TOPIC: Prodigal Son - reveal or no reveal?

Hey guys,

I need some help.

One of my all-time favourite hilts is the Luke ROTJ lightsaber. Maybe because my first Star Wars memory is secretly watching ROTJ on video one afternoon when I was a kid - and as regards the standards of my parents - way too young for a Rancor monster eating away on green guys with snouts.

Anyway... comparing the multiple versions of ROTJ Luke hilts out there, I like the v1 SaberForge offers best, simply because of the overall size and the way the emitter is constructed. I still wished there was an option of getting light-up arrows on the activation box, but that is at it is.

So I am ready to buy, but kind of undecided as to whether I should go for the crystal reveal hilt or not. I guess I am a bit picky, but I would really like to know how well and how clean the crystal chamber is constructed/ installed - especially since epoxy glue is used (at least as far as the SF DIY tutorial goes). Furthermore I'd like to know how easily or hard the spring-load mechanism works, i.e. can you "open" the crsytal chamber by accident when wielding the saber etc. And: There is this small "gap" where the chamber opens up? How noticeable is it?

Has anyone of you guys a crystal reveal Redeemer or Prodigal Son and can help me with some first hand impressions? I can't find any customer review of these hilts on the internet. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

I don't own any Crystal Reveal sabers myself, but I do own two Prodigal Sons and two Redeemers, along with an Exhalted, so I'm quite familiar with the thin neck designs in general.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the DIY video that SaberForge has on their youtube channel, as that video is over a year old and the DIY showcases parts and procedures that are now outdated. If you haven't already seen the new video for the 2015 version of the Crystal Reveal Prodigal Son, you can see it HERE.

From the pictures I've seen posted on a custom lightsaber Facebook group, the crystal chamber looks exquisite and extremely clean. Very polished and gorgeous. I snagged a few pictures a customer posted of their crystal reveal Redeemer, but it's essentially the same as the Prodigal Son version.










You can see from the pictures that the "gap" where the spring loaded mechanism works is visibly noticeable compared with a standard Redeemer, the same will be true for a Prodigal Son. And even though the support rods are now stainless steel and 4x stronger than the previous versions, the crystal reveal sabers are definitely not warrantied for any kind of dueling and are primarily display pieces.

I hope these thoughts are useful to you.

Thanks, that actually does help a little. Aditionally I've found a sort of review video that did not have "Prodigal Son" or "SF" in it's title but definitely is a PS by SF. And that looks good as well. I think I will go with a crystal reveal. Especially since I do not want this saber to duell with. So that's fine.

So I guess you can expect a review as soon as it gets here.

Looking at the redeemer pictures, I really hope that one day we will see the ANH version again!

By the way... did your thin necks come with glued/ loctited threads? I'd like at leat the emitter/ LED section to be accessible for repairs/ LED swaps.

Order placed. Waiting in progress...

Yeah they glue most of the threading except the pommel, so if you don't want that then request it in your order comments. Or if you've already placed your order, shoot This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. an email with your order number and request.

DarthMario95 wrote:
I followed your advice and emailed them. I even suggested that if they had to glue the threading, maybe they could at least use some milder loctite so that in case of need I could still get the parts apart. I got a very simple answer: Sorry, but no. No explanation.

Now I personally think that's strange and not such a good start. Maybe because I'm used to a different kind of b2c communication. Anyway, I decided to stay with my order. But I really do hope the saber is all the way it is advertised to be.

A word of warning...

If you are purchasing a display piece then the Crystal Reveal may be just right for you but if you intend on dueling DO NOT get the reveal.

Excerpt taken right from Saberforge FAQ page:

Can I duel with a saber forge saber?
Yes, our saber can withstand heavy dueling, even against kendo bokkens, the only exception is our spring loaded crystal reveal prodigal son, that is high grade replica prop and not a dueling saber.

Thanks for the heads up, but I know about this and do not intend to duel with this saber.

MiSha wrote:
From Etsy or website? Please post a review when you receive it, I'm very interested to hear your thoughts!

maxjive wrote:
Etsy.

I will do a video review - probably also an unboxing video - as soon as it gets here.

In the same boat, will do pics and review when my PS Champ Crystal arrives too!

That way they'll be more reviews out there!