TOPIC: Champion 12w Light Blue Staff

Introduction: The Sorcerer’s Staff (SS) design was heavily influenced by Exar Kun’s double bladed lightsaber from Tales of the Jedi. Now Tales of the Jedi was my first introduction to the Star Wars Extended Universe (EU) and it formalized my conceptualization of what the Jedi were before the Empire: knight errants fighting evil and having adventures on a galactic scale. There was a pleasant diversity to the dramatis persona of the story and, to my fifth grade mind, their motivations were so grand as to be Shakespearean. There were sycophants, crusaders, wise mentors, and the person whose character arc all other orbited ‘round was Exar Kun. He was an ambitious Jedi who desired knowledge and power that his master said was forbidden so he set off on an inverted “hero’s journey” that would rock the Old Republic and cause a massive war that saw him destroy the Senate, turn brother against brother, corrupt several Jedi to the darkside, and cause a supernova in his pursuit of power. It was only with the combined exertions of an armada of Jedi that he was trapped as a disembodied spirit in in the temple on Yavin 4. Echoes of Kun’s influence reverberate through the EU and have even been seen in the canon films as a possible inspiration for Maul’s double bladed lightsaber. So…. pretty epic and as soon as I saw this hilt I knew I must have one for my own.

Dimensions:
Staff: L= 21.75” W=1.25” in. C=5”
Single: L= 11” W=1.25” C=5”



Overall Impressions: This is a very unique saber that may function better as a display piece rather than a dueler. As a staff the wielder has approximately 14” to work with which makes it difficult to place one’s hands far enough apart to effectively utilize a wide range of motion. As a single I would suggest the Sorcerer is best used with one hand as the actual graspable area is approximately 6.75”. This is, perhaps, ideal for a child or a smaller person (with smaller hands) but for me two handed manipulation was difficult. I do appreciated the beveled grips afforded more purchase than I had expected and the slope of the hilt leading up to the emitter shroud is quite comfortable and free of sharp edges. The balance of the blade is far in front of the hilt so sweeping motions are easier to execute than spinning. A 32” blade is definitely suggested.





Aesthetics: The SS is an exquisite hilt that is highly evocative of its inspiration, Exar Kun’s lightsaber. The standard finish alternates the black and silver accents in a very pleasing manner. The emitter shroud and its six claws serve to make a unified aesthetic statement and small black oval pits towards the end of the emitter shroud punctuate the design. Rectangular bars are a graphic hallmark of the Sorcerer Staff and provide the illusion that it is longer than it actually is. The SS is, paradoxically, brutish yet refined.



Mechanics: A great deal of consideration went into the design of the SS. The claws actually touch the blade which indicates some carefully calculated measurements were made during the design phase. The staff connector is very low profile (maybe 3cm total) and vented for sound. The single saber pommel is also very low profile and contributes maybe a cm to the length. Aluminum washers of different thickness were included so that when the sabers are connected they can be spaced so that the sabers are parallel with each other. The two covertech knobs are too close together when the saber is being utilized as a staff to be useful and one must be removed. A great deal of finesse is necessary when taking the blade plugs in and out because there's very little space to work with since the claws overhand the emitter area.

Final Thoughts: I definitely appreciate the Sorcerer Staff as a display piece and for the amount of craftsmanship that went into the design. That, coupled with my love for the “history” of the hilt, made this a must buy for myself. This said, it doesn’t suite me as a dueler (and I don’t want to use just one as a shoto) due to the inherent limitations of the shorter hilt and the relatively small workable area when it’s a staff (a coupler seems like a must have if someone were to use it as a staff). So, for the collector, I’d say this is a no brainer. For the person looking for a great dueling saber I’d probably point you elsewhere.

Great review! I learned a lot about this saber, and if I am ever in a position to start going the "Shelf Queen" route, this one would be a must have.

Nice review of the Exar Kun/Sorcer Saberstaff. Definitely a beautiful Saber and worth every penny to own one. I will definitely want this in my Saber collection.