TOPIC: Black and Chrome Bane Mk2

Well guys, I have to be honest here. This is one that I was not sure was going to actually happen. When I saw Phil's pictures of the black & chrome Bane MK2 he had done for himself, I knew that after all my waiting for a Bane of my own, this was the one that finally got me to pull the trigger. Sure, I would have alternatively done a weathered, or an all black version, and been quite satisfied. But, let's face it. You know what you REALLY want the moment you see it, and anything else is a substitute. Good substitutes, but substitutes none the less.

So, with my mind made up, even before I realize it, I figured "Hey, if ya don't ask, you'll never know. All he can do is say no". So, as I have a quick pow-wow with the man every week for forum stuff, I took the opportunity to pose the question. I figured it was a long shot, so Imagine my surprise when the answer was yes! I don't know specifically how he was able to do this for me. He certainly did not have to, but he did anyway, and I am appropriately grateful. Now with all that said, on to the saber itself.

First let me start by saying that this re-design of the original, by Thomas Snyder's own admission, is much closer to his conceptual design, than was the first iteration of the Bane. My son has one of the originals, so I was able to do a close-up comparison of design features, size, texture, and obviously finish. I had seen the dual-tone finish of the both the Mk1 and Mk2 sabers, and they were nice, but the powder-coat finish of the silver section was not quite what I was looking for, so I held off. I knew that it was finally time for me to add an Mk2 to my collection, but I was still going back and forth over which finish I wanted. Until I saw the black and chrome. That was it for me! I was fixated on that! Before I start the picture show, one thing I can assure you of is that mere pictures don't do this saber justice!




Breathtaking! A work of Sith art in weaponry! You can probably just make out the Sith creed etched around the forks of the emitter. That is a particularly nice touch, and adds to the mystique of this saber.








When you fire up that beautiful Deep Red LED, the effect when combined with the finish colors is outstanding! The emitter windows are a new feature to the MK2 design, and provide yet another fantastic detail to an already rich tapestry of details!








(for comparison)

As you can see from the Mk1 photo, the pommel is roughly the same shape as the MK1, being angled with raised fins. However, the new design extends the length of the pommel, doubles the number of fins, and adds slots between each fin. It is a noticeable improvement visually, and aesthetically. You can see in these close-ups that there is no covertech wheel attached. There was a black one included, but I decided that if I were going to add a device to carry this beauty, it would be a small d-ring attached where the covertech would normally go. I'll be looking for a chrome one, but a brushed silver finish would suffice for the short term.

The claw on the Mk2 is also much improved over the Mk1. The shape is a little more refined, and the slotting adds much appreciated detail. The claw, of course, is just the outward projecting portion of a long spine that runs the length of the underside of the saber. It is all a single piece of metal. It forms a grip of sorts, that feels much more comfortable than it might appear, ending in a semi-pointed hook, which adds a little extra touch of menace to an already imposing saber.

The black section, which carries over the two piece design from the Mk1, keeps the ribbed effect on the bottom, and with rounded, elongated indentations on the top in place of the circles present on the Mk1. There is a slight seam visible, but it is much less pronounced than it was with the Mk1. It feels very comfortable in the hand, due in no small part to the chamfering done to all of the edges. You can run your finger over any surface on this saber without feeling the slightest threat of a cut. The closest I found to a sharp edge was around the black section of the emitter, right where the blade is secured. It is a little more of an edge than anywhere else on the saber, but you would have to press pretty hard to achieve any break in the skin.

The saber is equipped with Energy Vibration, which adds just a little extra tactile feedback when turned on, giving the wielder the feeling of actually holding an ignited energy weapon. I personally like the feature, and feel if you can swing the extra bucks for it, you will not regret it.

The SaberCore 3 sound arrived configured with the three dark fonts (Darkside Relic, Ominous, and Ruiner), each of which feels like a good tonal fit for this saber. However, there are always some tweaks to the standards settings that I make, so I connected the saber to the configuration utility on my PC to customize some of those features. By default, the sound level for each font is set at 85%. I like to raise that to 95%. Also, they are typically configured with the Slow Shimmer, and Slow Pulse blade effects. I prefer to set font 1 to no blade effect (for constant maximum LED brightness), font 2 for Fast Pulse, and Font 3 for Fast Shimmer. I find each of those more visually compelling than their slow counterparts, but of course, that is totally subjective.

The sound levels (once adjusted) were quite satisfying. The slotted pommel gives the sounds an unobstructed exit, making them clear, and loud. The fonts themselves were originally mixed by Shameem Moshrefzadeh, and as with everything he does, they are outstanding.



As the picture shows, the Deep Red LED is absolutely beautiful. Perhaps not as perceptibly bright as other shades of red, or other colors, for that matter. But, for this saber, there was really no choice for me, and I find the slight loss of brightness for this shade of red to be more than made up for by the richness of the color.

Altogether, I find that the time I spent waiting, and watching from the release of the Bane Mk1, to the Mk2 to have been well worth it. Everything about this version, from the fit of the parts, to the improved design elements, to the chamfering of the edges, and finally the possibility of the chrome finish; all add up to the greatest reward for my patience, in the form of a saber exactly how I envisioned it! As I mentioned before, there is no substitute for what you really want, and in this case, that is exactly what I got! The good news here for everyone, is that the chrome finish will soon be available for order. So, what I got here was a preview of what others will soon be able to do for themselves as well, and I feel fortunate to have been given this opportunity early.

For anyone who was on the fence about the Bane Mk2, this is me saying just do it! You will absolutely love it! Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates a curved saber.

Absolutely breathtaking!!! I cannot wait to get mine. Yes, well worth the wait.
This might be my favorite designed hilt, the black and chrome is stunning.
Congrats Brax!

Amazing. I wonder if it would be possible to get it with the jedi creed on it

Not sure. I did not even specifically ask for the inscription. It was just there, but definitely a welcome addition. When this finish becomes available on the site, it seems feasible that it would be an option, and that you could choose from various phrases. But, I don’t know for sure. When I am told that it will be going up on the site, I will be asking those questions, and letting you know as soon as I can.

G A W J U S !

I want one. Initially, I wanted a weathered one, but not anymore. Must have a chrome one. Thanks a lot for the review and for the gorgeous pics, Brax.

I'd really like to see someone take some black enamel to the inscriptions and engraved lines to make them pop. Still super snazzy as-is.

Beautiful! That chrome is outstanding! Congrats Brax!

Very easy on the eye (& much preferred over The Count).. almost enough to get me off the fence and get one too.

Congrats on a great saber, I'm loving the MK2 Bane

Hi brax, a few questions:

Is this a powdercoat finish? Or electroplated chrome?
Have you fought at all with the saber? Is the finish durable enough for dueling? or are we talking chip city?

It is definitely a Chrome finish. As for dueling, I have not, and not sure I plan to with this saber. So, not sure about the durability, but as it is the same process used on The Count, anyone with one of those who does duel with any frequency could address that question just as accurately.

Hello Major_Tom,

You could always try and contact COUNT ARKANUS on his YouTube channel as he too has the Bane Mk2 in the custom black and chrome finish. And he does quite a bit of Makashi with it!

I won't post the video in case the Count wants to post it here himself as he is a long gone member of this forum.

kind regards,

For Tyeth

Any chance it will be released in the etched and black/chrome during the 20% off sale?

That's a gorgeous saber!

Does anyone know if this is a Saberforge original design or if it is legends or canon inspired?

It was designed by Thomas Snyder before he joined Saber Forge, and actualized as the Mk1 soon after he came on board. However, the manufacturing techniques of the time demanded small changes to his original design. Still very much recognizable from the design, but slightly different. The Mk2 brought it much closer to his original vision.

So far as I am aware, the design was 100% his, and not based on anything from canon, or the EW. I could be mistaken, but that is what I recall.

Hi everyone. I created a topic about different finishing alternatives for black/chrome Bane mk2. Need your opinions.

https://saberforgeforum.com/forum/open-topics/14574-bane-mk2-chrome-black-custom-finish-ideas

This is beautiful! Also, where did you get that stand that it's on? I'd love an Imperial stand for my own when I get it.