TOPIC: Reliant | A TFU2 Promo-Art Saber

DT Reliant 12Watt+ QC Deep Red

This was ordered and started as a V2 weathered hilt much like CR Jade Fire and whilst the weathering didn’t feature mixed shades of blue and black that resulted from the anodise strip, the normally accepted weathered finish just seemed kinda boring. So as an exercise, the primary weathered parts of the hilt were sanded down, smoothed over and rub-polished. Also made an additional incision in the emitter which is almost becoming expected of me.

The Pommel, kill key, covertech wheel and accent choke & recessed lines are all that remain of the stock V2.

This was a specific emitter hilt that under false optimism I had hoped for some flexibility to alter its appearance and returned not being the case. Ill-informed on my part. There once was a time when the Reliant Emitter had a separate shroud that was secured over the blade socket much like what can be seen on (what I also thought) Dissident and Fury.

It was secured by a single retention setscrew that served a dual purpose of retaining the inserted blade (or plug) and the shroud also. There may well be just a firm adhesive that holds the two together but from the heat that was generated from the drilling and subsequent cutting and attempts to unscrew the shroud afterwards with gloves and straps returned only some sweat and a throbbing vein on my temple. Likely, much like Dissident Emitter (from Anais ASP) it is a cast piece followed by some SF machining.

So… where it remains is a single retention setscrew for the blade that is buried on the shroud topside and the red button greeblie serves as the single LED retention screw.

As mentioned earlier, started as a V2 so the AV switch is the default black and Red-lit to closely match the Deep Red LED that it was ordered as.

The phony switch box. Had some sharp corners and edges alongside it. Added some sand (ing) and now it’s smooth. Not the most comfortable block to shift your grip around however serves as a great visual piece. Surprisingly whilst the block is small I find it more cumbersome than the larger variants of say PS or Redeemer where the latter two don’t hinder in any way. The extra surface area of the respective grenade grips contribute to this greatly.

Brown Leather Wrap.
Two obvious observations here. 1: It’s a wrapped hilt and 2: Plain Brown. I have remained on the fence for a long time about wrapped hilts, never completely loving them and never completely hating them. It adds nicely to handling, eliminating grip-slip (without gloves) and actually effectively rounds-off the aesthetics.

The Brown itself rather than going patterned say Bronze Stingray (like V3 Juggs) was deemed the obvious and classical choice. I don’t think much of the Reptile-patterned wraps (like Black Lotus) cos the visual effectiveness for me is just meh and it isn’t comfortable (without gloves). Unlike the Black leather from Xiphos, this different coloured but same material lacks the accommodating sponginess of Xiphos but it’s hardly enough to stay angry at.

Some Specs and Measurements:
Quad Cree 12Watt+ Deep Red| Quick Connect LED| Champion Tier|
Sabercore2.0 Viridian| (Originally) V2 Weathered Finish

Hilt Length: 313mm
Blade Socket Depth: 37mm
Emitter Length (exc. Choke): 97mm
Emitter Length (inc. choke): 104mm
Switch Length: 41mm
Grip Body Length: 135mm

Hilt Diameter: 37.41mm
Emitter Diameter: 45.57mm

Weight: 504 grams

The faux switch box.
When the switch plate is removed, it is two buttonhead screws that hold the box to the switch part. The glue used to hold the switch plate down isn’t very strong. Until actually trying it I had thought it required some special trick. All you have to do is pick at the switch plate edge using your fingernail (or edge of allen key) like picking a scab and it pops right off.

You now have the option to go with box or without box at your own discretion.

Emitter light bleed. Love-it!
Similar method used here as I did previously on CR Ares and Custom Monarch. Drilled two opposing holes and used a small (okay maybe a few, two layer thickness of aluminium on this one that took longer and was harder to cut then Monarch and Ares) cutting wheel to bridge the holes before sanding and grinding.

Deep Red.

Pink.

Amber.

Medium Blue.

Lime Green.

This Reliant. My Reliant.
Exquisite. Exciting. Ergonomic.
Extraordinary. Enchanting.

Looks great, handles well & nicely balanced.

Black Betty.. Bam-balam

.

Revealed. Revisited.
Rebuilt. Reimagined.
Reliant Upgraded.

A repurposed TFU2 Promo-Art Saber.
The former stripped V2 to become a semi polished saber has now had a new skin applied to it. The former Sabercore2.0 electronics and QC LED have also been replaced with a Prizm v4 RGrB LED. Stock 28mm Premium speaker replaced with a 20mm Bass Speaker (No sound output compromise. Why the downsize? Follow till the end and it’ll make sense .), the stock dual 12mm switch holes filled, a Graflex 2.0’s ESB Clamp Card modified to accommodate dual dome tactile switches.
A 4-Step gradual sweep process of exterior colouring that consisted of Satin Black, Chalk Black, Marble effect and Granite effect that results in the textured finish with leaks of silver. The Marble/Granite effect cans spit granulated chunks like webbing rather than the fine mist typically come to be known.

The DIY emitter shine through carries over.

The stock supplied faux leather also replaced with an alternate synthetic leather. Surface texture for aesthetics and a softened feel for comfort.

… to be continued..

BOOM!!

Custom scratch-build electronics core with brass sleeve (to conceal the soundboard and card access) and Reveal Crystal Chamber.

Pure Sexiness. Sticky and delicious.
What’s on the outside may not be for you and that’s okay. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.