Building Storm Katana – For Cobra’s Ninja Assassin, Storm Shadow

Hello Everybody, today I return to the comic book world of the G.I. Joes and to a story between two “brothers”. The brothers were Snake Eyes who I re-introduced you to a few posts back and the Ninja assassin named Storm Shadow. Both Snake and Shadow had originally served in the US military operating in southeast Asia. They were members of a LRRP or “Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol” with another team member who would later become the G.I. Joe named Stalker, You may recall I mentioned that Snake Eyes was rescued from the field of battle when he was injured, by a soldier of Japanese descent and that soldier turned out to be Thomas S. Arashikage or “Storm Shadow” – his Ninja clan name. After the war both men returned to normal life, Shadow to Japan and Snake to the US where he learnt his family had perished in an automobile accident. Having nothing to keep him in the US Snake travelled to stay with the one last person he considered family…Storm Shadow. Below are pictures of Hasbro’s “Storm Shadow ” action figure promo poster and my 2017 lightsaber Katana I created for Shadow,

However, things didn’t run smoothly as Snake became a member of the Arashikage clan and studied martial arts under Shadow’s uncle, the Hard Master. Snake excelled and surpassed Shadow becoming the clan leader elect causing tension. Then an assassination attempt on Snake’s life failed disastrously. The crime group Cobra and it’s leader Cobra Commander sent an assassin to kill Snake in revenge for Snake killing a member of the Commander’s family. Complicated? Well sadly the Hard Master died and was shot by an arrow that belonged to Storm Shadow and the assailant fled unseen escaping in a mini helicopter. Shadow was blamed and he fled also, later joining Cobra itself to try and discover the real killer. Whew! Ok enough talk, it’s about time I show you Gallery one of “Building Storm Katana”….

This is a no-nonsense lightsaber katana, just right for a silent, deadly Ninja assassin such as Storm Shadow. However even though Snake Eyes and Shadow seem to be on differing sides, this hilt is similar to that of his “brother” Snake’s Katana. Shadow is a traditional trained Ninja and as such would probably only use this weapon if it were to give him an edge in combat. Therefore I removed the Arashikage clan logo from the blade as this emits way too much light for it to be stealthy weapon. I did leave the logo on the pommel as this also acts as the on/off switch. The Tsuba handguard and pommel feature the same etching marks that resemble waves and currents – the elements of a storm. This katana also features a metal hilt body rather than a sword with a wooden core (called a Tang) in the handgrip – but the hilt is wrapped in a matching off white leather Tsuka Ito grip wrap that allows the alloy handle to show through. Ok then, again I am chatting too much so I had best showcase the detailed glamour shots in Gallery Two…

Just a few pictures to show off the details and in the last two shots you can see the Clan logo activation switch again but I also varied the angle the picture was taken from to show that the metallic hilt doesn’t stand out too much by shining, which is useful because Shadow can still use it to reflect light to distract an opponent – or sneakily momentarily blinding them! He is a Ninja after all.

Shadow and Snake obviously go their separate ways with Snake returning to the US and joining the special elite corps known as G.I.Joe, whilst Shadow (as I mention above) joined Cobra, the shadowy criminal organisation hoping to discover who killed his uncle and framed him. The two would eventually join forces when Shadow joins the Joes but it didn’t last long. As to what happened next depends on which movies or comic books you read as there are a few different strands of canon/lore (the Marvel comic timeline and the later reboot and G.I. Joe movies).

“Storm Shadow”

And that just about Tsuka Ito wraps up this saber offering (sorry bad pun but I’ve been holding off from saying it, honest!) Thank you so much for checking this one out and I hope you enjoyed it and the backstory, You will be pleased to know the next post will be planted firmly back in Star Wars territory with another “Starfighter Saber” inspired by a famous ship seen in the films. I still have a few more Power Rangers katanas but this past week I have worked on something I hope is really cool, when I saw what I had modelled I said…..”Hello there!”……that was a little hint.

Anyhoo, thanks for he support, be it from new visitors or my regular viewers it keeps me posting and please call back for upcoming posts. Till next time…..

“Building Storm Katana” is a For Tyeth Editions design, modelled and rendered in Blender 3D by For Tyeth/FTSabersite. It is ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2022. “Storm Shadow” was created by Larry Hama and is ©Copyright of Hasbro Toys.

Power Blue Katana – The Nex-Gen Power Ranger sabers.

Hello Everybody, it’s that time again for another post and a big trip down “memory lane” to some sabers that I covered way back when. To be precise, I’m going back to March of 2017 when Saban Intl released the reboot of their popular “Power Rangers” movie. As I usually do I created some designs inspired by the characters in the film and from my knowledge of the TV show, but I was using the old design software I had access to. The designs were OK and I was pleased with them because I created techniques to use the “Virtual Saber Builder” software in ways it wasn’t meant to be – I found a way to put the parts in unique order so I got combinations other members of the saber community using it couldn’t achieve. The saber I designed for the Blue Power Ranger (aka Billy) looked like this (old pictures coming up!)…..

This design was loosely based on a Katana with the elongated handgrips and silver switch, mid-hilt decorative band and the ornate pommel. The pommel is the section that I tweaked so that there was a silver insert in the pommel opening. This object is actually a blade plug part usually fitted into the emitter of a saber when not in use and the software normally wouldn’t allow it to be placed in the pommel but I found a way.

You can see further images of the original here: https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/ranger-blue-lightsaber-billys-new-gadget/

So I was pleased with my design but you know me, I always felt I could do better I just didn’t have a 3D design software to do it, FAST FORWARD to 2022 and I have finally gotten around to re-forging my designs after I created my first proper Katana a few weeks back. So without further wait I present “Power Blue Katana” the Blender 3D version!…

I took the “Snake Eyes” themed hilt with the lengthened handgrip and gave it a Power Ranger Blue colour scheme and blade. The texturing again is quite detailed when zoomed in and you can see the grain in the leather. The Tsuka Ito wrapping imitates the Power Ranger costumes nicely with the diamond patterning. This range of Katanas also has a bespoke Power Rangers lightning bolt logo on the pommel (instead of a blade plug!).

I really had fun revisiting this old theme and I even had a ” happy accident” that resulted in a kinda unique view of this hilt…whilst positioning the virtual camera in Blender, I accidently set it’s co-ordinates so the camera was INSIDE the body of the hilt looking down through it – it created a sort of “time tunnel” or wormhole effect….

The spiral effect is created by the Tsuka Ito grip wrapping showing through the inner cylinder of the handgrip. I just thought it looked a bit arty so I created the final image by duplicating the model of the hilt and arranging them to show off their lines.

I hope you enjoyed this revisit to an old theme…and hopefully I did justice to the Blue Ranger with the new custom Katana. I do have hilts for the other members of the Ranger quintet which I’ll post in upcoming instalments I also still have another G.I. Joe themed saber and a range of hilts for some teen Ninjas….and if that wasn’t enough I have a nother Starfighter saber….and more blasters and gifts to talk about!

Thanks so much for your visit and support, it does mean a lot to me and keeps me designing and posting. Please be sure to call back to see all the upcoming stuff, and don’t be afraid to comment or leave a like or two. But for now I have to bring this post to an end so Till next time…..

“Power Blue Katana” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by Saban’s “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers” franchise. The 3D models and renders were created by For Tyeth/FTSabersite and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2022. MMPR and all associated content (names, movies, shows etc) are Trademarked and ©Copyright of Saban International and Lionsgate Studios.

“Knotty Katana Saber” – It’s a Wrap!

Hello Everybody, today I have mixed news…first I have had another laptop crash….good news is I have re-installed and I’m still able to post today. The reason? Well I have decided to try out a different Operating System and I have installed Linux instead of Windows. So far so good. Next I have also placed an order for a new Jedi robe! The one that came with my recent tunic set was a thin polyester version and was “shiny” and partially transparent…but the one I have bought is a nice heavyweight wool blend mix construction. Should look neat with my boots! Back to my computer I did manage to rescue my data before I had to reinstall my laptop so that means I still have all my designs thanks to “Cloud Storage” and to Neil from Makeroommakeroom.com (https://makeroommakeroom.wordpress.com/). He told me that Linux has a “preview mode” to test it before installing that also allowed me to access my hard drive, saving my files before wiping it! And as proof his advice worked here is Knotty Katana…one of my rescued hilts….

This hilt is loosely based off the hilt seen in the PC game Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order (https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2019/06/01/dishonoured-saber-inspired-by-ea-games-jedi-fallen-order/), and my Lothwolf inspired hilt “Dume” (https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2020/09/12/dume-saber-inspired-by-lothals-wolf/). I discovered that there was extra functionality and basic objects to build with in Blender’s add-ons – one of which was a collection of curved objects. One object was “The twisted Torus”. A Torus is basically a doughnut shaped tube and the twisted Torus looks as if it has been tied into a knot. Well I noticed that if I stacked 2 or 3 of these twisted loops on top of each other, it made them look like braiding! Now a lot of lightsaber owners are trying to customise their own sabers with braided handgrips using Paracord, a hardwearing military developed fibre that has hundreds of uses and is very useful. You may have seen “friendship band” bracelets woven from paracord. Well I had a Katana that needed wrapping so this solved my Knotty Problem! Sorry for the bad joke, how about a gallery of Glamour Shots?….

I gave the hilt a red, gold and black scheme to give it an Oriental look and feel. I also added a nice Jedi Order logo on the pommel. This style of hilt is usually built for combat and not decorated too much but I may customise this one further in the future.

I apologise this isn’t the most dynamic saber I have come up with but I liked the braiding I was able to replicate. Plus as I am just getting to grips with Linux I didn’t have a full gallery of pics (I need to re-download the scenery background images, text fonts and a few other graphic bits and pieces I used to have ). Anyhow, I hope you still liked the hilt. And I do have about 9 more designs lined up including some Miraculous ones that I never thought would be seen.

Thanks so much for calling in on FTSabersite and for your support. Whether you just looked in today or are a regular visitor , commented or liked…maybe subscribed…your efforts are much appreciated. Hopefully you will all return and see what’s coming up in future posts. So stay safe and as always…Till next time….

“Knotty Katana Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design and the 3D model and renders are Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. The game Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order is Trademark/Copyright of EA Games and Disney/Lucasfilm.

New Dark Dragon Katana – Blender Version

Hello Everybody, whilst reminiscing recently about past heroes for my Halloween “Spidey Saber” I also decided to delve into my archives of past designs and I found one that I felt needed a Blender update. You see many years ago I used a different software package to produce saber designs and it was provided as an online App by the company Saberforge. The problem was, that even though I was “designing” I was using parts developed by SF. However I did push the boundaries of what their Virtual Builder could do. I created a hilt with a Crystal Chamber pommel (before SF had crystal chambers!) and I also made a hilt for a fellow blogger named Cherrycola22. This hilt was a Japanese styled Katana, which I made out of three sections.

Sakura No Hana – Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom Hilt 2

I liked this design (and the  variants that I also created seen HERE) but now I felt I could do better. So I set to work with Blender which gives me so much more creative freedom and updated my 3-Part Katana Collection. And first up in this series is a hilt I named Dark Dragon Katana….

Dark Dragon Katana 1

Dark Dragon Katana 2

Dark Dragon Katana 3

Dark Dragon Katana 4

Dark Dragon Katana 5

Dark Dragon Katana 6

The hilt is much longer than a “traditional” hilt which gives the user much more tactical reach and leverage. Also being able to grip the saber at various positions alters the dynamics of the users attacks, so he or she can alter their grip and change the range/distance they fight from. This can confuse an opponent as they are never sure if you will use short range stabbing techniques or longer range sweeping melee strikes – giving you an advantage. I also modeled a Jedi Order inspired Tsuba handguard to tie the design into both Japanese sword styling and the Star Wars In Universe galaxy. As this hilt was designed to give a combat advantage I didn’t add a regular activation switch that could hinder grip and instead imagined that there is a sensor incorporated into the Dragon logo that could be triggered to ignite the weapon. And as I am rambling on about the “Technical Details” maybe I should post a few wire frames pictures of the hilt being modeled…

Dark Dragon Katana Wireframe 1

Dark Dragon Katana Wireframe 2

Dark Dragon Katana Wireframe 3

As you can see the hilt is structurally pretty basic but it is the simplicity that gives the weapon it’s tactical flexibility. The hilt consists of three sections and two silver  couplers, the Tsuba on the emitter and a pommel. However, if you wanted to have a regular length hilt (or shorter Katana/Japanese weapons known as Tanto or Wakizashi) you can unscrew the sections and remove the lower grip and pommel then replace the pommel to form a two section hilt! Here are a couple more pictures showing the short 2 piece Katana and a close up of the grip Dragon logo..

Dark Dragon Katana Two Piece

Dark Dragon logo

The two part saber is much more like a “traditional” length hilt (approx 12 inches). But I’d like to mention the Dragon logo, as this is taken from my earlier “FT’s Lightside Dragon” which I posted way back in December 2017 after I learnt to apply transparent textures (Wow Dec 2017?…I feel old!  😀 )

Ok, I think that covers the boring technical bits and backstory to this design, now I just have a few Glamour Shots to finish with, here you go…

Dark Dragon Katana scenic 1

Dark Dragon Katana scenic 2

Alright then, now I think that really does cover everything and it just leaves me to say a big thank you for checking this design out. I hope you like the Blender Updates of my “older” designs. I do have many more new original sabers coming soon, inspired by characters from Disney/Lucasfilm’s new movie and TV series. There are also more “Master Series” hilts to post…in fact I have over 13 more sabers I need to post! I hope you will return to check those out too, but whether you are a first time visitor or a regular viewer of FTSabersite thanks again, you are all much appreciated. Till next time….

“(New)Dark Dragon Katana” is a “For Tyeth Editions” saber design and is Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2019. All “For Tyeth Editions” designs and material contained within FTSabersite are Copyright of For Tyeth 2016-2019.

Dantoresu Lightsaber – Inspired by Dauntless 7

Hello Everybody, here is my first post for today and it is to display the hilt I designed having been inspired by the gorgeous modifications my friend has made to her hilt I will be displaying in post number two! This hilt is a 3 part katana but I used traditional flat sided katana parts whereas my friend’s hilt is based on a Saberforge Ronin which is cylindrical. This design is the Darkside version of my recent Dragon Katana with a few little tweaks, here is Dantoresu…

Dantoresu Hilt

Dantoresu Emitter

Dantoresu Emitter 2

Dantoresu Switch

Dantoresu Body

Dantoresu Pommel

Dantoresu Pommel 2

Dantoresu Vertical Up

Dantoresu Horizontal

Dantoresu 3 Part Version

Dantoresu 3 Part Version Pommel

This hilt has a Sith red blade projecting from an ebony black emitter which is adorned by a Japanese Dragon emblem. Again as with the Lightside Dragon Katana I posted recently this hilt has the body parts rotated 90 degrees from standard which provides the flat faces for the etching of the dragon. It also makes the grip more comfortable as the rounded sections now rest against the palm of your hand and the inside curl of your fingers, leaving your thumb to rest on the dragon etch. The switch is wasp-waisted to allow it to work as a choke point. The lower body section also has the flat face orientated upwards but this time instead of my name in Aurabesh symbols, the etching you can see is the Japanese word Dantoresu or Dauntless in English. The name is a nod to my friend whose saber inspired this design and her forum name is Dauntless 7! The pommel caps the hilt off nicely and has matching red accents to tie in with the colour scheme.

This post is coming to a close but before I finish…wait, I forgot I still have a second post coming up today! That post is dedicated to the fabulous hilt my friend Dauntless 7 has modified that inspired this design, and which I have teased was coming these last few weeks.  So please don’t go anywhere as this hilt is about to be overshadowed by a real piece of Saber Art! See you in post two.

“Dantoresu” is a For Tyeth Edition and is © Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2017. FTSabersite and all it’s contents are © Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2017.

Dauntless 7’s Agony Lightsaber

Hello Everybody, It’s finally here!…No not The Last Jedi, that was in my last little post! I am talking about a beautiful piece of saber art that a friend of mine has created that inspired my recent Lightside Dragon Katana. My friend is called Dauntless 7 on the lightsaber forums and she recently purchased a saber called the Saberforge Ronin, but decided it was a little plain and so modified it. This was no easy task, as the hilt was covered in a knurled texture, so how could somebody decorate that? The answer, D7 used a Dremel rotary tool and a lot of patience and bravery! The process of trying to engrave a textured surface led to D7 calling this hilt Agony, and it is my absolute privilege to present it to you here….

D7’s Agony

D7’s Agony Fire Dragon

D7’s Agony Emitter

D7’s Agony Emitter 2

D7’s Agony Dragon’s Tail

D7’s Agony

D7’s Agony Horizontal

D7’s Agony Horizontal 2

To say this hilt is beautiful is to sell it short. This saber is amazing, it has Star Wars Aurabesh writing etched into it, Japanese text symbols and fire dragon emblems! It was the fire dragon which caused the hold up in posting this gallery. D7 engraved the hilt and thought she had completed the designs but just as I was preparing to show you it, D7 felt the tail of the dragon needed a little attention. To her it wasn’t quite right and set about fixing it. And I have to say the little tweak to make the tail broader really set the emblem off nicely. On the section near the emitter are some symbols of Aurabesh which spell the word Agony, while the Japanese characters spell Fire Dragon. Below that is a symbol representing Energy. Everywhere you look on this saber there is some detail to see but yet it still retains a traditional look. I love it so much it inspired me to create a design based on this hilt, a darkside version of Lightside Dragon which you can see in the first of today’s posts. That hilt is called Dantoresu!

I have to say a massive thank you to Dauntless 7 for allowing me to display her outstanding work here. I am placing this hilt in the Saber Smith’s section of the site because, although D7 didn’t design the base hilt her modifications lifted it so far above it’s original appearance that I feel any Saber Smith out there would be proud to have created this beauty!

I am going to have to bring this post to a close soon but before I go I need to say thank you to you, my viewers and followers for your continued support, I appreciate it very much. I do have more hilts to display (including a SECOND hilt from Dauntless 7) so I hope you will return to check those out! Till next time.

“Agony” Katana Lightsaber is a Guest Design of Dauntless 7 and all modifications including the etching designs are © Copyright of Dauntless 7 and displayed here with permission.

FT’s Lightside Dragon Lightsaber

Hello Everybody, I have had to change my plans slightly for today’s offering but I have just about finished preparing for it. I recently paid a visit to a charity fund-raising shop (aka a thrift store in the US) and managed to pick up some cheap DVD and Blu-Rays. One of the discs was a movie called “Hirokin”, the cover of which features a warrior wielding a Japanese style Katana sword. As it happens a friend of mine has recently purchased a lightsaber from one of the big companies, that looks like a Katana and she has modified it. All of this Katana influence prompted me to create a design inspired by my friend’s work of art, so I returned to my 3 Part Katana series (which you can visit by clicking HERE) and came up with this new version. I call this FT Lightside Dragon…

Lightside Dragon Hilt

Lightside Dragon Emitter

Lightside Dragon Emitter 2

Lightside Dragon Switch

Lightside Dragon Body

Lightside Dragon Pommel

Lightside Dragon Pommel 2

Lightside Dragon Horizontal

Lightside Dragon Vertical Up

Lightside Dragon 3 Part Version Pommel

I have shown both the 2 part and extended 3 part versions here and as you will see if compared to my earlier designs there are some subtle changes! The first is that I have rotated the body/handgrip sections through 90 degrees. This should help grip the weapon better as the rounded segments are now on the sides where your fingers would naturally curl and the flattened faces are now top and bottom. This new positioning also allowed for my next, maybe not so subtle change, the inclusion of an image of a dragon and some symbols. The image of the dragon and symbols could be either painted onto the surface or etched (using electrically charged salt water to “burn” the image into the metal) or engraved and filled with a paint to give the etch or engraving colour. Oh, and the symbols are just my name in the Star Wars language Aurabesh!

Now the reason I had a change of plan is because I asked my friend if I could feature her beautiful saber along with my tribute version here on FTSabersite. My friend said I could…but asked could I postpone the article for a few days as she was about to apply some “finishing touches” to the saber! So I had to think quick and knock up a version for myself to show you all. However you will get to see the fabulous saber that has inspired me hopefully in my next post…and it is worth checking out.

Very quickly I am running out of time, it’s winter now….did you notice it’s snowing on my site? ^^up there^^  😀 and I will have to finish this post. But first as always I want to thank all of my viewers and followers, new and regulars, for your continued support, it means a lot to me. Please do spread the word about the site and I hope you will return to see my friend’s (real life) lightsaber and her fantastic modifications in an upcoming post. Till next time.

“FT Lightside Dragon Lightsaber” is a For Tyeth Edition and is © Copyright of For Tyeth. This site, FTSabersite and all it’s contents are © Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2017. Guest Designer lightsaber designs are used here with permission and are copyright of the Guest Designer.

Obliterator Katana Lightsaber (Destroy the Competition)

Hello Everybody, today I continue the theme of sport with a design for another Katana, but one with a difference. The world of lightsabers has expanded on Earth to include licenced replicas from the movies to custom sabers of original designs. Now many people just want to collect these pieces of art but some collectors want to put their lighted weapons to the test in “Combat”. This has led to the creation of Lightsaber groups where members stage choreographed fights…and then there is the actual competition side to the art of Lightsabers. A group of enthusiasts have formed a “Lightsaber World Championship” and take part in “real” sword fighting tournaments but using Lightsabers. I have heard of the current “Champ” and I have read his plans to improve his chances of defending his title…”I’m gonna do a weight training regime and stretching exercises to strengthen my legs, because being big and strong and having a long reach will help me beat everyone!!” Blah! Blah! Blah! He also used a Lightsaber he designed himself to win (which was much longer than anyone else’s). Long story short, I know of a potential challenger who is probably the Champs’ equal in size, strength and speed, but hasn’t got a specially designed saber to help him…until now! I call this saber Obliterator…

Obliterator Katana

Obliterator Katana Emitter

Obliterator Katana Emitter 2

Obliterator Katana Switch

Obliterator Katana Bodies and Coupler

Obliterator Katana Pommel

Obliterator Katana Pommel 2

Obliterator Katana Vertical Up

Obliterator Katana Vertical Down

Obliterator Katana Shoto

Obliterator is probably of similar specification to the saber that is being promoted for the next tournament but I hope mine has the advantage. It has a traditional katana emitter and hand guard (tsuba) but I decided to use two ribbed sections for the hilt’s body. This allows the user to grip the saber anywhere along it’s length, varying the user’s reach so his/her opponent is always off guard. As a result the opponent cannot gauge the distance between the combatants. The user can also vary the grip to obtain leverage, in physics a smaller effort (or force) can produce the same effect or outcome if the force is channelled properly (known as mechanical advantage). The hilt can also be shortened if the user wants to fight using two sabers.

I will end the technical thesis here, as it could get boring quickly. However I believe that this would be a good saber to use in any upcoming tournament if it were ever built. And the guy who I designed this for? Well I won’t name him but he has designed a few sabers himself so knows a thing or two about them. Who knows he may even comment on this saber if he sees it.

I am afraid I need to bring this post to an end, time is once more upon me . I don’t know if these two individuals would ever meet in a tournament but it would be interesting. I hope you enjoyed this design (if not the science lesson 😀 ) and will return to see more new sabers. Thanks for visiting today. Till next time.

“Obliterator Katana”, “For Tyeth Editions” and this website and contents are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2017.

 

Akuto One – A Star Wars Story Inspired Lightsaber

Hello Everybody, I have had another flash of inspiration after the comment I made at the end of yesterday’s post. I recalled some of the behind the scenes influences that shaped both the Lightsaber duelling techniques and the costume of Darth Vader. The real life sword fighting technique was Kendo and the Samurai Warrior armour influenced Vader’s outfit. And as a certain Dark Lord of the Sith made a return to the big screen recently in Rogue One (in a very special scene where we see how powerful he was!) I decided to create a Katana that fuses the character of Darth Vader, the film Rogue One and Katana style lightsabers, this is Akuto One…

Akuto One Hilt

Akuto One Emitter

Akuto One Emitter 2

Akuto One Switch

Akuto One Bodies and coupler

Akuto One Pommel

Akuto One Pommel 2

Akuto One Horizontal

This katana has the gloss black body that represents Vader’s armour and life support equipment. The blade is red to illustrate the strength and power the Empire and Vader had in the film (plus red is a Sith colour!). Whilst taking the pictures to post in the gallery I noticed that the in-built “camera” of the virtual builder focused in on certain pieces of the saber depending on which piece is highlighted. I also noticed that certain angles showed that the hilt was hollow (the builder only designs the hilt and not the electronic parts inside). This meant you could look inside through the open end of the pommel so I found a way of blocking that hole up with a blade plug. This isn’t the normal configuration and isn’t normally possible with the parts available without modifications being made. Using a blade plug in the pommel does, however, give it a distinct look! The name of the design is Akuto One or when translated, Rogue One!

I hope you enjoyed this design, another little twist on the traditional Katana, and who knows I may even be able to persuade some of the doubters that lightsaber katana swords can be part of the Star Wars Universe with this hilt. I also hope you will return to see more new designs in upcoming posts. Thanks again for visiting it means a lot to me and I have discovered people are now linking to FTSabersite from Social Media so thank you for that! Till next time.

Rogue One A Star Wars Story, Darth Vader and all related names and material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Ume No Hana – Plum Blossom Katana Lightsaber

Hello Everybody, apologies for my late posting but I was recalled to my local medical facilities to have some test results  rechecked (the doctors couldn’t believe how powerful I was 😀 ). It does mean I am slightly behind schedule but fear not I have my third Katana design to finish my collection. I may work on a few other variations in future as I have developed an interest in the naming conventions for some of the genuine Japanese Katana hilts and want to study them more in depth. But for now here is the third design, this is Ume No Hana….Plum Blossom…

Plum Blossom Hilt

Plum Blossom Emitter

Plum Blossom Emitter 2

Plum Blossom Switch

Plum Blossom Bodies and Coupler

Plum Blossom Pommel

Plum Blossom Pommel 2

Plum Blossom Horizontal

Here I tried to return to a traditional look (still no Ito wrap, I know, sorry 😦  ). However I think the silver and black provides a nice contrast and sets off the blade. There has been quite a bit of debate on the forum belonging to the company that has just released a “Tournament Ready” Katana style hilt and there was discussion as to whether Katana were really suitable for the Galaxy Far, Far Away but I think they work ok. If you look at Darth Vader’s armour it is reminiscent of traditional Japanese Samurai armour and their flared helmets. The style of sword combat that lightsaber duels were based on for the original trilogy of films was Kendo, so Katana type hilts shouldn’t seem so far fetched.

Anyhow, I am an equal opportunity type designer and I try to appreciate inspirations from all walks of life (and from other planets, races and species!) and will do my best to design a wide range of hilts. At the last count I think I had around 300 so I should still have a few more to display here. I hope you enjoy them and will return to see more in my upcoming posts Thanks for visiting and giving your support. Till next time.

“Ume No Hana Katana Lightsaber” (Plum Blossom), “For Tyeth Editions” and this website and contents are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2017.