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TOPIC: Pink Dual Tone Talon

Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 months 2 weeks ago #82085

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I’ll start this review by stating that this is not the first Apprentice class saber in my collection. I have a Consular that I was quite pleased with from the moment I received it. It was the best example of “elegance in simplicity” that I could have hoped to find. However, outside of the windows on the emitter, all of the design elements are pretty much produced via the circular effect on the lathe from which it was formed. I love it all, but it is pretty simple. The Talon, while sharing the same Apprentice designation, sports a much more complicated set of design elements that highlight the CNC aspect of the machining process, and I gotta say I am duly impressed!

I recall when the Apprentice line was undergoing what could be termed as explosive expansion, where it seemed like new models were being added every few weeks. To the extent where folks started to wonder out loud if we were going to see any love going to the Elite line anytime soon. Of course, that did happen as well over time, but for a while, it was all about the Apprentice. From that expansion came some fantastic new sabers, and the Talon was among them.

The first time I saw one of Thomas Snyder’s 3D renderings of the Talon, my interest was piqued. Right off the bat, it was a thin-neck saber, and I am sure I don’t have to tell anyone here where I stand on those. So, I made a mental note to myself to keep an eye on this one as it came closer to a production release. Fortunately, it did not take long!

The next time I saw images of this saber, Phil had posted pictures of not only the Talon, but the other three Apprentice sabers he was releasing at the same time. While I was intrigued by the other three, my attention remained focused on the Talon. The pictures of the finished product (in Dual Tone Finish) pretty much cemented by decision to add it to “must have” list. I’ll start from the emitter, and work my way down on what I like so much about this saber.






The saber itself is 12 ¾ inches in length, which is the same as the Elite thin-necks that I have, but it is noticeably lighter than any of those designs. Next, that emitter! I just love the shape of that emitter! It was everything I loved about the Foresaken emitter (which was my favorite, up to this point), but even better! I did have one concern about it though. The individual tines of the emitter made for a menacing appearance, but I was a little unsure of their durability. That was addressed very quickly. I saw Thomas Snyder on-line just before it was officially released, and expressed my concern about the blade making contact with those tines during heavy contact, and bending, or breaking them. He understood my concern, and it just so happened that he was about to take a prerelease Talon out behind the shop, and beat the holy hell out of a heavy post to put it to the test. He returned a few moments later, and said that he swung with full force, multiple times, and while he did pop the blade tip (which is something considering that they are threaded), he assured me that the emitter stood the stress just fine. No bending of the thin-neck, and none of the tines on the emitter were bent. So much for those concerns!

He attributed the sturdy nature of this emitter to the fact that the “neck” of the saber extends into the emitter by a good half inch. So, the blade is seated between the outer wall of the blade socket, and the outer wall of the protruding portion of the neck. Another factor that likely contributes is the fact that there are 4 blade retention screws. They appear on every other tine of the emitter, so the blade is held from 4 opposing points, rather than just a single one. The individual tines are very thick at the lower end of the emitter, and get gradually thinner as you get to the upper end. They look like they would bend easily, but they are much stronger than they look. If I have one nit-pick about the emitter, it is only the way that it holds the blade plug so snugly. It makes it a little challenging to get the plug out if you seat it all the way down in the socket. Pretty minor compared to all the good stuff here!



The neck itself on this saber, as with the other Apprentice sabers with thin-necks, is noticeably thicker than those on the Prodigal Son, Redeemer, and Exhalted. I don’t yet have a Descendant, or a Shadow Hunter, so I can’t compare to those first-hand, but judging by pictures, it looks more heavy duty than those as well, or at least equal to them. The feature that I really like here is the collar. It is circular, just like most other thin-necks, but the rectangular shapes carved there in alternating black/silver colors is quite unique to this saber. It is a really nice touch!





Now we come to the upper body/switch section. This is a grenade design, similar to the Prodigal Son. The individual circles are very smooth to the touch, and unlike the emitter, and the collar, there are no sharp edges here. It is very comfortable in the hand, made even more so by the smaller diameter of all Apprentice sabers. Personally, I find that I like the feel of these Apprentice sabers much more than I thought I would. The lower body of the saber is fine cross-hash texture, which is not the least bit grating on the hands. Again, very comfortable.
Imagine what you will know tomorrow....
Last Edit: 5 months 2 weeks ago by Brax.
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 months 2 weeks ago #82087

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Finally, we come to the almost mini-mace like pommel. Here again, we run into some slight edges that can be a bit grating if your hands brush against them when spinning, or dueling. But, for that minor flaw, it is beautiful! The shape has a menacing tone, which is perfect for this saber. It always struck me as a dark side saber, and I see it even more clearly that way, now that it is in my hand.





This is the first saber I have obtained that sported the Pink LED. I have to say, I like it! It is bright, and the color is quite satisfying. So much so, that my wife laid claim to the saber as her own! I did not object, because I am old enough to know that things like that are not the hill to die on, and since it is displayed proudly along with the rest of my collection, there is no obvious difference presented due to her claim, so it’s fine.

The SaberCore 3 fonts that came loaded on the saber were 3xGrey. Fulcrum, and Cyber Assassin, I love. Frozen Winds, on the other hand...not a fan. So, I replaced it with one of the Dark Side fonts (Dark Side Relic), which seems like a good fit. The sound coming through the narrow vent hole is loud, and very clear. So, the sound experience of this saber is just as satisfying as every other aspect of this saber.

My closing thoughts on this saber are, I love it! I am so impressed by the Apprentice sabers, that I find myself looking at the entire line-up again, to see what else needs to be added to my “Must Haves” list. I think there will be quite a few of them!
Imagine what you will know tomorrow....
Last Edit: 5 months 2 weeks ago by Brax.
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 months 2 weeks ago #82091

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Wonderful review Brax! This is a must have for me as well, ever since I saw it, and as mentioned with the silver forked emitter you have, even more so. Now I just can't decide on LED color and finish. I really like the dual tone standard finish on it so not sure if I want to go with translucent grape as I originally envisioned. For the LED, I am going to get either in deep blue or indigo, but since it too strikes me as a dark side saber, am leaning more to indigo. Definitely going sabercore 3.0 with darkside fonts, but may switch one out to frozen winds. As you can see I have thought about this a lot. But I really want a lighter one handed (off hand), thin neck saber in my collection, and this is it. B)
“Your focus determines your reality.” – Qui-Gon Jinn
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 months 2 weeks ago #82093

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I'm a fan of the Apprentice line myself, they feel nice in the hand. The solid body construction is nice. I like the looks of this one for sure, it's kind of like a Dark Side Luke Skywalker saber.
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 months 2 weeks ago #82097

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G A W J U S

That Pink is a very underestimated color. It is bright as hell, one of the brightest Saberforge's LEDs.

I see your Talon has the silver emitter version, very nice!
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 months 1 week ago #82123

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Sweet Talon Brax! The pink LED looks amazing! :)
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 months 1 week ago #82131

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I asked my daughter what color lightsaber she wanted when I order it. She said she wants a PINK blade and a purple wrap on the handle lol. When I finally order her asp saber she will get what she wants lol
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 months 1 week ago #82212

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Oeh, the Talon :woohoo: Of the Apprentice line (besides the Bastion), this is definitely on my wish list; as you say, it has taken that Forsaken Emitter and screwed it up to 11 and it just looks badass. Love how it indeed sports several cool details like the pommel and such that make it stand apart from most other sabers.
For my ally is the Force - and a powerful ally it is!
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 2 months 2 weeks ago #86007

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Was told by customer service yesterday that the silver forked emitters on the Talon are no longer made. :(
“Your focus determines your reality.” – Qui-Gon Jinn
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 2 months 2 weeks ago #86008

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Edon Bluewolf wrote:
Was told by customer service yesterday that the silver forked emitters on the Talon are no longer made. :(
You could always strip it yourself to revert to the desired silver? :whistle:
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 6 days 15 hours ago #89904

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So how did you get the silver emitter prongs? Did they charge you for it?
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Pink Dual Tone Talon 5 days 14 hours ago #89941

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johnc4501 wrote:
So how did you get the silver emitter prongs? Did they charge you for it?

No extra charge. I believe that is just they way they come these days.
Imagine what you will know tomorrow....
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