Looks like this will be the first Relic review to post on this site - no pressure
The Relic is the fourth addition to my Saberforge collection. Although I am not necessarily the biggest fan of the Cross-guard concept, I appreciate each variant of Lightsaber the separate trilogies add. So with that in mind, I needed to add a cross-guard variant to my collection. When they released the concept art for the Relic and the Templar, it was the Relic that struck me as the more artistic version of the two, though it differed from the design inspiration of Kylo Ren. The angles and the cuts coupled with the weathering give the hilt an antique or lost 'Relic' feel that I really love.
Out of the box this is my first weathered hilt and I am a fan! At first sight (while still in the bubble wrap) I thought that the hilt may be larger than I anticipated. Once it was fully unwrapped and in my hand it was perfect. It is top heavy with the 3 emitters but I was able to find the balance fairly quickly.
The points and edges are to my liking but someone else may feel the need to file them down a bit. They aren't sharp but they definitely aren't smooth. It adds to the "Relic" feel to me however.
There is more than enough room for a comfortable one or two handed grip , though the placement of the covertech knob does cause me to adjust my second hand a little lower on the hilt. The grenade grip is not only appealing but also lends to the overall control.
The windowed emitters look great allowing the light to shine through. The flickered optical setting makes them look even more awesome! The claws off of the guards look great as well. The edges on the claws and the emitters are not smooth however so some sanding may be called for. I particularly like the sharpness of the claws because it gives the feeling that this weapon is dangerous weather it's ignited or not.
The Skull crusher pommel is absolutely perfect. It is vented for sound and gives the Relic the Claymore look that is intended. The Crimson sound is clear and loud.
I chose Blood Orange for this saber because it felt like the perfect color to me. Like Kylo Ren, I wanted it to look unmistakably Dark but not necessarily the traditional Crimson color indicative of the Sith. I am very happy with the choice.
* In person the color is more to the orange side than the red side - like a blood orange grapefruit.
Although I typically prefer the 32" blade for my sabers I went with the 37" blade for this one to remain true to the Claymore or Great Sword style. The extra heft is working as intended and does not dramatically reduce my maneuverability.
One complaint - the side blades are not evenly cut. Not such a big deal. I will even them out myself.
One regret - Unfortunately I was not able to get the 12W+ for this hilt or the Archon ( I ordered them together). I typed out the request for both 12W+ in Etsy but totally forgot the follow up. Once it did occur to me, the order was past the stage that it could be added
8/10 - Overall I am very happy with this hilt! A great execution on the part of SF but I would like to have seen a separate or delayed ignition of the side emitters and a sharp or more angled side blade for the cross guard. However, the Relic is beginning to make me a cross-guard fan and I am having a blast learning how to wield it.