My friends...since the SaberParts.com tool first became available, and I found that an all black saber, with a Frost White LED, and Crimson Stingray wrap was a possibility, that has been my pursuit. I thought I would have to wait until ASP went live for the masses in order to see it realized. However, I was told that if I ordered a saber, and put "All black finish" in the order notes, then that is what I would get! I was not sure it would really work, especially since ASP would offer that option, and the Custom Shop (when it reopens) would do things like that as well. However, I am here to tell you, and show you that this is for real, and you can do it too. The catch is, the "all black" option is only available on the following sabers:
Bane
Black Lotus
Dissident
Epoch
Fallen
Fury
Gladius
Katana
Reborn
Reliant
Resilient
Sinister Prophecy
Sorcerer
Venomous Fury
Venom
Viper
So, if you are going to take advantage of the Fathers Day Sale that Phil just announced, and an all black saber (so long as it is one of the above name models) is what you crave, this is a good time to go for it!
This is the same matte black finish that we have become accustomed to seeing on the grenade section of the Redeemer, or Sorcerers that have been reviewed here. It is beautiful to behold. The Crimson Stingray wrap, and the red greeblie accent the look of this saber so perfectly, it is just unbelievable!
I don't think I need to go into too much detail about the features of this saber, as we are all pretty familiar with them. However, the combination of the angled emitter, the small control box, and the square pommel that really got me craving this saber. I wondered as I waited for it, if it would match the picture I had in my minds eye, and it absolutely did!
Now let me say a few words about the Frost White LED. OMG! As you can see in the picture with the blade on, in a slightly darkened room, that thing lit it up TOTALLY! There was no flash used in that shot, but the room looks fully illuminated! To say that I am happy with the 12w+ would be an understatement.
All in all, this saber has met and surpassed every expectation I had, and I cannot wait to see how it handles in some dueling with my son. We are not experts my any stretch of the imagination. But, we go at it pretty good, and sometimes even manage to look decent for moments at a time. If this saber is as comfortable dueling as it feels just holding it (which I have been doing since I got home from work, then again when I got home from the gym), it could just become my favorite dueling saber! It is definitely a contender.
I know I did not talk about this saber in the weeks that I was waiting for it, but I wanted to make sure that the color request would actually work before it got anyone else excited about the possibility. Now that I know, you know!
Ratings:
Craftsmanship 9.9/10 (could of small scuffs, nothing anyone but me would notice)
Styling 10/10
Comfort 9.8/10 (the control box is a little difficult to navigate around)
Overall 9.9/10
Now for the pics! A couple of them did not come out as well as I would have liked, but I will try to get some better ones once I can put it down long enough to do that!