TOPIC: "Classic" Warrior Epoch - 6W Green

My first SF hilt was a Weathered warrior edition Consular, and I loved it. Great balance, fun to one-hand, good for fencing. I figured it was a keeper.

But then a gentleman on one of the facebook saber groups mentioned he was looking to trade for one, and had offered up his Epoch.

I had a little soul searching to do, especially since I was stepping down from 12W to a 6W saber, but in the end my desire to own this style of hilt won out, and we made a deal.

About a week of waiting (and the USPS losing the package for a couple of days!) later, and here we are!



Compared to my old Consular, or even my Gladius, this is a very long hilt - the 32" blade I currently have in it actually feels a bit short when I ran through some basic cuts and parries.

It makes for a very natural two hander - even a bit pommel heavy - and though I've heard plenty of warnings about the edges along the emitter windows and flanges, it seems the saber passing through a few sets of hands before reaching me has taken care of that problem.





I love the combination of the green with the weathered finish, I'm not too bothered by the lower brightness - the green is very clear and crisp when I just have a plug in, and though it does fade towards the tip of the blade, it's not so much that I'm upset.



I suspect that sooner or later this hilt will be heading "home" to the Forge for a few upgrades (a 12W at the very least, and adding sound is a possibility too), but for now I'm very excited to put this guy through some workouts - and planning to order a new 37" blade to see how that changes the balance!

My only very minor quibble is something that I don't think is SF's fault - it looks like the standard 3/32 screw was used for the LED / pommel screws, but someone changed the upper shroud / blade retention screw to a larger size. Fortunately I had a set of hex keys in my toolbox, and was able to find one that worked, but it gave me a pause while I worked that out.

I also noticed the pommel is currently not vented, so if I do end up getting sound, I suspect they'll need to replace it with a newer one - something I wouldn't entirely mind.

I haven't handled the 2015 Epoch, so I can't give you advice on which is "better". I do think that if you are starting to learn a two handed style like Shii-cho or Soresu, you will probably find the Epoch a little easier to start with than a smaller hilt like the Consular.

As far as dueling goes, I need a chance to get a feel for it compared to my Gladius - but I feel like the Gladius is so perfectly balanced that even the slight length advantage will end up balanced out. It's a bit like trying to ask if a perfectly set up drift car is better than a straight line drag car. They're both supposed to go fast, sure, but they get there in completely different ways.

All in all, I'm already falling for this hilt, and can't wait to practice some more with it!

The Epoch Mk.3 isn't ideal for a two handed stance. The best place to grip it is at its midpoint where the saber tapers between the two halves. The upper half with its large window also makes two handed grips a bit difficult. My Epoch Mk. 3 is going to turn into a "shelf queen" because it sure is purdy. Sounds like the Mk.2 Epoch is a "better" all round dueler.

That's good to know - and it makes me glad that I got the "V2" in this case instead of the V3 - though I admit that it is really, really pretty.

That's a pretty little saber. I like both versions of the Epoch... one day, when I'm rich and famous, it's my intention to have one of each.

There's just the small... rich and famous thing, to conquer first.

Love the Epoch v1. It was the saber that grabbed my attention when I first arrived at The Forge. The lines are elegant, and they just flow together so gracefully. I also prefer the horizontal windows to the new vertical ones. With sound, and a 12+ LED, it would be one of my ideal sabers, if resources were not limited as they are.

You know, the subject of money being the main limitation of how our collections would look has come up fairly regularly around here. In thinking about it, I think it would be an interesting thread...so I shall start one!

Just as an addendum, I mentioned that I was going to pick up a 37" blade to go with this hilt instead of the 32" blade I use with my Gladius.

It arrived today, and it's a perfect fit. The extra length is exactly what the slightly heavier / deeper hilt needed.

Great! Now it is ready for action!