part or two to swap out, but I imagine I'll want to build another saber for either myself or a friend or family member down the road. Especially with, I would imagine, more parts being developed and released as time goes on. One of the biggest benefits to the modular saber system is that if my saber becomes outdated and new and improved guts are released (light or sound), or if I find a part that might look better, I don't have to put my saber off to the side and buy a whole new setup. I just have to buy and swap out a piece at a time.

I hope you guys enjoy the review, and I hope it helps in some way or at least entertains you enough to be worth the ungodly and unmerciful rambling it entailed.




Personal Notes

Sorry the saber doesn't have a cool name. I couldn't think of an appropriate one. I keep trying to think of who I would be, and what I would call it, but...eh, nada. I see names like "Burning Vengeance" and "Justice Crusher", etc., which sound awesome, but I wouldn't have a cool name like that. In all fairness, I might literally call my saber the Nameless, were I in the Star Wars universe, because I'm that boring in terms of cool names and symbolism. Either Nameless or "the thing that kills, maims, and/or destroys other things while looking super awesome". Nameless rolls off the tongue better, I think.

To be fair, I'd make the worst Jedi. I'd absolutely be a Grey Jedi. And not because I'm a Jedi Hipster who wants to be anti-establishment or that I hate one side or the other, I'd just get way too cynical and loose to stick around the Order. If they made a movie about me, it would be R-rated for Excessive Snarkiness, Graphic Language, Excessive Violence, and Partial Nudity. I'd be like a less-attractive Archer with a lightsaber and the Force. Tons of snark, morally ambiguous, terrible language, total jerk to most people for the fun of it, but as much as I would try to hide it, my main goal is to do the right thing in the end, but people better shut up about it.
Literally. The worst.

Sabers: The Nameless (ASP Saber)
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jaden Korr, Borommakot, Arsen Hauer, OvrcAHst, MommyHoldMe, Savannah95

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52575

  • Jaden Korr
  • Jaden Korr's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • "Remember, [Force] abilities are not inherently good or evil; it's how you use them." --Kyle Katarn
  • Posts: 1103
  • Thank you received: 511
Great review, even better saber! I'm starting to wish I went with all black for my ASP saber instead of weathered!

The fact that you don't seem to have a second retention screw for the LED is strange; all SF sabers, with exception to the thin necks that use a snap ring, have a dedicated screw for the LED module. Perhaps another Vengence owner here can help you out.

But for a single set screw holding in the blade, you have nothing to worry about; a single 8-32 set screw for blade retention is the standard across the board for custom sabers among sabersmiths, and is all that is needed for a combat ready saber. In fact, having more than one would add additional stress points to the blade, increasing the chances of cracking the blade! Finger tight is all that is needed.

And seeing as this is your first post, welcome! You first 10 posts won't show up immediately as they have to be approved by the mods (just a spam bot prevention measure). Make sure to introduce yourself over in the New Member thread, and check out the FAQ and Forum Rules threads if you haven't already.
2005 MR Vader
B/B/W Graflex 2.0
yellow SF ASP Interceptor
Last Edit: 1 year 6 months ago by Jaden Korr.
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52576

  • Borommakot
  • Borommakot's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • May the force be with us.
  • Posts: 1439
  • Thank you received: 569
Great looking hilt!
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52586

  • =Ottomatix=
  • =Ottomatix='s Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • "The fear of loss is a Path to the Darkside, Train yourself to Let Go of everything you Fear to Lose"
  • Posts: 1272
  • Thank you received: 535
Bradums, that is a great saber. I like your finish and wrap choices. MTFBWY
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52588

  • Bradums
  • Bradums's Avatar
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • The Worst Grey Jedi Ever
  • Posts: 16
  • Thank you received: 16
Jaden Korr wrote:
Great review, even better saber! I'm starting to wish I went with all black for my ASP saber instead of weathered!

The fact that you don't seem to have a second retention screw for the LED is strange; all SF sabers, with exception to the thin necks that use a snap ring, have a dedicated screw for the LED module. Perhaps another Vengence owner here can help you out.

But for a single set screw holding in the blade, you have nothing to worry about; a single 8-32 set screw for blade retention is the standard across the board for custom sabers among sabersmiths, and is all that is needed for a combat ready saber. In fact, having more than one would add addition stress points to the blade, increasing the chances of cracking the blade! Finger tight is all that is needed.

And seeng as this is your first post, welcome! You first 10 posts won't show up immediately as they have to be approved by the mods (just a spam bot prevention measure). Make sure to introduce yourself over in the New Member thread, and check out the FAQ and Forum Rules threads if you haven't already.

See, that makes a ton of sense. I wasn't superconcerned, but as a new saber owner, it was something I wasn't 100% sure of. Thanks for clarifying. Gives me a little more peace of mind, haha.

And thanks for the welcome! I'll introduce myself over there, and I look forward to hanging around and contributing.

And thanks for the kind words, Borommakot and Otto!
Literally. The worst.

Sabers: The Nameless (ASP Saber)
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jaden Korr, =Ottomatix=

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52589

  • Kouri
  • Kouri's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 958
  • Thank you received: 686
The emitter should have an LED retention screw, and if it's not obvious, it's probably hidden under one of the screwed-on plates. I heard the Reborn does something similar, with the LED retention screw hidden under one of the claw-grips.
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52595

  • Bradums
  • Bradums's Avatar
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • The Worst Grey Jedi Ever
  • Posts: 16
  • Thank you received: 16
That's what I thought, too. It makes sense, anyway, since the trim pieces' screws seem to be at the right position to be one of the retention screws. Unfortunately, I checked the emitter to see if one of the screws to the trim pieces went all the way through to serve as a retention screw and none did. All the screws just tightened down against the emitter's surface to lock down the trim pieces, and that's it.

I'll give it another look when I get home, though. I'm not above admitting that I could've just been temporarily blind and missed it.

I appreciate the suggestion, Kouri, and I'll report back when I give it another look. I might post a picture for reference and clarify it for anyone else who may have run into the same situation.
Literally. The worst.

Sabers: The Nameless (ASP Saber)
Last Edit: 1 year 6 months ago by Bradums.
The administrator has disabled public write access.

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52598

  • Kouri
  • Kouri's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 958
  • Thank you received: 686
Mm, I think the visible trim screws are a bit too close to the blade to make for good LED retention, but if you actually remove the trim piece in-line with the blade retention, you might find another set screw hidden at the switch-end of the emitter
The administrator has disabled public write access.

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52605

  • Bradums
  • Bradums's Avatar
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • The Worst Grey Jedi Ever
  • Posts: 16
  • Thank you received: 16
Good call. I'll have to check that. I checked a couple of the pieces when seeing if any poked through as a retention screw, but not all of them, so it's possible. And they were easy to remove, so it wouldn't be a hassle to check. The main thing I checked was the inside of the emitter, and I only saw one screw poking through, but...seriously, I could've just as easily missed the lower one and one of the trim pieces may be covering the lower retention screw. Entirely possible.
Literally. The worst.

Sabers: The Nameless (ASP Saber)
The administrator has disabled public write access.

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52627

  • Broll
  • Broll's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Premium Member
  • Attatchment is forbidden. Possesion is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, essential to a jedi's life. So you might say, that, we are encouraged to love.
  • Posts: 141
  • Thank you received: 22
Awesome saber!

What was your parts list? At a glance this looks very similar to mine (which makes me happy that it came out so well and optimistic that mine will ship soon). You definitely have a different switch and pommel than I picked, but I picked the Vengeance emitter (which you picked) and the Juggernaut body (which might be what you have but most of the leather wraps look pretty similar).
Sabers owned:
  1. Non-SF Hilt-only ANH Luke
  2. Kickstarter ASP (Champion)
  3. Venom (Champion) [Wife's]
  4. ASP (Hero)
  5. Arbiter (Initiate)
Last Edit: 1 year 6 months ago by Broll.
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52632

  • HotRod
  • HotRod's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 679
  • Thank you received: 343
That is a slick saber! And honestly, I like the name "Nameless". It gives it an air of mystery.


- RGBA+ Monarch, FW Epoch, Juggernaut, Exhalted
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52640

  • Bradums
  • Bradums's Avatar
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • The Worst Grey Jedi Ever
  • Posts: 16
  • Thank you received: 16


Parts list, for reference. I meant to put that in the original review post, but the forum phantom was yelling at me for having too many img links.

Also, Broll! Good luck on the saber. The Vengeance emitter looks impressive in person, so I'm sure you'll like it. In my opinion, it has a sort of futuristic warrior vibe to it, with the trim ridges. I got it because it seemed to go well with the "gothic knight"-looking Relic pommel.

And thanks, HotRod! I thought of Jet Li's character from Hero when I settled on Nameless, to be honest. Not famous, not a legendary figure, super deadly, doesn't have a name :P
Literally. The worst.

Sabers: The Nameless (ASP Saber)
The administrator has disabled public write access.

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52651

  • Brax
  • Brax's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Administrator
  • Posts: 3074
  • Thank you received: 1322
Bradums wrote:
I meant to put that in the original review post, but the forum phantom was yelling at me for having too many img links.

Wasn't me! :huh:
Imagine what you will know tomorrow....
Last Edit: 1 year 6 months ago by Brax.
The administrator has disabled public write access.

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52653

  • BoostinIX
  • BoostinIX's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 558
  • Thank you received: 194
Can you snap a clear pic of the battery pack? Now I'm curious :P Thanks! Looks great
The administrator has disabled public write access.

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52662

  • Bradums
  • Bradums's Avatar
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • The Worst Grey Jedi Ever
  • Posts: 16
  • Thank you received: 16


Not sure if you wanted a pic of the battery pack out of the hilt, but just for reference to what I was talking about: here's a pic of the battery in-hilt. It's hard to tell, since both the velcro wrap and hilt are black, but the battery pack with the velcro wrap around it is the perfect size to fit in the hilt. I had to shove it in with a little, emphasis on little, force and it stays in place. No rattling around, no sliding up and down with movement, it's firm. And the end of the backing velcro (shown sticking down in the image) acts as a sort of pull tab to pull the pack out if need be without getting in the way of the pommel.



Also, because I'm a responsible adult and I'm willing to admit when I'm stupid, I found the second retention screw. It was on the opposite side as the top screw, hiding under the bottom edge of one of the trim pieces. It was really hard to see, and it's already recessed far into its slot, but it was there. Like I said before, it doesn't make a practical difference since my blade sandwiches my LED in place regardless, but I'm glad I could put that to rest.

Broll, since you got the Vengeance emitter, the second retention screw (lower of the two) is under the trim piece shown.
Literally. The worst.

Sabers: The Nameless (ASP Saber)
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Kouri

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52684

  • MommyHoldMe
  • MommyHoldMe's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 630
  • Thank you received: 238
That is one beautiful and sexy all black hilt. I really like it. Nice creation Brad. I approve.
You give life, You are love.You bring light to the darkness.
You give hope, You restore every heart that is broken.
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52686

  • blinky2lame
  • blinky2lame's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Junior Member
  • Posts: 28
  • Thank you received: 17
Solid review and a beautiful hilt, congrats!
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52687

  • Greysider
  • Greysider's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • "I am not your kind. I do not feed off vengeance. I am a Jedi." - Quinlan Vos
  • Posts: 793
  • Thank you received: 333
Very nice. I really like the black finish with dark green wrap-very unique. Congratulations.
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52696

  • BoostinIX
  • BoostinIX's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 558
  • Thank you received: 194
Both pics are helpful ;) Got one out of the hilt?

Glad you found the retention screw! It's good to use even when you sandwich.
The administrator has disabled public write access.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bradums

ASP Saber - Nameless 1 year 6 months ago #52710

  • Baymillz
  • Baymillz's Avatar
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • There has been an awakening... have you felt it?
  • Posts: 5
That saber looks fantastic! Congrats.
The administrator has disabled public write access.
Threaded Indented
  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2

Member Login

Latest Posts

    • Hero Tier ASP "Ventu... (30 Posts)
    • Quote: When's the Avatar coming :lol: ? I'm already here, mutha******!!! Just mastering the elements in the...
    • New Covertech Styles Comi... (7 Posts)
    • Quote: Quote: Phil Isherwood: Four new styles of belt knobs were working on. [attachment] Oooooh, nice. I like...
    • Comparison: The Count, Ba... (5 Posts)
    • Very nice job, as always! It would be interesting to see a Bane MkII with SC3 compared to the same...
    • Comparison: The Count, Ba... (5 Posts)
    • Great review

More Topics »

Forum Statistics

  • Total Users: 5833
  • Latest Member: mizrobyn2815599
  • Total Posts: 60.7k
  • Total Topics: 5030
  • Total Sections: 24
  • Total Categories: 134
  • Today Open: 1
  • Yesterday Open: 3
  • Today Answer: 29
  • Yesterday Answer: 43