Ral Miran Saber Hilt

[Corbin_Das]

Greetings.
I really like your design. I spent a little time messing around with Photoshop and made a more detailed version for you:



I wasn't quite sure how you wanted the pommel, so I didn't put any grooves in it.

Corbin Das

[e-mail]

[tanzanlinnear]

That's some good graphics work there, Corbin
Activator's on the wrong side though

[Seda Navilli]

Hah ha I dont think we'll ever decide where that activator should go ;D

I reckon if you go with a covertec knob, it should be moved one space to the right. it'll hang off your belt better that way

[Jedi Magus]

Very nice design you have going there.

The blister switch looks nice, like it belongs there.
A small square of brass, with a cut out for the blisters to show through would hold down the blisters. You could JB weld, or rivet it down. the drawings looked like that was was the idea anyway. (if you dont go for the higher clip)
You can get squares of brass at most hobby shops, the store here keeps the metal near the train supplys, you should have no trouble shaping the brass around a pipe (maybe you can heat it with a propane torch to loosen it up first). I would recommend a pattern out of cardboard, you dry fit first to get the shape right, then cut it out flat.

But

You mentioned a purple blade. Is this going to be a working/EL saber? if so, unless you hide the "real" switch in the pommel, you'll have to figure a spot for that switch as well.

[tanzanlinnear]

seda said:

Hah ha I dont think we'll ever decide where that activator should go ;D

I reckon if you go with a covertec knob, it should be moved one space to the right. it'll hang off your belt better that way

Well, the thing with a covertec knob, is when you draw it from your belt with your left hand, the action of closing your fingers around the hilt once it's been released makes it rotate 180 degrees, so the acticator should always go in line with the covertec clip

[Starkindler (The Naked Jedi)]

Nice Design!

Great rendering Corbin!
Got my own design in progress (in paint) and could really use a photoshop rendering.....

I am now thoroughly confused over the knob placement issue and drawing.........it seems most are drawn cross-body and could be removed using the thumb and ring finger. This would allow for a grip that would call for the activator to be 90d left of the knob.....at least I think....HMMmmmmm.

[Corbin_Das]

There ya go. I went by one of the first pictures. Sorry.


Corbin

[Ral Miran]

Hello, everyone. Wow, Corbin, that looks great! I was thinking of still using the sink knob pommel, but I've also thought of another design that I might be able to pull off. I think I've seen my new pommel design on some professional sabers, but I'm not sure how I'll get it to work with parts just store-bought parts. I'll make a drawing in Paint (my Paint Shop isn't working right now) to show everyone. If I use the new one, it would propably require that I use a Covertec knob.

I'm not sure about an EL blade yet. I don't know how simple or hard it will be, as the most electronic work I've done is wire up a couple Vader belt boxes.

Also, I've never used a Covertec, so I'm not sure what would be the best place for the activator and how I'll grip it after it's released.

[tanzanlinnear]

starkindler said:

it seems most are drawn cross-body and could be removed using the thumb and ring finger. This would allow for a grip that would call for the activator to be 90d left of the knob.....at least I think....HMMmmmmm.

chrisstar said:

Also, I've never used a Covertec, so I'm not sure what would be the best place for the activator and how I'll grip it after it's released.

When using a covertec knob, the saber is most easily drawn with the left hand, not cross body as with a traditional sword. The hand goes flat over thefront of the body of the saber, with the underside of all four knuckles (where the fingers join the hand) touching the saber. The ring finger and little finger curl round the saber to provide traction, and the tips of the thumb and middle finger depress the release catches on the belt unit. When the saber is then drawn up, the action of closing the hand around the saber with the thumb raised to touch the activator, makes it rotate 180 degrees, so the acticator should always go in line with the covertec clip

[tanzanlinnear]

.

[Seda Navilli]

Before I meant move the covertec knob so that its closer to the pommel, so that its in between the two far right grips in the picture

[tanzanlinnear]

starkindler said:

it seems most are drawn cross-body and could be removed using the thumb and ring finger. This would allow for a grip that would call for the activator to be 90d left of the knob.....at least I think....HMMmmmmm.

chrisstar said:

Also, I've never used a Covertec, so I'm not sure what would be the best place for the activator and how I'll grip it after it's released.

seda said:

Before I meant move the covertec knob so that its closer to the pommel, so that its in between the two far right grips in the picture

When using a covertec knob, the saber is most easily drawn with the left hand, not cross body as with a traditional sword. The hand goes flat over the front of the body of the saber, with the underside of all four knuckles (where the fingers join the hand) touching the saber. The ring finger and little finger curl round the saber to provide traction, and the tips of the thumb and middle finger depress the release catches on the belt unit. When the saber is then drawn up, the action of closing the hand around the saber with the thumb raised to touch the activator, makes it rotate 180 degrees, and the covertec knob then rests in the well of the palm of the hand, (If the knob is too close to the pommel end, it will mean that the grip will have to be shifted upwards to reach the activator, and if the knob is not under the hand, the knob can press into the base of the hand) The activator should always go in line with the covertec clip The best example of covertec placement is Qui-Gon's saber. Obi-Wan's TPM/ATOC and Mace Windu's ATOC/ROTS are actually the worst examples of covertec placement, despite being the most best looking of all the sabers ;D

[Anaka Skywalker]

Nice saber! I can't wait to see pictures of the finished product.

[Seda Navilli]

Ah yes Tanzan, I see now. Its kind of a trade off then... personally I would go with the covertec lower down like in tpm/aotc for aesthetic reasons, unless you're making an EL blade with a functional activator

[tanzanlinnear]

seda said:

Ah yes Tanzan, I see now. Its kind of a trade off then... personally I would go with the covertec lower down like in tpm/aotc for aesthetic reasons, unless you're making an EL blade with a functional activator

It is indeed I guess the deciding factor (other than aesthetics) is if you would want to be able to activate the saber in the process of drawing it, or if you would draw it and then reposition your grip to activate it. Personally, I prefer to activate in the process of drawing, as this is a hold over from my study of Japanese fencing, where one technique focusses purely on not only drawing the sword as fast as possible, but turning the draw into a cutting motion as well, but ultimately, it is just a case of what someone's most comfortable with
[Edited to add]
The sabers with covertec clips on the side of the saber (Anakin's, Dooku's and Obi-Wan's ROTS) would all slightly twist out of alignment as they are drawn. My latest saber has a curved hilt, so it has to have the covertec on the side so it will hang flat, but that the means that the draw is slightly awkward to get the activator... Also, when Obi-Wan draws his saber at the end of ROTS, I'm positive that the belt unit had been modified to allow him to draw the saber without having to actually press the release buttons on the side of the belt unit.