After 13 long weeks, I finally got my Sentinel, right before the Memorial Day weekend. It was well worth the wait and I really love this saber. Here are the specs:
Finish: Weathered
Wrap: Dark Red Leather
Blade Color: Blood Orange
Blade LED Power 12W
Tier: Champion
During the long wait, I was really worried about two things. One was should I change my order to a standard finish? Because I really liked the sharp contrast with the black grooves. I had doubts that weathered was the right choice. The other concern was some of the complaints I have seen on the forum. What condition would my saber be in when it arrives? Well, after receiving my Sentinel, I couldn't be any happier than I am now.
First off, the dark red wrap really pops out and compliments the weathered finish. I feel like I hit a home run here for my first saber. It really is a work of art. Althought I want to focus on the hilt over the internal components, I must add that I think that choosing blood orange as my saber color really adds to enhancing the finish.
I am extremely impressed with the craftsmanship. I've seen a lot of complaints regarding sharp edges and I am not discounting them. However, my saber hilt is smooth all over and there are a lot of grooves that were lathed on this baby. The only "rough" edge I could find was at the lip of the pommel but you have to stick your finger as if you were touching the speaker cover and that is nit-picking. I've seen some complaints regarding the wrap. The wrap on my Sentinel is firmly held in place with whatever glue Saberforge uses. The only ding that I can give this saber is there is a minor speaker rattle. During normal movement (spinning) you don't hear it. If you shake the pommel like a rattle, you hear it. I will easily fix that with two drops of hot glue melt.
The look of the Sentinel really seems like it almost qualifies as an elite saber, if you overlook the smaller size. I mean it is obvious that a vast majority of the work is done in a lathe. However, I have to believe that the windows were done in a CNC mill with a fourth axis. That is some time and commitment put in to make this saber. Anyhow, the windows is what sold me on getting the Sentinel. I really love the windows. The narrowing of the saber above the power button just makes it look even better and it is the perfect place to do spins.
The only shortcoming I can say is that... the saber is a little short. wish the length of the grip area was 1.5 inches longer. That would make it perfect for two handed wielding. It is great one handed and just a little tight with two hands on it. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with it as is but I learned a lesson in What to think about when getting my next saber. I mentioned this before, spins are easy for a beginner like me but I have a lot of practice to perform to actually look good at it. I showed the saber to a fellow nerd/co-worker (who has plastic sabers) and he spun my Sentinel like he had been using it for years. I am so jealous!
Overall, I am so glad I got the Sentinel for my very first saber! It turns a guy in his 40's old man back into a 13 year old who just saw Star Wars for the very first time. I am lucky that I have an understanding wife showed compassion and forgiveness when I informed here that I plunked down $300 instead of "asking" her. I don't think I'll be buying a second saber anytime soon so I'm glad that my first saber is well, awesome!
Ratings:
Craftsmanship 9.5/10
Styling 10/10
Comfort 9.0/10
Overall 9.5/10