TOPIC: Master Caliburn JQS|Story so far.Pt IX

So a delivery happened the other day and whilst there's a particular box from a particular Vendor that I have been highly anticipating for some time now, it wasn't from the Vendor I was hoping from but a package nonetheless. This Saber was expected but not so quickly as it travelled from UK.

A simple and conservative design and reserved to its appearance as function is packed full of special goodness. There are multiple sections of tapering and recesses and for a little extra Pop and opted for a Red/Gold Colour Scheme. Matte Red Powdercoat floods the Body and Switch Section contrasted with two Silver AV Switches, Activation Amber-lit and Auxiliary Red-lit against Gloss Brass Powdercoating on the Pommel and Emitter completed with actual Brass Covertech Wheel and Blade Plug.

It's been superbly machined and finished with the entire surface completely smooth and free from any sharp edges or snags. The underbelly even has a matching Red-topped Kill Key which also conceals the Recharge Port when not in use. The Tri Cree Setup is bright and the resonance from the vented Pommel is generous. A pleasant addition to the Collection.

This Colour Scheme was intentionally chosen as it marked significance for me. Whilst it can acceptably be seen to share an IronMan Theme and possibly something else , the Theme in mind was the Lunar New Year. Back before the New Year occurred, there was a desire to configure a Staff to play on The Monkey King given this Lunar Year is Year of the Monkey. Noted I didn't go for a Staff configuration but the Red/Gold-play even as a single Hilt catered to that.. well for me anyway.

Some Specs and Measurements:
Tri Cree Multicolour Setup with Red/Green/Amber| Petiti Crouton 3.5| 7.4V Li-Ion Rechargeable battery| 2Watt Bass Speaker| and all the usual stuff consistent to a PC3.5 SoundBoard: SD Cards, Fonts, Swings, Clashes, FoC...

Hilt Length: 28.5cm (11.22")
Hilt Diameter, wide: 4cm (1.57")
Hilt Diameter, narrow: 3.5cm (1.38")
Weight: 461grams (16.26Ounces/1.02Pounds)

There's really not much more I can write about it. It's not from lack of excitement as with each new delivery enthusiasm supersedes the previous. It makes a perfect pairing to another Hilt that I have either as a dual wield during self-play or as the two to grab when a duelling partner surfaces. It is a remarkably light Hilt, the lightest that I own so far. How about I just Post some more Pics to share the appreciation.


**and just a few more..

I REALLY liked this one and wondered in my head how long it would be until we saw a saber in Iron Man colors. I am digging this one a lot.

That Ronald McDonald is disturbing, ha. I do not like clowns.

Sun Wukong would be proud of that hilt.. It does bear a resemblance to the legendary Ruyi Jingu Bang..

I've got the JQS Caliburn Quest.. it's an apprentice model. I love it. So comfortable to hold and very well built.

It helps that JQS is based in the UK too, as I don't have any customs fee or expensive shipping to pay for.

I'm already thinking about a JQS Caliburn Valiant to complement my Quest..

HotRod wrote: Thanks HotRod, However the nod of appreciation for a True IronMan Themed Hilt is Iron Phoenix by Lord Callous. Glorious with shiny goodness. I preferred a matte finish on the Body as a high-handling area because it's used as a dueller. The shiny ones in my Collection are a little on the slippery side and I don't want to imagine the crushing feeling if any battle damage were sustained to them. Yeah Mad Onald. Agreed that clowns invoke fear but a sinister looking depiction just seems more fitting for a Red blade rather than a pop of confetti when igniting the Saber. My first thought of play was Hot Rod Red but I omitted because it was perceived as a single-out of you.

Darth Nelo Angelo wrote: Thanks DNA. I thought so (quietly hoped so too) and am glad the interpretation can be seen by others also. Agreed, great Hilts and extremely comfortable. I'm expecting an Apprentice Caliburn also with a Black weathered finish. I settled on (at the time) a multicolour R/RO/A Setup and lately have been debating whether to go traditional with RGB. I'm remaining excited and optimistic that the Waiting Lists Waiting List to the Build Queue to Acceptance Log returns success (that I'm riding) to obtain Obfuscator. It's not a straight-out No so a Maybe is acceptable for now.

Yeah being in Australia at opposite to UK the journey travelled wasn't short. This luckily came through without any delays in Border Customs or liable Taxes. However whilst my Purchase was exempt from it, I believe if you're in the UK, VAT is incurred for you right?

Yeh. VAT is 20% here. But its built into the price quoted by JQ. So it works out better. Shipping is next day if in stock, so that is another bonus.

Looking at your hilt again, and all I can see is that in a staff configuration.. Would look awesome.

I'm thinking about getting another Caliburn Quest (pic below) and turn into a staff.



Which apprentice model are you waiting for? The Quest like mine with a Pico board?

That Obfuscator is a beautiful hilt. Are they not taking any orders for it yet? Or are you on the waiting list?

I also like their Pro Qui hilts..

That's pretty awesome. One of the great perks with purchasing domestically where your Dollar (well Pound or GBD) is 1:1. Similar to the Value Added Tax in UK we have GST that is either added on after the Sub-Total or included into the Price also however it's 10% (currently) here. This I'm actually envious of, next day delivery (when in stock), simply cannot be beaten. From the dialogue start with expression of interest I had with Susan to Order, it did span over many Weeks but luckily with actual Shipping, it only took a little over one Week. Thank you. They're great Hilts and light, even with a 26-32" Blade it doesn't distort the weight in an exaggerated way. I considered a polished finish Hilt initially but as the design is quite simple, the 'standard' finish was a little too plain for my liking. Last contact I had with Susan (her and Daren were returning from SW Celebration) she mentioned that it may be about 3Weeks before Apprentice Stock is available. Am not too fussed about this as (it staggers deliveries for me) and Susan's responsiveness has been exceptional every step of the way. Regardless of time differences, it's virtually like making a local call to get an answer. This (as I've praised often) I give her credit for. Honestly, I don't know. When I settled on Apprentice there were only two Listings, Master (in several un-named Versions) and Apprentice (in several un-named Versions). Just yesterday with doing one of my periodical website stopovers I noticed the update and range. All I know is that it's a multicolour Tri Cree, Black weathered finish and Pico Crumble Sith Font. The reference photo she sent me (which isn't accurate) was something we based our discussions from. No disagreement there. I'm on the Waiting Lists Waiting List. Which means that demand for this Hilt is high, however Daren hasn't confirmed if a run will happen but remains hopeful either around Christmas or into 2017 that it will. Once this becomes a certainty, I imagine Orders will be available to be taken and Yes, I will be on it immediately. The Pro Quis as a design I'm still on the fence about however slowly as I edge towards them, it will change.

Their CS is really good. Susan is very helpful and always responds promptly.

I'm undecided on the LED colour for my Valiant, which I will probably order in the next few days.

I have a SF 12w+ Red (Disciple), Tri-Cree B/B/W (JQS Quest), Tri-Cree G/G/W (US Consular - Qui Gon Style), Tri-Cree Rb/B/W (Graflex)..? Purple could be an option.. Any idea's?

Your apprentice may end up being the Quest model I have..

The Pro Qui is slowly growing on me too

Coincidentally, between my last Post to now, I received a reply from Susan acknowledging mine prior and I enquired about further details of Apprentice. Your question to me actually sparked some heightened curiosity. There may just be every likelihood that it will be Quest as you've referenced. Fine and still acceptable if it were as it too will be part of the hands-on ones of mine for duelling. I revisited the Pro Qui and my position hasn't changed. If anything, am still debating the SF Crystal Guardian on Etsy. Debating because of the new switch replacing the first offering with an actual Red Button.

Yeah that's a tough call. You could always go 'all of the above' option and get RGB? I've done that on several occasions where the Hilt it goes with doesn't just scream a dedicated colour to me. My Luke ROTJ is a G/G/W, no brainer however I do have another pending ROTJ with a deliberate B/B/W for fulltime use with a Photon Blade. I too have a US Consular however it's a Tri Guardian Blue no FoC, again used with a Photon. Perhaps Amber or Blood Orange? I personally favour these 'darker' colours reasoning why I went with the R/G/A setup. If in doubt, RGB.

My US Consular was an empty which I am getting a UK Sabersmith to install. That way, I get a better internals. Plus, FoC is a must for me.. He worked some magic and was able to install a knurled red button for a more authentic Qui look. If didn't get that, I would have most definitely gone for the SF Crystal Guardian.

I'm not a huge fan of RGB as it only uses 1 die per normal colour (red, blue, green) and the rest of the dies when doing different colours (purple, arctic blue, etc) . I prefer a dedicated colour which uses 2 or 3 dies. I have US Emerald sabers in RGBW and wasn't impressed. Maybe its because it was a US saber..?

I think I may just stick with another Tri-Cree G/G/W or a R/R/W setup. I found B/B/W to be a bit too much of a lighter shade. Will use Royal Blue when I get my Graflex installed.

Thanks for the advice OvrcAHst (nice to see that you are a fan of War from DS)

Thanks DNA. G/G/W will certainly give you a hellova bright blade. Doing a quick play last night, I popped a Purple Day Blade over a Green LED and the result was pleasantly surprising. Like Indigo is to Purple the illumination (I can best describe) is like a Darkside Green. Very cool. It's certainly given me a new appreciation of it over the standard Green. I can understand your reference to the B/B/W. It is light and really works with a specific Hilt or Finished Hilt. Have it on my Graflex but similar to your Rb/B/W it produces a nice Medium Blue that is rather pleasant. This setup I have on my OWK-ROTS- Redeemer style.

Very nice OvrcAHst. I like the simplistic design here. Efficient and lovely all at once. I may have to take a look at JQS.

Greysider wrote: Thanks Greysider, I cAHst'd a pretty wide (and expensive ) Net.

OvrcAHst wrote:
Well, I ordered the Valiant with G/G/W today. I agree, that will be bright. A day blade or even a photon blade is on the cards. Just that shipping is just too much at the moment from the USA. I like the sound of a Darkside Green Would go good with a Pro Qui soundfont I've heard. Its like a Dark Qui Gon Jinn (had he turned to the Darkside under Count Dooku).. Sounds awesome.

Think a Photon would also accentuate the B/B/W setup on my Quest. So that's double the reason why I should get one....

Oh, on a side note, I saw a video on YouTube on the Obfuscator yesterday. Man that is a killer saber. I can see why you want to go on the waiting list for the waiting list. I previously only seen pictures of it. That red accent led under the emitter is the best thing. Reminds me of the original KITT from Knight Rider

Darth Nelo Angelo wrote: Hey, Congratulations with the Purchase.
I kind of like the sound (as you describe without actually previewing it) of the Pro Qui Font, is that from Saberfont or is it from an independent source? Admittedly, haven't visited the Saberfont site for ages. Oh, the Green illumination of a B/B/W through a Photon is brilliant. You definitely won't be disappointed with the result.

Yeah, I can imagine with the Shipping Cost from USA Purchases for you and then to be liable for Import Tax for the incoming package. Still though, with the currency conversions you're still paying less. I mean say $20USD is approximately equivalent to about $15GBP. Even with the likely Import Tax and conversion fees the expenditure is still closer to the 1:1 ratio of the scale then say USD to AUD (same scenario $20USD= about $27AUD).

JQ actually has Coloured Day Blades but am uncertain of the wall thickness and duel-ability, which noted, doesn't compare to a Photon. I don't know if the 'Photon' is trademarked to VV however JQ is selling a Masters Special that comes with a Photon. The Hilt is either Standard Silver or with Purple Accents. I would imagine it'd only be a matter of time that an independent Photon Blade would be available and mixed in with their Blades Options.

Yeah, Obfuscator is pretty darned impressive. I get chills every time watching the Video and definitely agree with your observation, it is very KnightRider-esque. Apart from the Original Series with The Hoff and the Pontiac Trans Am, I favoured the remake Series (think it might have been 2008?) where KITT was a ShelbyGT500KR. Much more impressive car IMHO. I dreamt about that car often when I first saw it and it remains a Dream car as my ride one day. For now though, I happily stick with my Japanese Import.

So my queries into my Masters returned some developments. Quest and Valiant is the same Hilt (as a shell). Quest features a single AV and Pico Board where Valiant features dual AV and (now) Crystal Shard3.0. The Level i.e. Master/Apprentice is the defining separator. Mine was a hybrid/Custom as it occurred during the transition of their range. Guess I was lucky to get a Petit Crouton3.5, powdercoated finish and LED setup but between the two (on Plecter's Board comparison) there isn't much between them. I'm still waiting for verification but my Apprentice should slot between their Pilgrim and Quest Range.

Wow oh wow! I am in love! that is a sweet saber as I am a huge comic collector I seen iron man type theme and fell over like all those goofy kids from the anime I've watched so much of. You always manage to impress me. Such a beautiful saber.
I really like the year of the monkey new year thing much more elegant then, oh oh iron man pretty

Thank you Kered and Hey, haven't seen you on for a while, hope all is well with you and family and Hilt(s) and Blade(s) and recoveries of all sorts have returned favourably. Referencing family, How is Herak and Co and more importantly, what is Raqc's fate? Whilst I do play on the IronMan Theme, I'm not completely convinced only as there's contrast between matte and gloss rather than polished gloss all over. The Monkey Year is more sentimental so I'll be running with that. I have second Lunar Themed I'm expecting in several Weeks too, Yes, another Red Hilt.

Oh Herak and co. Oh they still running lol.
But really just been busy, more then I like too, but I can say keep an eye out Sunday tomorrow starts my days off( first in a few weeks ) and plan to write write write. Oh and I might have a few chapters of another story you said you might be interested in ready soon.

I made a couple of references with experimenting different Blades and Types with the 1UP Green of Caliburn's RGA Setup. Noted that images of illumination lack accuracy however I hope it provides an indication of a 3W nonetheless. All 32" Blades (+/- 1.5")

Kered wrote: Sunday's bookmarked (should make it Monday for me) and yep, definitely still interested.