From the first time I saw this saber, I said it was beauty in simplicity. I said that then, and now that I have one to appreciate up close, I stand by that statement. I will even go further, and say that its simplicity and relatively diminutive size actually makes it a very versatile saber!
If you are looking for a great first saber for a youngster, this saber is perfect. If you are looking for a saber that gives you a lot of control with a 2-handed grip (which is certainly feasible so long your hands are not very large), this is a great choice. If you are looking for an off-hand saber, for use with a short blade, this saber is perfect!
With a slightly smaller outer diameter, it is very easy to grip firmly. With no rough, or sharp surface features, this thing spins like a dream. Not that I am any kind of expert there, but I could tell the difference in the rudimentary moves I can do, that they were noticeably easier with this saber. One can darn near twirl this thing like a drum stick!
I absolutely love the look of the emitter, and the windows! The three machined areas beneath the emitter make for a very comfortable grip area for that second hand, and it looks pretty cool too. The main grip area is very smooth, even with the shallow grooves, and there are no sharp edges to be found here. The green LED is practically blinding, and very intense! I have heard about the perceived intensity of the green LEDs, but I had to see it for myself to really appreciate it. It's for real folks, and it is a beautiful color! It came with the new style blade plug, which I think is a marked improvement over the old style, and I was a real fan of the old style!
In the midst of all this great stuff, there were a couple of small issues with this saber. Nothing major, and certainly nothing worth sending the saber back for, but there none the less. First, the hole for the blade retention screw was tapped just a little too large. So, the screw won't actually secure the blade plug, or the blade. I happened to have a screw in my spare parts kit, that fit that hole perfectly, so that's what I used to hold the blade in for the picture. Also, I had asked for the saber to have the finish reversed, and it came with the standard finish. Not a huge problem. I am glad that if they were not going to do what I requested, that they went with the standard finish than a weathered one. I don't mind the weathered look, but it was not what I had in mind for this saber. What I actually wanted was for the areas that are usually silver to be black, and vice versa. Even with a green blade, I envisioned this saber as more sith-y, than Jedi, so I asked for the Crimson font. Since, they did not go with the predominantly black finish, the Crimson font is a little out of place, but as I said, not a huge deal.
I understood why they did not do the color scheme I asked for. I asked for it back in mid-March before we really knew that those kinds of requests in the the order notes were now the sole domain of the Custom Shop. I was still kind of going on the premise that in order to get a solid black grenade section on my Exhalted less than a year before, was to ask for that in the order notes. Again, I am not complaining, it just would have looked cool if it could have happened as I planned it.
What I can say about the Consular is that it is a fantastic saber! Comfortable to hold, and very attractive to the eye. It is just a great all around saber.