TOPIC: Crystal Reveal Exhalted / Thin Necks

Hi Friends!

I have been really thinking hard about maybe picking up a Crystal Reveal Exhalted. I know these aren't warrantied for dueling, but I am pretty sure making my own Crystal Reveal saber would be well out of my abilities. As such, a question. Does anyone know if these sabers have a loose or limp feel when opened?

I guess form looking at how they are supported, I'm just wondering if they feel weak when opened. I obviously am not going to swing the saber while it is open, but I wasn't sure if anyone had in experience with them. Looking through the reviews, I did not see this mentioned but wanted to get an idea of what to expect.

Thanks in advance!

HotRod wrote: I heard that they actually came up with a new design for the crystal reveals that will be warrantied for full dueling! Not sure when they will be released though. I'll add the link if I come accross the thread again. Edit: Found it in The Wait Begins 3.0
OvrcAHst wrote:
Also, here is an example of how flemsy it is with the chamber open before. At the 3:15 mark

Wow, thanks! I hate to admit this, but that just talked me right out of this. I'll wait until they put the upgrades into production. What's really interesting is I received this statement via e-mail from CS today:

That surprised me given I saw the post you referenced above as well, which is what aroused my interest to begin with. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

I also mentioned to them that if you go to the site and select a Hero Tier Crystal Reveal Exhalted, it shows the Champion color options and no RGBA+ options.

HotRod, during my research into the CR Hilts in 2015 I too had the same concerns about the structural strength and rigidity of the retractable support struts of the twist-reveal function. In the first Video following, the distance of Crystal exposure is greater in Version 1 and the support struts were brass that contributed to the absence of strength. As I mentioned briefly in Wait Begins ..


... this then went through some improvement upgrades that saw the distance of the Crystal Opening was reduced and the brass replaced with stainless steel for the improved strength. With reference to the Video posted by Brady329, agreed that the weight-tilt when Chamber is opened is alarming, however I firmly believe this may have been an isolated construction fault likely due to a collapsed retractable strut and with the 37" blade (as seen in the Video) may have indirectly caused unnecessary strain from the known top-heaviness of 37" blades in a Thin Neck during handling of an opened Chamber. As it remains unknown if the Videos OP sought advice from SFCS, the reasoning remains inconclusive.

Phil demonstrates CR Version 2 below and addresses the corrections replacing Version 1.


Regarding CR Version 3 (that has been eluded to in my email exchanges) I can only speculate that, remaining true to SFs exclusivity of the Reveal Design, that the retractable struts used will still be SS construction but replaced with a solid strut(s) that recesses-in to the Hilt Fore-grip rather than retract as a collapsible fold. However to accommodate against any possible heavy duelling, I wonder if there's been development into a Crystal Chassis as part of the reveal.

As you write, guess we'll have to wait and see.

OvrcAHst wrote:
I greatly appreciate the explanation, OvrcAHst. I didn't realize there were multiple versions of CR sabers out there. I really liked the idea of a CR Exhalted. This makes me feel a bit better about it. I still kind of want to order one. It's one of those situations where I know the longer I wait the longer I will wait, ha. I've been following you on the Wait Begins thread. I hope this turns out phenomenal for you!

HotRod, As a (currently available) duel-worthy CR Hilt you could always consider Gladiator or Crystal Jade? Granted they are very different and obviously not Thin Necks. I guess with timing-wise (with the known incoming ones: Andi-Jae El, Ventuss88 and I) I believe AJE & V88 are US based so consistent to the delays they would still received delivery before me (as an International Order) which will give you best indication with the alleged CR V3 Design.

The other alternative would be to wait for Customs Commissions to re-open, which based on time-wise (MommyHoldMe) has it on good authority from Daniel Lane to expect approximately August. Many possibilities with Crystal Chamber options this way. Lastly, depending on release of ASP and the relative expansion Parts, build your own Thin Neck with the (previewed) 3.


Just a few Weeks I reckon, to aid your decision.

After our exchange in 'Wait Begins 3.0' the other night OvrcAHst, I ended up emailing SF CS since I didn't receive an email. They apologized that I didn't receive an email and confirmed that they are working on a redesign of the CR sabers and as you thought, mine is going to be a part of the change. So I was excited about that. Also, I inquired about the design of the CR and asked if there were any pictures or a description and all I received in return was this, "The appearance will not change, it is a change in the internal design making the hilt sturdier." So no pics but hopefully we see something in the coming weeks. They also stated 3 weeks in the email but did not confirm warrantied for dueling (which I did ask about in my first email to them). I guess we'll be waiting on that as well.

Some More Cool News Coming 2.0?

Andi-Jae EL wrote:
Sorry, guys. I've had some trouble logging in as others have. So, I pulled the trigger and ordered a CR Exhalted. I really wanted to get it in this design. I wonder if mine will be part of the change over.

AJE, when didi you order yours?

HotRod wrote:
I ordered mine Feb 2nd and when I emailed them last week, I was told mine would be a part of the new internal reveal design. So if you just ordered the CR Exhalted, you should be good. I'm guessing they'll post the new pics of the design once these are finished and sent out. If not, I'm planning on (and most likely ovrcAHst will as well) posting pics of the new look once we get them. Hopefully now only 2 more weeks to wait.

I hope it is every bit as good as you are hoping for. Thanks for letting me know.

I think what threw me off may be the way I asked the question to customer service regarding the warranty. This sounds like this upgrade is not as much a function of warranty as it a function of the durability.

I still think I'll be using my CR PS as a shelf queen with occasional spinning for fun but no dueling. That's why I purchased the Hero Elite PS. If it were a crystal chamber I could see dueling with it (as I believe there is more protection) but since it's a reveal, I'd rather not risk damaging it. In reality, I'm as clueless as the next saber fan in regards to it being warrantied or just improved function until they give more info or post some pics in CR section. However, congrats on pulling the trigger on the CR Exhalted! What color LED, finish, tier (if you put this in Wait Begins 3.0, I missed it)??? I plan on getting the Redeemer emitter weathered for my ASP once that finally hits but a different body than the Fury. Good luck on the wait, hope it goes by fast.

A-J El, HotRod, how would you feel if this was the reworked CR Exhalted.




Aside from the shattered weathering, OvrcAHst had this put together @ the custom shop. With the possibility of the new design being duel worthy, this would be the easiest workaround. Not knowing what to expect would make me a little hesitant to purchase something vastly different than the expected quick release/spring loaded OG version. Does this concern you not knowing?

Andi-Jae EL wrote:
I 100% agree and have the same aspirations with mine. I'm getting this for the swinging around and "neato" factor and not so much (and that is to say "not at all") for dueling. I do not duel. Otherwise, this will be mounted somewhere on display.

I'm somewhat boring with color as I went Green / Blue / Cyan (6/6/12) Hero tier. I can't bring myself to do RGBA on something that looks like it belonged to Luke Skywalker or Obi Wan Kenobi. Just a hang-up I have I guess.
=Ottomatix= wrote:
It doesn't worry me as the lead times are so great I figure I'll have time to back out if it does change dramatically. This was definitely a decision based on "if I don't get it in now, it'll be next year before I get it" (exaggeration added for emphasis).

If they were to do something like this, as much as the saber you have pictured looks amazing, I would have to cancel my order. I'm sort of a gadget guy. To me, the opening CR saber does something unique with the reveal feature. It gives it depth. I like each of my sabers to have something that really stands out. My Monarch has a crystal that is always visible and is RGBA+. My Juggernaut has giant claws. My Epoch is crazy white. This will open. I am sure I will have sabers that will break this rule, but generally this is what I go for. That's just me. I'm sure there would be many folks who would love to see a saber like this happen.

=Ottomatix= wrote:
If the whole saber was going to be a complete redesign then I probably would have been more hesitant. But when I inquired about it, I was told by SF CS they were only making the crystal reveal more stable/stronger. They didn't tell me it was still going to be spring loaded or not but she told me the saber itself will not visually change, just internally. So I feel safer knowing that. And if it doesn't get warrantied for dueling I'll be ok with that. I'm used to spending a lot of money on collectable sabers that I can only display like my MR line of Limited/Elite Editions.

I have to agree with AJ here. However, =Ottomatix= brings up a thought that I had in my head for quite some time. Let's say I'm Saberforge and I am looking at the numbers...I'm thinking...does it cost more to make the high-end crystal reveal sabers, more to warranty them since they have moving parts as people will break them, and what is the demand (read "return") for those sabers? There are definitely people out there like AJ EL and HotRod who will buy these sabers, but I bet there are many MORE that want a saber that looks good, sounds good, and can be dueled with. Therefore, we remove the moving parts and go to a "window style" crystal reveal so they can be made sturdier for dueling and might cost less to make.

I guess what I've been wondering is if at some point Saberforge would do away with the CR sabers as they exist today. Due to the amount of demand Saberforge has, if I were them, I'd be looking for efficiencies and possibly cutting out high cost builds that slow down my production times. Now, I know there are A LOT of ways around this but I've often wondered if Saberforge would do away with the CR hilts as they exist and go for something "simpler". The ASP crystal reveals looked to me like crystals in windows (no moving parts...and this is a total guess on my part)...so I could see them going that way all together.

Last disclaimer, all ideas above are mine and mine only and I have not spoken to, heard from, or read anything about Saberforge regarding this.

These recent exchanges remind me of correspondence I had with Justin (thank you for referencing my Hilt too ) about the types of Crystal Chambers achievable. Obviously it didn't eventuate and the following concept isn't new, however I for one would be very excited if the upcoming Crystal Chamber Update was a Rotating Crystal Chamber. Even the ASP Previewed Versions are acceptable in my Book (if the Spring Reveal function was altered)

Thanks for showing us that. That is the first time I've ever seen that before. There are lot of creative saber smiths out there.