Mobile Beam Saber – Inspired by Mobile Suit Gundam anime

Hello Everybody, today I have a fairly simple saber offering which comes as a result of me scouring the Internet and social media. I went for a virtual walk around the Internet and a few weeks ago someone on the Ultrasabers forum mentioned the classic Anime series “Mobile Suit Gundam” and the weapons used in the show. The series was created/directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino in 1979 and featured large “battle suit Mechas” known as Gundam armours. These “robots” were piloted by human operators during a disastrous war that wiped out half of Earth’s population. The show ran for 43 (initial) episodes before various factors led to it’s partial cancellation. A few years later Gundam was re-worked and edited into three movies and a new toy line was created featuring models of Gundam suits (Gunpla I think is the toy range’s name). Well it turns out the Gundam were armed with specialised weaponry and one such weapon was the “Beam Saber”. The Beam Saber is very much like a lightsaber in appearance and function, a hilt with an extending “plasma” blade which can cut through armour plating. So knowing these details I modelled a quick Blender 3D version of the Bandia toys replica of the Beam Saber…here is the early build pictures…

I thought this was ok as a starting point for the saber and posted this to the Ultrasabers forum but I knew it wasn’t really as sharp as I’d like. However I kept working on it behind the scenes, a little detail here, another there. Then I discovered a new add-on tool that helped me greatly to add much more crisp detailing features. The add-on assisted in making cut-outs, slots/windows and recesses as well as fusing separate sections into one solid part. As I was tinkering I also ventured onto social media and one particular FB page where I discovered that a member of the group was also asking about this particular saber – i.e. “had it been made as a custom lightsaber”. Well a fellow 3D designer and “unofficial” admin for the group said “Yeah I could probably make one…if you get me more pictures”. To build my model I used one image that I found on the net of a replica Beam Saber toy made by Bandai and the toy looked like this…

Bandai Toys replica Beam Saber electronic toy ©Bandai Toys Ltd

So I don’t think my first attempt was too far off, but with the new add-on I knew I could do better and I finished adding the missing details to come up with this final version I am posting now…another gallery (check out the new switch section area!)

I finished the design off by adding my own take on the pommel as you don’t really see the speaker grill/vent on the replica toy image. I could have looked for accurate pictures of the toy from other angles but adding my own pommel just sets this hilt aside from being a straight copy. But I have to say I like the way the switch section turned out! The new add-on allowed me to create a beautiful and sharp looking recessed area complete with the three bar switch plungers. I even added a socket for a recharge cable near the pommel and the black recessed grooves along the body of the hilt.

All in all I’m happy how this model looks and it proved to me I am getting more accurate and detailed in my recreations now – and it was created from ONE reference image. And that just about wraps up this post, I could have gone into detail about the TV show but it has a history spanning 40 years and numerous re-incarnations and reboots, not to mention DVD releases and computer games, which is all covered in a large Wiki Fandom page. I will say that the 2-3 episodes of a later series I watched for reference were raw and more adult orientated than I expected so maybe not suitable for Younglings!

Thank you all for looking in on this design, it was interesting and fun building it – especially as I once again completed my version before the “big guys” in the industry finish any they may be working on. However I have a lot more original and bespoke designs firmly based in the Star Wars universe so I hope you will call back for upcoming posts featuring more saber models and starships. As always thank you for your visit and support, it’s much appreciated and till next time….stay safe!

“Mobile Beam Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inpsired by Mobile Suit Gundam also known as First Gundam or Gundam 0079. Gundam ’79 is a televised anime series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. It was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, The Beam Saber image is Trademark and ©Copyright of Bandai Eectronic Toys ltd. The 3D model and renders were created by For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020 and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020.

Tyeth Industries Experimentals FTX-MG – A new Tie Fighter

Hello everyone, I hope you all enjoyed last week’s offering the Ahsoka sabers. Luckily I haven’t been contacted by any big companies so I guess they liked my hilt and bit of artwork. Today though I have another spaceship from my sister design bureau and this time it is a fighter which first appeared in the cartoon “Star Wars: Rebels”. In season 2 episode 15 (titled “The Call”) the heroes were searching for fuel supplies and planned a heist to steal valuable fuel from an Imperial cargo ship. But as you can guess it didn’t quite go to plan and the Rebel crew of The Ghost came across a gas mining refinery base built in an asteroid belt….and it had large supplies of fuel on the landing platforms. The Rebels decide to space walk then free-fall onto the facility, prepare the supplies then fly The Ghost down to scoop up their bounty. Things were going well at first, that is until some unknown starfighters appeared, to defend the base and it’s fuel supplies.

Gas Refinery Asteroid Base – Star Wars Rebels ©Disney/Lucasfilm

One Rebel called out “They don’t look like Imperials!” to which his friend replied, “But they act like Imperials!!!” Anyhoo enough talk, you want to see this newly discovered fighter and so I have a few wireframe images to share…here’s Gallery 1….

As you can see this “new” starfighter is very similar to a regular Imperial TIE-Fighter…except for TWO big differences. First up the stabiliser wings have notches cut out of them to give it’s pilot better visibility from the cockpit which is very striking. And second the ship is very distinct in it’s yellow paintjob! Unfortunately though each time I see this ship from the side I can’t help but think of PAC-MAN! Can’t think why! Seriously, the wings design has advantages and disadvantages…the pilot can see more clearly which helps in combat but losing the extra solar collector panels means it has less performance and speed. However the Mining Guild did add a little extra special feature to this ship….artificial atmosphere! This means the Rodian pilots can fly these ships without needing to wear full pressurised flight suits and life support kits.

I managed to acquire one of these fighters in a game of chance so how would you like to join me taking this for a test spin? Animation time….

In among the rocks!

The ship flies surprisingly well considering the modifications the Mining Guild made. I did like the fact I can fly one of these without a flight suit because I can wear my Jedi robes comfortably sat in the cockpit. So after testing the ship in space I needed to do an atmospheric condition test flight so I flew to the planet of Lothal where a lot of TIE Fighters were built. I found some nice canyons and had some fun. Here are the pictures, oh and another video!….

I managed to avoid any “Imperial Entanglements” for Low Flying over Lothal and set about heading home where I could hangar my new ship, then relax and get back to designing…here’s my journey home….

So in conclusion, even if this ship looks like a character from an 80’s arcade game it isn’t one to mess with, it is still deadly flown by the wrong hands. And I think I’m kinda beginning to like PAC-MAN, that yellow is so striking it sort of surprises your enemies seeing such a bright ship! And it does brighten up my hangar bay….

Back home and in my hangar…my little TIE-Fighter FTX-MG!

That just about wraps up this design, I hope you liked it as much as I liked building and flying about in it! Just before I go back to work though I’d like to finish with my regular thank you message. To all my viewers/readers/friends thanks as always for supporting me and my site you are all appreciated and I welcome you to call back for future posts as I have much more to share including a multicoloured double bladed staff, more Clone Wars and Rebels inspired designs and more ships…a new “Rapier” style hilt….too much to list. Till next time…

“Tyeth Industries Experimentals FTX-MG” is a For Tyeth Editions 3D model inspired by the TIE-MG Tie Fighter in Star Wars Rebels. The model, renders and videos were produced by For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020 and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth?FTSabersite 2020. “Star Wars: Rebels”, “Mining Guild TIE Fighter” and all other related names, images and material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Balance Point Sabers – new for Ahsoka Tano

Hello everybody, I seem to have a thing about pairs at the moment – Twin Ion Engines, Dyads, a new pair of boots (I’m still waiting for these but am nearly at half distance for waiting time – I hope) and today I continue the theme of two by revisiting an old idea and a fan favourite character. A long time ago I designed a hilt for “Snips” or as she is also known, Ahsoka Tano. This old design was built with the old software I had access to at the time and I felt, after watching the final season of The Clone Wars and the newer Star Wars Rebels cartoon that I needed to build a new saber for Ahsoka. I watched the final season of Clone Wars and Ahsoka, having left the Jedi Order was living a shadowy existence in the Outer Rim colonies and a planet named Thabeska. Thabeska was rife with crime syndicates but Ahsoka befriended two sisters (two again!). One of the sisters was a mechanic and Ahsoka “crash landed” her speeder bike outside her garage and needed to repair her vehicle. During one scene Ahsoka was working on her bike and I noticed one of the bike parts on the workbench and I immediately thought “Ooh that’d make a nice saber” So I set about rebuilding the shock absorber into a lightsaber! Here is the first gallery…

These three images don’t exactly represent a suspension strut but the saber was originally a shock absorber, the spring forms the ridges on the handgrip and the emitter section is the hydraulic cylinder section. You may also just be able to make out the little flanges on the emitter where it would bolt onto the bike frame and these little flanges form a rather nifty little detail that tells you this saber belongs to Tano. See if you can pick out the identifying detail in this second batch of pictures….

Ahsoka’s speeder bike was black and silver/white so that dictated the colour scheme and worked out quite nicely. The bike also had flashes of yellow which just gave the look a splash of colour. If you didn’t see or recognise the identifying detail I mentioned it was the striped pattern on the mouth of the emitter which represents a very prominent physical feature of Ahsoka – her Lekku. Lekku are the tentacle like appendages which people sometimes mistake for a head-dress. The Lekku are actually a part of her anatomy and change size and colour with age – showing the age/maturity of the individual. OK, the picture didn’t quite show the detail quite as well so I will show you my second version of the hilt which has a different colour scheme and you’ll easily see the markings then! Another batch of pictures!….

This colour scheme was inspired by the closing stages of The Clone Wars series. In particular the story of Ahsoka’s re-union with her former Master, Anakin Skywalker and her platoon of Clone Soldiers. The platoon, upon hearing of their former Padawan Jedi leader’s return, painted their helmets with a special pattern in her honour. The helmets were orange with the white tribal markings to represent those marks Ahsoka has on her face and forehead. I just thought that’d make a spectacular saber. Now the final image in this gallery really shows off that detail of Ahsoka’s Lekku in the form of the blue and white striped pattern running around the mouth of the emitter and tailing off down the body of the hilt. Finally some of you technical minded readers may be wondering “How do you switch this thing on?” and the answer is built into the geometric logo on the hilt just below the “Tribal markings”. That logo is the symbol that Ahsoka adopted as a moniker for her secret identity whilst she was working undercover for the….well I better not say who, what or why in case you still have to watch Clone Wars and Rebels but the logo and the name have significant meaning. I will say “Balance Point” is a hint at that name – so if you are a mechanical engineer you may know the technical name for a balance point! And speaking of balance if you connect two sabers together they need to be balanced and these hilts are no different and can also be connected to form a staff double bladed weapon…

Just one final thing – I was really pleased how this design turned out and I wanted to know what they would have looked like had they actually been in the cartoon so I produced a bit of “Trick Photography” and came up with this image I used as the header picture for this post – I thought you might like to see a clean version of the picture without the text…

And with that it just about wraps up this post. I hope you enjoyed it, I know I had fun watching the shows and getting inspired to build these. But the inspiration didn’t stop with a saber for Snips….I still have around 8 more hilts to show you and…I have been getting requests to build more spaceships. I have TWO more TIE Fighters and a Star Destroyer from the Unknown regions to bring to you in future posts.

As always I’d like to thank you all again for the support you show me and FTSabersite. It keeps me designing and battling to improve my skills. I appreciate all the comments and likes and I really hope you’ll call back to see the warehouse full of goodies I have to show in the near future. So stay safe and as always. Till next time…..

“Balance Point Sabers” are a pair of sabers designed by For Tyeth and the design, models and renders are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. The hilts were inspired by the character Ahsoka Tano who appears in “Star Wars – The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels” both of which are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

FTX-1 TIE Fighter – Tyeth Industries Experimental

Hello everybody and today we blast back into space with another iconic starfighter and if I were to type this shape

I-O-I

You might just recognise which stafighter without me saying anything else! Yes today I turn my attention to the Empire’s most feared fighter. That fighter is the Sienar Fleet Systems’ TIE Fighter. The name some may not know is an acronym representing the ship’s type designation. T.I.E. stands for Twin Ion Engine Fighter as it features twin Ion powered engines which are a bit like compressors but without any moving parts! The engines aren’t the only unique feature as the ship has distinct hexagonal “solar panel” wings and an “eyeball” cockpit section. The cockpit was a dangerous place to be for Imperial pilots as the ships didn’t have an atmospheric system meaning they had to wear sealed flight suits…but worse, they didn’t have a Hyperdrive and they didn’t carry shield generators making them vulnerable. TIE Pilots were considered expendable and the Empire relied on overwhelming numbers rather than smaller quantities of quality piloted ships. So on this sad note I decided I would try and improve this design and build a new fighter I call the T.I.E. Fighter or Tyeth Industries Experimental fighter!

Sharp eyed readers may have also spotted the Bladerunner “Spinner” Police Flying Cars in the background of these pics…I have no idea where they came from but I think Han Solo was piloting one of them 🙂

As you can see I started with a basic model to begin with as I was working from memory and wanted to tweak the wings but I wasn’t happy with what I came up with. The wings were too stubby/boxy if you know what I mean, they didn’t look right at all. I did get the fuselage and cockpit sort of OK, it has twin laser cannons under the front windshield and there are the two engines – but as always I wanted to do better. So I wheeled the model back into the workshop and came up with this upgrade…

These wireframes clearly show I modified those blocky winglets from my first version and the segments have checkered solar panels! I also elongated the wing mount pylons, making the ship slightly wider but more sleek. This reduces the cross section and makes the ship hard to hit with lasers – though the wings are still large targets. More importantly I added a few more bits of panelling to allow installation of a Hyperdrive and shields! This revised version needed testing so I took it for a spin…

The flights took place within the atmosphere just so I could evaluate the handling and characteristics, which I’m pleased to say were quite nice and responsive. The ship had a good roll rate so you can spin, cos “Spinning….that’s a good move, WHOOAAA!” Sorry I came over a bit Anakin there! But having passed the in atmosphere tests I needed to get this out into orbit and stretch it’s legs, here are a few images from my extended range flight tests! Another gallery…

I gotta say this new FT TIE Fighter can really move! It’s a good job I am not putting it into production or the Rebellion would be in BIG trouble. I managed to find some picturesque locations for my test and got some nice pictures. However I am particularly pleased how the last image turned out as the colouring made the pic look like a 1977 style poster! (I also used it as my post title image ^^)

That just about wraps up this design, I had great fun recreating a classic TIE Fighter to go with my reworked X-Wing and I hope you liked it too. Before I go I need to let you know I still have a further TIE variant that I have modelled and will feature in an upcoming post…but that’s not all I have another SEVEN hilts and my big new battle-ready starship has been approved by my friend who asked me to design it. This means I have another post for that. Phew! I think that’s all the news. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who visited FTSabersite today, whether it’s your first trip here or if you’re one of my regular readers/followers – you’re all much appreciated and please comment, like and call back for future posts. Till next TIEm….

“FTX-1 TIE Fighter – Tyeth Industries Experimental” is a For Tyeth Editions 3D model inspired by the TIE Fighter seen in the Star Wars universe. The models and renderings are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. The “Sienar Fleet System TIE Fighter” and all names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Lost Build Two – Another FT Original

Hello everybody, I continue today with my series of “recovered” hilts with the second of the Lost Files. Again as I thought I had lost this design I didn’t give it a name. This hilt has a few more features built in as I pushed Blender’s workflow and features. As a result I had a saber that could be either Lightside Jedi or Darkside Sith….depending on your point of view (and the colour scheme you pick!) I will add that I don’t have work in progress images for this one but there are still a dozen images for you to look at. Here is the first gallery…starting with a spooky shadow…

This hilt has an aggressive attitude and a whole viper’s nest of claws! Not only claws but windows (no not Microsoft 😏) a “grenade grip” main body and an FTE lighted pommel. The improved workspace in Blender allowed me to quickly model and texture this hilt and add special little details with just a couple of mouse clicks. I am particularly pleased with the claws, because not only does it have six of them (double the number I used on my Gre’thor Blade – A Klingon inspired field weapon hilts) but they have illuminated elements built into them. Here is gallery two…

I really like the idea of lit claws and I think they should be possible to build in real life using fibre optic cables such as those found on “Fibre Optic Tree” lamp decorations and in Modified Custom Car interior designs. The lit pommel isn’t quite as fancy as the one I built for the Zygerrian Sting Saber sabers but I did build this design earlier, however I may return to this and update the crystal and improve on it. Finally I mentioned above this could be a Sith styled hilt with a change of colour so here are a couple of the Sith variant and a couple of pics of what I have coming up! A sneaky Sith sneak peek!…

These new hilts are inspired by the cartoon series “The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels” and represent about half of the sabers I still have to show. As soon as I bring you a new lightsaber I am already working on the next batch…and I may soon be able to bring you a MASSIVE new ship as well. Lots to look forward to, I hope.

This just abut wraps things up for this post, except to say thank you so much for your visit today. As always whether this is your first time on FTSabersite or you are a regular visitor you are much appreciated and don’t forget to leave a comment or like and if you can spread the word about this little corner of the internet that would be fantastic. So stay safe and…..Till next time….

“Lost Build Two” is a For Tyeth Editions design and all images and design are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. Star Wars, Rebels and The Clone Wars and all other names, logos, and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Dyad Sabers – It’s all about pairs (and boots)

Hello everybody, first off thanks so much for all the kind comments on my 500th post last week it means a lot. So today I return to a collection I had been promising a while back but then my Windows 10 install crashed and I thought I had lost them. These were my original concepts collection of hilts I built to stretch my understanding of Blender’s latest version. This was the second design I came up with so I thought “I know, I’ll build two of them” and so I created a Dyad – which is a catchy word I used for the design name. It is a fairly basic design but for around forty minutes work it turned out OK and it featured a few details that were improved over past versions of Blender. Anyhoo, here is the first gallery of pictures from the workshop….

You might be able to tell that this saber is quite sleek, not too fussy, has a good grip but I did make a small compromise and added a crystal chamber. Unfortunately it wasn’t till later when I was taking the Glamour Shots that I noticed when viewed from the side the saber looks like a bricklayer’s “Spirit Level” tool with the chamber looking like the level’s bubble chamber! I’m not sure whether there are bricklayers in the Star Wars universe anymore as most buildings are now of a Duraplast or metal construction. OK so I had best move on and let you see the next gallery and this one is the Glamour Shots…

I did make a vanity decision and made this hilt with a green core assembly and inserts with a black shroud. Green is sort of my thing and I figured I could work it into my “Branding” if I ever put these in production! I think the saber has an edgy look to it and the bell emitter is semi recessed, surrounded by a shark’s mouth cut-out in the shroud. I also added some “Tombstones” which are the small rectangular adornments that slot through the shroud and help hold the emitter in place. These also give the saber a look similar to Ahsoka Tano’s hilts from The Clone Wars cartoon. Ahsoka was famous for wielding two sabers so I thought I should build a second hilt to accompany this one so I gave Dyad a new colour scheme for the core. Here is the next gallery…

This colour I quite like and it is one you don’t see on lightsabers very often. The candy orange is really a contrast and complimentary colour to both the green and black. Now I have a balanced pair of hilts, and in Star Wars everything is about balance. But as always I couldn’t just finish here and as I had a ”duality” theme going on, two sabers, two colours, a double bladed version was needed. This is one final image of how two Dyads could form a saberstaff double bladed hilt.

That just about wraps up this post, except for an exciting bit of news I’d like to share. I have been hinting and mentioned that I am in the process of assembling a Jedi costume and I have received my tunic, tabbards, pants and robe and they fit nicely (I just have a few minor alterations to make). However the outfit didn’t come with boots so I looked for a pair of cosplay Jedi boots…but when Mrs T saw the pair I found she was a little concerned how long they would last. She told me “if you are going to buy a pair you may as well get a decent pair..” and offered to help me buy a quality pair and I may have gone a bit mad. I have ordered a pair of “proper” replica Jedi boots as worn by..(?)…in The Phantom Menace! I spent over an hour exchanging emails with the manufacturer in real time so I could send in my measurements for the boots – I’m REALLY nervous now hoping I got the sizing right. Pictures will be posted in a special FT Fashion post when they arrive and I’ve finished the outfit.

Finally I’d like to finish with my usual thank yous. Thanks to all of you who have visited and supported me and FTSabersite, whether today or as a long time viewer/reader. I can’t publish a blog without you and you’re all very much appreciated. Till next time……

(Have my boots come yet?…No?….OK maybe tomorrow….)

“Dyad Sabers” are a For Tyeth Editions design and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2020. “Ahsoka Tano” and Star Wars are Trademarks/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

FTX-Wing Fighter – Fit for my 500th!

Hello everybody and welcome to a special post for me. Way back on August 17^th 2016 I posted my first ever design here on FTSabersite – yes I’ve been around that long. Little did I expect to still be coming up with material almost four years later. I spent around a fortnight setting this site up and a friend of mine, Savannah95 helped debug it for me and make sure all my links went to the right place and I went live with my first design, which you can see here…

This was made using a third party online saber building app, and I entered it into a design contest held by the company that created the app…and I won! That gave me the confidence that I could create sabers and I must have come up with over 500 by now! Ah yes 500! That is also the number of this post, my milestone I reached today. And to celebrate I wondered “What gift would I like for my 500^th?” The answer was….an X-Wing maybe, so now I use Blender I built one and here it is…the FTX-Wing….

These work in process images and wireframes show how I progressed and complex the model is. Of course I had to have a gold plated ship too. However as nice as these studio shots are you want to see the Glamour pictures so here is gallery two…

The first three images are slight work in progress test images and you can see how I modified the cockpit and even added R2-D2. I think this is a little bit different than a lightsaber and it turned out nice for my first spaceship. I used a lot of modelling techniques and features within Blender including Mirror Modifiers to build one half of the ship while Blender automatically “mirrored” the opposite half. Then I used a new tool add-on that adds nice crisp cut-outs, recesses, grooves and slots (around the engines). I even remembered to add navigation lights!

But then I thought “Ok, I now have an X-Wing…what can I do with it? I know….take it on a mission!” So I decided I’d try to recreate a piece of movie history….the Death Star Trench Run!….

I made this little video recreating my attempt to defeat the Death Star. (I watched a documentary on how the Empire fastened the parts of the Death Star together…..it was RIVETING!)

And I have my friend Neil of https://makeroommakeroom.wordpress.com/ to thank for the Death Star trench. He told me about another Blender function that I used to recreat the panels and blocks that make up the trench walls….the Discombobulator function (yes that’s what it’s called!) I then swung the camera around 180degs and filmed the aft view of the FTX-Wing and get a close up view of the engine pods and the glow I created for them. I’m really proud of these as they look really close to the original FX in the re-released version of Star Wars (George Lucas added more ships and glowing effects). You can see much more clearly where I’m flying to…I’m flying to the end of the trench to finish my mission. Was I successful? Let’s take a look….This is Emerald Leader reporting in…..

OK, again I know I’m not going to worry Disney or Lucasfilm with my film making skills but I bet for a moment you thought it was real! And at the very end I did reach my objective – the exhaust port I aimed my torpedoes at was shaped as a 500! Success!

That just about wraps up this special 500^th edition of FTSabersite and as always I’d like to thank everyone, and I mean everyone who visited from day one to today. You have been fantastic and I have loved getting to know some of you better, I have made good friends which is priceless. Now before this sounds like some sort of retirement speech I’d better let you know I still have 7 saber designs and 3 more spaceship designs to display so I might just have enough material to get to 1000 posts….who knows? I hope you will return to find out in future posts. Till next time, stay safe and thanks once again….For Tyeth, Emerald Leader!

“FTX-Wing” is a For Tyeth Editions design insired by the Incom T-65 X-Wing seen in Star Wars. The model and animations were made by me For Tyeth/FTSabersite and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2020. Star Wars, X-Wing Fighter and all other names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

FT’s Curved Collection Sabers

Hello everybody I have been busy modelling starships and fighters recently so I need a BIG post of sabers and I just happen to have one today. I mentioned many moons ago that I had a curved hilt design similar to Count Dooku’s, well I am posting it here now. I based this on my hilt Aquaman Bend Lightsaber – FT Blender Version 2 and my “Khaarnage” a saber for Alex Khaar – Inspired by Lady Revan’s FanFiction hilt I built for my friend. Initially I took the hand grip and the pommel of Aquaman Bend and the emitter I used on my rendition of Altenweg Shoto and Darkshoto – Inspired by PsychoSith’s Altenweg II I built and added a new claw to the emitter. This claw looks more like a fang so I named this version Bane Mamba. Bane was the Sith Lord that established the “Rule of Two” where the Sith practitioners were reduced to just two members, the Master and the Apprentice – whilst the Mamba name came from the snake and the association with venomous fangs. OK, enough chit-chat, this saber has been a long time in waiting, here is Bane Mamba Edition….

The hilt handgrip is the Aquaman part but with a twist. The handgrip originally had a shroud to mimic the scales of Aquaman but this time I added the “scales” to the inner core and curved that core to produce the saber’s body. I took the emitter from Altenweg II Shoto and cut a slot into it so the emitter was forked. I then modelled the Mamba “Fang” which catches the light from the blade in a very sinister way, you could say it looked poisonous. To accentuate the snake skin look I added a Crystal Chamber and shaped it into a “scale diamond” styled window. The hilt doesn’t have an on/off switch as I envisioned a sensor inside that detects when the owner performs a gesture motion to switch it on. This means you could set the saber so when you perform the En Guard salute like Dooku does then the saber switches on automatically when pointed upward. But I didn’t stop there…oh no! I modelled TWO more versions. Here is gallery two with the Dark Mamba….

Now this design caused a bit of a problem for me. I designed it using parts from previous models and some unique twists I came up with but when I showed the gold coloured MatCap preview image to a friend on the forum I use they said “It might not be a good idea to post that on this forum as it looks like…” then named an existing design from a well known manufacturer.

However I feel my hilt is sufficiently different and so is my creation….and I’ve posted it here. Now there is a similarity to the mentioned product (they are both bent!) but my hilt has an activation switch that I added to the finger grip recesses. The product in question uses a standard switch on top of the hilt making it prone to being accidentally clicked on/off whilst duelling. With the set up I created the switch is protected and still has four indents for the users’ fingers to grip. I have shown the hilt without the crystal chamber window but one can easily be added. And the reversed colour scheme gives the hilt an even more evil look…but I took it one step further and modelled an Inquisitor version….(because nobody expects the Inquisition!)….

I modelled this again, as far back as February, I have been so backlogged, and I hadn’t watched Star Wars Rebels yet. But I had seen pictures of a character called an Inquisitor and they wore jet black outfits and helmets with bright red edging to trim the garments. I thought the look would be good on a saber and I applied a full dark black paint job and where the accents of silver and black where on the tow hilts above I changed to red. It set the hilt off perfectly and looked just like the Jedi hunting Inquisitors. Then I got to watch Rebels last month and I got a surprise.

When one of the Grand Inquisitor removed his helmet, he had red tattoos or marks on his forehead and around his eyes…and they almost matched the two little fangs on top of the emitter at the base of the slot! I have been known to be able to predict the future but that little detail was pretty spectacular to have modelled. And so to finish this collection, I just had to get a “Family Portrait” of all three together!

Phew! That’s it! Thank you so much for checking all of this out. I’m pretty pleased how they turned out. I am quickly approaching the end of this post but as always I’d like to finish by thanking you all for the support, chat and comments you have shared with me over the past 499 posts you are all very much appreciated. And if you caught that I am about to hit 500 posts next time, so I’d be honoured if you’d join me for that one. Stay safe till the big 5-0-0!

“Bane Mamba”, “Dark Mamba” and “Inquisitor Mamba” are all “For Tyeth Editions” and part of my Curved Collection of hilts. The designs and all images are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2020. Any and all Star Wars names, logos, images and related material are Trademark and ©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Zyggerian Gold Sting Saber

Hello Everybody, I have been hard at work in my new “Ship Building Studio” as a friend of mine has asked if I could model a very large spacecraft for a story he is writing. It is going well and I kinda like the ship I have built so far, but as I send proof of concept images to the gentleman he keeps coming up with modifications he’d like me to make. So I haven’t had much time to dedicate to sabers, however I do have the limited edition version of my recent Zyggerian Sting Saber I can show you. As you’ll recall the Zyggerians were a species that specialised in Slave Trading until the Jedi and Republic outlawed the practise. However I imagined “what would a high profile, wealthy Zyggerian buy as a gift to either themselves or other Zyggerians?” This is what I came up with…a limited edition Zyggerian Sting Saber….

The whole saber has been coated in “Phryyk” a golden material that can be found on Lord Sidious’ lightsaber (The Emperor). Phryyk is very rare, valuable and found in only a few places around the galaxy. The saber still has the special dual crystal set up to allow it to be used as an “Electro Light Whip” or as a standard lightsaber bladed weapon. While I was animating the Bronze Zyggerian Sting saber I thought I should do the same for this limited edition….

I filmed this from a different angle to get some different lighting and reflections. One day I may make a full movie! But I’m still waiting for updates to my laptop so until then I’ll have to stick with short animations and images. Speaking of which, how about another gallery? Ok here are some more pictures….

I can see an egotistical, rich Zyggerian using this but I can assure you this hilt as with the Bronze version I built are safely stored away from mis-use in my vaults (aka as Cloud Storage – see I’m getting tech savvy!).

Now as I mentioned above I have been busy building other objects aside from sabers. This includes four starfighter models and a very large military ship all of which I’ll be bringing to FTSabersite in future posts. I will also be posting about my new costume which I’m in the process of making alterations too….but slowly it is coming together so I hope you can join me back here for that. In the meantime, thank you so much for your continued support of me and my site, each visitor that comes here means I will keep creating and posting. You are all fantastic friends, please stay safe….Till Next Time….

p.s. Don’t worry I still have around 6 or 7 sabers to show off too!

“Zyggerian Gold Sting Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the Star Wars Clone Wars cartoon. The design, 3D model and imagery are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2020. “Star Wars The Clone Wars” and all other names, logos, images and related material are ©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Kaled Dalek Saber – For Tyeth Edition

Hello Exterminate!….I mean hello everybody, today as you may have realised FTSabersite has a visitor from the Whoniverse! Yes I had the unusual experience of meeting one of the most “feared” races in the galaxy of Dr Who, the Daleks, at my local comic con a year or two ago but it occurred to me that I hadn’t built a proper Dalek inspired hilt. Well today I rectify that and bring to you a design firmly rooted in Kaled/Dalek origins. The Kaleds were a sort of reptillian/mollusc/octopus looking creatures that had mutated from more humanoid shape as a result of fallout from the weapons used during a civil war on their home planet of Skaro. To survive and become the “superior race” of the galaxy an individual named Davros developed a survival suit or armoured shell for the Kaleds to live in and hence became Daleks (The Daleks were created by Terry Nation and designed by the BBC designer Raymond Cusick. They were introduced in December 1963 in the second Doctor Who serial, colloquially known as The Daleks. (wikipedia).

But this is Dalek Dolly!

They over-ran numerous worlds, wiping out inferior beings and races but could never get the better of The Doctor or his assistant Ace. Through space and time the guy from Gallifrey was there to stop Davros and his followers. Ok, enough talk for now, I’m sure you’d like to see a few pictures so here you go may I present Kaled Dalek….

I think this saber pretty much speaks for itself…it is basically a misshaped Dalek fitted out with a lightsaber plasma blade! I know, I know! Daleks were dangerous enough with their own weapons without adding a lightsaber but this is just a concept and is safely locked away in my vaults. So beginning at the base you’ll have noticed that the “glider base” has four nozzles that act as the repulsor lift generators that were added to Dalek design in the late 80’s early 90’s so they could Elevate. The nozzles also work well as speaker vents for a custom saber design. Moving up the handgrip, the hilt features the famous Dalek skirt which is covered with numerous spherical balls which were sometimes jettisoned as mini bombs. The switch section of the saber represents the midsection of the Dalek that usually housed the equally famous Sink Plunger sucker arm and Egg Whisk Disintegrator Ray. I removed these appendages and used the recesses to install activation controls for the saber. Above the switch section is a very nice gripping section for the saber, made out of the radiator fins below the upper dome. This ribbed section provides a non slip surface and great position to hold the saber. Then of course the saber features the Dalek dome and the emitter for the blade. I removed the “police car” flashing lights and modified the eye stalk so it became the blade emitter.

However…news of my modifications to Dalek technology seem to have reached the ears of upper command and a Commander Elite has been sent looking for me!! Would you like to see it?…Here you are…more pictures…

Fortunately the Commander Elite realised he was no match for a fully fledged Jedi and friend of Ace, so he backed off and all is well.

And Sophie Aldred aka Ace!

But this brings me to the end of this post. As always just a few bits of news and thanks before I go…Firstly my new Jedi costume arrived recently and I will be making a few minor alterations. The outfit fitted me perfectly, I just need to add a few fasteners here and there to keep some parts of the costume in place and tidy a few unfinished threads (time to get my needle and thread out!) I will also be adding a new belt and boots hopefully in the next few weeks…but more of that in a “Jedi Fashion” special soon.

Thank you all for checking this post out and for all the support you have given me, whether this is your first visit to FTSabersite or you regularly call in you’re much appreciated. Please be sure to return for many more new designs and builds in future posts. Till next Time and Relative Dimensions in Space… And stay safe!

“Kaled Dalek Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the Dalek characters seen in BBC TV’s Dr Who series. The model and renders are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. “Daleks”, “Kaled” and “Skaro” and all other names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of BBC Television UK.