“Tyeth’s Original” – Finally I design a saber for my own character!

Hello Everybody, today I have a treat for you all and for myself for a change. I have been designing lightsabers since 2015 and publishing this site since 2016 but in all that time I never got round to designing a saber for myself until now. If I recall I was chatting with Resa of Graffiti Lux Art & More (see her site here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/ ) and I mentioned I hadn’t built a saber for myself and she suggested I should…so I did, And it turned out quite stylish I have to say – most times when I attempted this project I was never satisfied how “my saber” looked but this one I did like. So now it’s time to reveal “Tyeth’s Original”….

Strangely this saber has (in my mind) an art deco style to it, almost as if I had used an old table lamp and recycled it’s stem to form a hilt. It features a sleek elegant handgrip which is accented with delicate brushed gold effect piping. This piping I imagined was conduit tubing that wiring ran through (to prevent wires being exposed as it ran through the different parts of the hilt body. The hilt emitter has windows to show off the blade as it forms before exiting the mouth of the emitter. This section looks like the socket where a light bulb would screw into a lampstand. Again this post is going to have be shorter than normal so I had best open Gallery Two for you to look at some close up details….

I think you can clearly see why I thought this looked like a candlestick style lamp! I purposely kept the colour scheme simple with a kind of brown with brushed gold making it look antique (despite being new and hi-tech). The colours also make the blade stand out too. The blade is activated by a no-nonsense illuminated on/off switch. The third image shows the mouth of the emitter with it’s “bulb socket” connector where the blade projects from. Finally, the pommel is a simple vented design consisting of twin concentric rings edged in gold.

Now I apologise once more but this post will have to be cut shorter than usual as I am here, there and everywhere trying to avoid the Dark forces out to hinder my mission (or am I sat at Tyeth Towers relaxing? Who knows? I’m afraid I have to keep you all guessing for security reasons).. But I can reveal that next week we will be revisiting my Shipyards division with a design for a new starfighter that is armed to the teeth and has it’s own Hyperdrive unit (which for a Snub Fighter is rare!).

I’d like to finish by saying thanks to Resa for cajoling me into designing “Tyeth’s Original” – maybe one day I could have it manufactured for real. And I need to say thanks to all of you, my readers and friends for checking this post out. Your continued viewing and support of me and my site is phenomenal – every little like, comment and subscription helps. Till next time….

“Tyeth’s Original” is a For Tyeth Editions design created by For Tyeth/FTSabersite. The design, 3D models, animation and renders were created using Blender 3D and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2023.

“Sith Concept” Saber – An FT update of an Ultrasaber Aeon V3

Hello Everybody, I am back and at 100% after last week’s slight off par performance. Thanks for the get well wishes. So today I am showcasing a design I did back in 2019 for a friend of mine from the Ultrasabers forum named Karmack. Karmack owns several Ultrasabers brand hilts and is well known for repainting them in his own “Clan colours”. Anyhow, he and I were chatting on the forum and the topic of what Ultrasabers new Version 5 wave of sabers might look like and it was suggested that I attempt to come up with a possible update to an existing saber. I chose a hilt that Karmack owned called the Aeon V3 and set to work modifying the design. The Aeon is a nice lightsaber already, solid and durable with great ergonomics with plenty of places to grip it allowing the saber to be used for many styles of combat. It looks like this…

Courtesy of Ultrasabers.com (watermarks added by FT)

As you can see it is sleek and curvy. So I had to come up with something similar but different and I decided I wanted to incorporate an acknowledgement to a classic saber, the one owned by Obi-Wan Kenobi. The saber we see Obi-Wan use in the original Star Wars film had a distinct handgrip that featured a turreted block pattern similar to a hand grenade – and it won’t come as a surprise but the actual prop was constructed using a real World War 2 rifle grenade body. The grenade grip style I thought would give the Aeon a totally different look and feel. I set to work and came up with this base model….

My base model test from 2019!

I took the basic outline of the Aeon design and I replaced the Ultrasabers’ handgrip of engraved rings and added a grenade block grip (sometimes called a “Pineapple”). I also felt the emitter/blade holder was a bit plain so I cut a slot down the middle of the emitter to produce a “forked” appearance.

My re-render of the base model – 2022. Hopefully a better quality pic.

This model was created when I was having my “MatCap” madness moment – MatCap is a method of creating a virtual “clay model” in Blender 3D to view how a model will look using a single texture or material hence the term MATerial CAPture. But this design would need to have proper textures and as the design was more aggressive I went with a Darkside colour scheme….time for a Glamour Gallery….

As you can see I went classic black and gold, using the gold to accent lines of the hilt around the switch section to break up the plain black coating. The Sith red blade blazes out through the slotted emitter giving it an almost crocodile-like mouth look. I also added an Anti Vandal switch instead of the plastic switch seen in Ultrasabers’ official product image above….AV switches just look sleeker/nicer to me.

The Ultrasaber line up of sabers did have one feature that some folks didn’t like quite as much and that was the design of the pommel end cap. Now for some sabers that produce sound you need a hole to vent that audio so Ultrasabers gave their hilts a pommel with a hole cut out large enough to vent sound but small enough to prevent the saber’s electronics slipping out. This led to basically a doughnut (do-nut) shaped pommel with an open hole which exposed the speaker (which concerned a few people as damage could occur if an object found it’s way through the hole) so I added a speaker grill that also acted as decoration. Time I think for Gallery Two….

I think this designs works and gives an existing design a totally different look. Ultrasabers do have a “Darkside” version of the Aeon V3 called the “Doninix V3” but it is just coloured black instead of silver. My design and images have never been posted as I kept them just between myself and Karmack because other members of the forum tried to convince the owners of Ultrasabers to hold a design contest and I would have entered using this design. Alas the contest was never realised and this saber has been sitting on my hard drive for THREE years now…so I figured I may as well showcase it today.

That just about wraps up this “Sith Concept” saber. It was fun to build way back when I was only really starting out with Blender. I hope you enjoyed a belated look at it. I also hope you will return to FTSabersite for future posts as I have more to show you all…including more Katana styed lightsabers, more Nerfing fun (yes more blasters!) and maybe some more costuming and LEGO content. So thank you for calling in today, all your support, comments, likes and subscriptions mean a lot to me and really do inspire me to keep designing and posting. So new or regular visitors, thanks so much. Till next time….

“Sith Concept Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the Ultrasabers Aeon V3 hilt. It was modelled and rendered in Blender 3D by For Tyeth/FTSabersite and both the model and rendered images are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2022. The Ultrasabers Aeon V3 and the product images are the property of Ultrasabers.

“Pacifier” Saber – Inspired by OCP’s Robocop

Hello Everybody and welcome to my 600th post! Yes, believe it or not this is number six hundred – how have I managed to reach this many I’m not sure but it has been fun. And today I’m going to take you on a trip to the city of Detroit in the not so distant future and show you a saber inspired by the peacekeeper known as ROBOCOP! I had an exchange of comments with my friend Resa (find her fantastic blog here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/) , who kind of mistook my Boba Fett saber’s title image for the character Robocop which led me to the idea of recreating the cyborg in saber form.

I was a fan of the film Robocop and vaguely remember when it came out way back in 1987 (yes, I’m old….I’m very old!) and was amazed by the cyborg police officer. That officer was the man, Alex Murphy, who served in Detroit and in the line of duty was “murdered” by a crime gang led by a creep named Boddicker. Boddicker however was secretly connected to a mega corporation named Omni Consumer Products (aka OCP) – a company which more or less ran the city and it’s police department. Because it ran the police force OCP tried to cut corners and developed a robotic alternative to human cops in the shape of a droid named ED-209. Unfortunately ED-209 was flawed and an accident during a board meeting demonstration led to a board member being shot dead. Another exec, Bob Morton, saw an opportunity to push his idea for a cheaper human/robot alternative and was given permission to develop his “Robocop” program. He just needed a human. That human was Alex Murphy.

A 3D printed set of Robocop armour

After investigating a crime gang Alex Murphy ends up being trapped in an abandoned warehouse where the gang he was pursuing surround him and in quite a graphic scene, shoot him multiple times with pistols and shotguns and is left for dead. He is rushed to hospital but is pronounced dead…..then his remains are taken and integrated into the cyborg being developed by Morton (with OCP claiming that Murphy was an OCP cop so he “belonged” to the company so they could use his body). The cyborg was successfully assembled, but the integration of man and machine led to fragments of Murphy’s memory and past life slip into “Robocop” and he became aware of his past life and he wanted justice….armed with his high powered pistol he set out to get it. But I thought he might like to own a lightsaber too…so here is “Pacifier”…..

This saber as you can see is heavily based on the cybernetic body armour worn by Robocop. I basically turned the cyborg into a saber. The emitter is essentially his head and helmet, complete with OCP markings on the side and the famous cutout shape that revealed Officer Murphy’s mouth and lower face. The neck section of the hilt represents the rubber neck gaiter which leads to his upper torso. The handgrip features rounded oblong plates shaped to represent the upper arm shells and, mounted on the “chestplate” area are two activation switches. Below the switch section another ribbed section connects to the lower body and two more of the shell plates are used to replicate the thigh armour which famously splits open to reveal the hidden holster for Robocop’s machine pistol. On the base plate of the pommel cap is a 3D modelled “OCP” logo.

But of course we need to see this lawman in action so I figured a few images of him on patrol would be cool so I rendered a few images in some suitably grimy, grungy scenery…here is a Glamour(?) Shot gallery…

The first three images are actually located in a factory in Los Angeles that was used as the location for the Machine Shop/Milling factory seen in the movie “The Terminator” because I couldn’t find any Detroit factory interior images….but I did find an abandoned highway underpass for the last two images…just the sort of place where the criminal underworld would plot and plan their crimes!

Now in the film it turns out that Boddicker is secretly connected to the President of OCP and the Chief Exec had some “safeguards” programmed into Murphy…so when Murphy tried to apprehend the crooks, well…I’ll let you check the movie out (however I will warn that the film probably ISN’T SUITED FOR YOUNG CHILDREN as some of it is very graphic ok!

Well, I’m getting near to the end of this day’s patrol and the end of this 600th post. Thank you all so much for your support of me and my little site over the years. You are all very much appreciated, whether this is your first visit or if you are a veteran visitor….I thank you all. I can’t promise I will be around for another 600 posts but I will do my best. So please call back and see what else I have in store as I venture towards maybe 1000? Till next time…..

“Pacifier” Saber is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the character and film “Robocop”. The saber is modelled and rendered in Blender 3D by For Tyeth/FTSabersite and is ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2022.” Robocop” is an Orion Pictures movie and is Trademark/©Copyright of Orion Pictures Corporation.

“Amban Saber” – Inspired by The Book of Boba Fett

Hello Everybody, hope you are all well. I will be honest, I am not exactly my usual self today as things in real life are just beginning to annoy me a bit and as such feel really “deflated” (well I say just beginning, they have bothered me for a while though I don’t normally mention the issues). So what better way to try and brighten my outlook and mood than a new saber? I have mentioned before that there is a big new wave of interest in Star Wars’ The Mandalorian and now there is a new show on Disney+ that is rumoured to be equally big and it features Boba Fett! “The Book of Boba Fett”(aka BoBF) is showcasing the events that take place after the movie Return of the Jedi, and shows how Boba Fett escapes from the Saarlac Pit creature and what he does afterwards on Tattooine. I haven’t seen either The Mandalorian or BoBF as I don’t have Disney+ but I know that both Din Djarin (The Mando) and Boba Fett use a distinctive laser rifle named the Amban Pulse Phase Rifle. And it is looks a bit like this…

A LONG rifle with a LONG name!

The weapon is a type of disruptor and has a unique shaped shoulder stock rest….but an even more unique “tuning fork” shaped barrel muzzle. I thought that despite not being the most practical it was sort of cool and different. This got me thinking, “What if Amban made a lightsaber? What would it look like?”. And just as with my “Mandalorian Lego Spaceship” last week, I decided why not tinker with Blender and build one! So here is gallery one…

I reckoned that if Amban made sabers then they would have incorporated the Tuning Fork motif into the design somehow and so I used it to form the emitter! The blade projects from the hilt and is flanked by two large “axe-blade” prongs that can be used in Melee situations where a lit lightsaber would be impractical. The saber is in a rusted green metal texture to replicate the worn out damaged armour Boba Fett wears (due to the time he spent covered in stomach acid after being swallowed by the aforementioned Saarlac) but has been adorned with shiny new gold parts and handgrip reflecting his new found success as the Kingpin of Tattooine. The grip I really like as the geometry(the mesh that forms the model’s shape) is highly complex which is amazing my laptop could manage to make. Anyhoo, there are a few little details so I’ll present gallery two to highlight those….

The handgrip is a mass of holes, almost like chain mail armour and incorporates an activation switch neatly recessed into it. The Tuning Fork blades are also in gold edged with flaking green and they each have a Mythosaur skull emblem moulded on them – the Mythosaur being the emblem of Mandalorians as seen in my “Mandalawrian Saber” hilts from a few years ago. You can check that one (and the Boba Legend variant) using this link: https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2019/11/16/the-mandalawrian-saber-hes-here-to-take-you-in/

The pommel end cap also has a Mythosaur along with a Covertech Belt clip – the round wheel shaped knob used to hang the saber from a belt hanger. The Covertech I borrowed from another Mandalorian themed hilt, “The Quartermaster” https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2021/07/24/the-quartermaster-saber-inspired-by-the-mandalorians-the-armourer/ which I felt helped to tie the three Mando designs together. The third image shows the blade emitting diode which is “T-shaped” to replicate the famous Mandalorian styled helmet visor.

You would think that this was a new and exciting design from Amban but you would be wrong, a lot of newcomers to Star Wars think that , or saw Boba Fett and his rifle first appeared in the 1980 film Empire Strikes Back – BUT as the fourth picture shows Boba Fett actually made an appearance WAY, WAY, WAY back in an animated segment of the infamous Star Wars parody “Holiday Special” from 1978! It was only a short clip about 3-5 minutes long but Lucasfilm returned to include Boba in “Empire” and now he and his rifle are the focus of the new blockbuster show!

That, I think just about concludes this design…thanks for checking it out and I hope you liked it. I feel a little better in myself for having posted it, I’d like to thank all of you for the support you show me and this site, whether this was your first visit or you regularly call back it means a lot to me. As such I still have some LEGO models to show off that I created in the Digital Designer software (and they are Mando and BoBF themed!”…plus I am working on new sabers (albeit slowly!) all for upcoming posts so please don’t miss those!. MTFBWY and Till next time…..

“Amban Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the “Amban Pulse Phase Rifle” seen in Disney/Lucasfim’s “The Mandalorian” and new “Book of Boba Fett” TV shows. The saber design, model and renders were created by For Tyeth/FTSabersite in Blender 3D and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2022. All Star Wars names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Babu Frik’s Torch Saber – Babu’s welding Lightsaber

Hello Everybody, today I am very busy dealing with parcels arriving and departing, new sabers, editing a new video….but with all that going on I still managed to design a new saber for my new friend Babu Frik! Today I will share that with you all. You will recall a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be named the winner of a giveaway draw held by Darth Rage on YouTube….well I won a Babu Frick talking plush toy. There was only one problem, Babu likes to tinker with droids and machinery and…I discovered he likes messing with sabers too.

He was eyeing up my collection so I had to do something to stop him wanting to mess with my sabers so I designed a hilt for him. You might just be able to see something orange protruding from the box Babu is sat in – that is his welding torch/soldering gun he uses to do electronic work on droids.

Babu’s Welding Torch/Soldering Gun

I saw this and had a “Light Bulb” moment…that would make a neat curved lightsaber handle! And if I combined the functions of a saber with the functions of his tool he’d have an awesome lightsaber – and might leave mine alone. OK, so I had best show you what I came up with, here is Babu Frik’s Torch Saber…

This is a lightsaber Multitool! It features welding and soldering functions combined with a lightsaber blade all in a nice curved handgrip…it is in his colour scheme and I even added his name on it (he’s so possessive of his tools and toys I thought it best to put his name on it so nobody tries claiming it!)

Onto the features of the hilt, I had to reshape the nozzle slightly to accommodate a blade socket but hopefully it doesn’t change the shape/profile of the saber too much. Next is the copper/orange powder coated banding I added – Babu likes browns and orange and I thought orange would pop on this hilt. His name is embossed onto each side of the emitter and leads down to a nice curved section that really identifies this as Babu’s tool. Below the curved neck, there is the trigger activation switch and in the next pictures you can see I even added hex head topped screws to hold the trigger in place!

These pictures just show a few of the detailing elements I added (as the actual toy part is just a smooth part with no real details except the tip is orange). As mentioned you can see the screws holding the trigger on, then the colour banding on the emitter to identify this as Babu’s property. The last two images show the pommel and the “Control Matrix” – a series of small black buttons that control all the functions of this multitool saber. I really hope Babu likes this saber and leaves mine alone in future!

I am nearing the end of this post but I do have news, some good and some unfortunate. The unfortunate news is that one of my real life replicas has had an issue and needs repair but the good news is that it is en route to be given some TLC and hopefully I’ll have a fully functioning saber again when it is returned (and boy, was organising a courier to transport it a pain!). In even better news though I have received the parcel I mentioned I was waiting for last week and I have a FIFTH saber to add to my collection….all thanks to a YouTube creator named Lord “Nick” Nitro from SabersCrucible. I was one of two fortunate winners of a new saber in a Subscriber Giveaway Lord Nitro held, and it arrived. I will chat more about it next post and there will be pics and maybe another quick video!

So that’s about it…thank you so much for checking Babu Frik’s Torch Saber out, I hope you all like it as much as Babu seems to. I have much more to showcase including more sabers (real custom sabers and my digital designs) along with more LEGO creations, more costuming news (hopefully) and anything else that pops up in future. I sincerely hope you’ll all return to see these upcoming posts. Your support is fantastic and keeps me creating.. So thanks again and Till next time…..

“Babu Frik’s Torch Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design modelled and rendered in Blender 3D. The design and renders are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2021. “Babu Frik” is a character from the Disney/Lucasfilm movie “The Rise of Skywalker” and is Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

“Chang Saber” – A Weapon for a Klingon General

Hello Everybody and welcome to another new design. This time I go back to the Star Trek franchise and the film “The Undiscovered Country” and after a comment made by my friend Resa. Resa commented on my last Star Trek hilt the “Horey’ So ‘Eth – Honour Blade” design and mentioned the fantastic actor Christopher Plummer who appears in “Undiscovered” as a Klingon general. This general is at the center of a conspiracy to frame the United Federation of Planets and scupper peace talks between the Klingons and everyone else. This event was known as the Khitomer Conspiracy and it involved Plummer’s character, General Chang using a special Bird of Prey ship with a cloaking device that allowed weapons to be fired whilst activated (which was not normally possible) and attack the Klingon Chancellor’s ship the Kronos One. The only other visible ship in the area was the Enterprise which was escorting Kronos One so it appeared as if Enterprise opened fire. When Kirk and McCoy transported aboard the Kronos, Chang arrests them for murdering Chancellor Gorkon. All very bad news as Kirk and McCoy are then put on trial and Chang “proves” his case against them. Anyhoo it’s a very sinister and clever plot that shows how cunning Chang is so I thought he would have a saber too, especially if the lower rank and file Klingons might have one. So here is the saber I designed, this is “Chang”….

This saber is in slightly better condition than the “Honour Blade” and has a fairly intact coat of paint, in a nice matte black. It also features a shorter leather wrapped handgrip that is separated from the emitter module by a thinner section wrapped in a cross-stitched material to mimic Chang’s battle armour. Oh I forgot I haven’t inserted a picture of General Chang so here he is….

As you can tell by the look in his eye, he is cunning and wily. He also looks slightly more human than Klingon, this is due to his family being infected by a virus that altered their genes and affected his appearance. His eye was lost during a blood duel against the usurper Kalnor who attempted to gain control of the Klingon Empire. You can see Chang’s padded armour clearly and I think the wrap I added looks similar. His outfit also has a bit of military “bling” so I added some gold decoration to this hilt in the shape of the Klingon Empire logo (aka the Kahless Blades symbol) and a gold skull crusher style pommel. But there are a few more details so here is Gallery Two…

Yes, I couldn’t help myself and added a logo on the pommel end cap too and it looks just right to finish the hilt off. The activation switch is borrowed from the Honour Blade design and is again meant to represent the Klingon cranial ridges. Now as Chang is a proud military man, he would probably have a nice display stand to cradle his hilt when not in use so I designed a stand as well. It is in a black woodgrain effect with gold Empire logos on each cradle upright and on the base. The base has an orange/brown section with a triangular grid like pattern which I used to represent the scanner screens on many Klingon ships (you know the radar that shows how far a Federation ship is in Kellicams). I think Chang would approve of this hilt.

That just about wraps this week’s offering up. I apologise there aren’t as many renders this time around but I have been getting carried away with that Lego Digital Design software I showed in a previous post. So far I have built my Interceptor, a new flagship Star Destroyer, a Mandolorian Infiltrator ship and I’ve built part of the city of Theed – complete with B-1 (Roger, Roger) Battle Droids and tanks! Those will all feature in upcoming posts along with a VERY special crossguard saber based on a special Star Trek ship I have already mentioned today! I hope you will all call back to see that. In the meantime I need to say thank you for checking Chang’s saber today and supporting FTSabersite. Your visits have kept me motivated to carry on designing for FIVE years on WordPress as I just passed my Blogaversary so thanks big time! Till next time….

“Chang Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the character General Chang from the film “Star Trek – The Undiscovered Country” The design, model and renders where created by For Tyeth in Blender 3D and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2021. Star Trek and all names, images, logos and related material are Trademark/ ©Copyright of Paramount Pictures.

“Frontier Saber” for the wilds of the Outer Rim

Howdy Everybody! Today we travel to the far reaches of the Star Wars galaxy where there are no rules….the lawless lands…..The Outer Rim (not unlike where I used to live actually but I’ve moved to a nicer region of the UK) And this post was inspired by my good friend Neil of Makeroommakeroom.com (https://makeroommakeroom.wordpress.com/) who commented a few posts back about a “lightsaber that shoots laser bullets too” well….I have now come up with a design that can do just that. I’ll admit that a lightsaber gun does already exist in Star Wars canon – the Jedi Librarian that told Obi-Wan “If something isn’t in the Jedi Archives then it doesn’t exist I’m afraid!” actually used a “Lightsaber Rifle” in one of the recent Marvel Comics. However that Lightsaber Rifle weapon had to have a regular saber inserted into it for it to operate and using it fried your lightsaber – not good! But my design is intended to serve as both a saber and ballistic launcher. Here is the saber pistol I call Frontier….

From these images (and I’ll add an extra , funny comment later about the pictures) you can see that it sort of resembles a revolver style cowboy pistol with a straight handgrip and red trigger. The hilt does have a revolving cylinder that holds four “shots” or crystal shards. These shards are energised and fired out of the weapon by the emitter instead of a regular blade. The energy builds up in the crystal to a certain point then it is ejected at great speed. When you have fired the four crystals you can refill the cylinder. It took me a while to model this segment of the saber as I had to ensure that each crystal would align with the “barrel/emitter” as the cylinder rotated and I don’t have an engineering background. However the parts do line up so I think we should have a few close up peeks, here is Gallery Two…

Hopefully you can see that I managed to get everything lined up and looking down the barrel you can see the first crystal ready to be charged and fired. I modelled this cylinder drum using the Boolean functions which allow me to make cuts into an object using another object as the “cutter” so I started with a cylinder then had to work out and position where the crystal bullets would sit within it then using another cylinder I cut into the drum to make the recesses – allowing the crystals to be exposed once I inserted them. Fortunately there is a function called the Array Modifier that allow me to duplicate an object then position them in a circular pattern which I could then use as the cutting object to cut all four recesses in one go. The drum also has an inset and recessed front face to make it appear less flat and boring. I then had to model the Swing Arm which is the strut that holds the cylinder drum in place and hinges outward to allow reloading. You see gunslingers click the cylinder out, put bullets in then flick their wrist so the drum pivots back into the pistol’s frame ready to fire – the Swing Arm facilitates this action. So I had to connect the drum to the swing arm and then to the saber handgrip whilst maintaining the barrel, chamber and emitter alignment. And the reason they needed to align is that when you run out of crystal bullets you can use this as a regular saber! Ignite the blade here are two final pics….

Of course you can always load three spare crystals into the open breeches so you can switch between saber and pistol functions – as long as one breech is open you can activate the blade…pretty neat! The handgrip I finished off with a wooden texture that I discovered recently and mentioned in a previous post (the advanced textures with the bumps I used on the Quartermaster hilt). The texture doesn’t have the crinkled effect because I wanted a polished wood to represent the handgrip cheek plates of an antique pistol.

Now the funny thing about this design…well I was going to add a few more details and maybe an etched pattern on top but I got sidetracked, as I often do, when I had the idea for my Klingon “Horey ‘So Eth” designs.(https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2021/07/17/horeyso-eth-saberstaff-honour-blade-inspired-by-the-klingons/) And silly me never got round to making the improvements and I forgot something else….to create any extra renders! I made two, just to test then was distracted….I then mentioned to Neil the other day that I had a saber that might cheer him up. THEN when I went to type this post up this morning (Friday 13th…) I discovered my mistake and realised I had no renders! SOO I have burnt the midnight, midday and back to midnight oil to create the images for today! I am slightly….exhausted but by the Force I managed. So I apologise if they aren’t quite up to my normal standard. But hey that’s Friday the 13th for you!

That just about wraps this gunslinging session up, I hope you enjoyed this one despite it being a bit rushed. However I hope you’ll call back to FTSabersite to see upcoming designs where I was a bit more focused! There is still lots to see including my new tunics, my action figure purchases and a few more StarTrek inspired hilts…(and to Experience Film, I will get those answers posted that you sent me ok!) Meanwhile I’d like to thank you for checking in today, it means a lot, whether you are a regular or first time viewer you’re all appreciated. Till next time…..

“Frontier Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design and the 3D model/renders were created by For Tyeth and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2021. Star Wars, Jocasta Nu and all other related names, ogos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

“Super Sonic Saber” – Inspired by a Blue Hedgehog

Hello Everybody, today I thought I would kick back and relax a little as I had worked hard resetting my laptop and learning about Linux. How could I relax? Well I figured I’d dust off my old gaming console (as I’d watched all my Star Wars DVDs) and play some classic scrolling arcade games on my SEGA! I happened to have the Star Wars game for the SEGA Game Gear and played that for a few hours but then I thought “I wish I had a Sonic the Hedgehog game….”. I don’t actually have a Sonic game but whilst building the GOTG Yondu saber I noticed something familiar in the fin and colour scheme I gave it. I realised that SEGA’s hedgehog was the same colour blue and had red trainers (aka sneakers to my USA followers). So I decided to build a saber for the little blue hedgehog. This is what I came up with….

I took the Yondu saber and made multiple copies of the head fin part and merged them together to form the spiky ridges either side of the emitter. They look just like Sonic’s spiky spine hairstyle! I also gave the fins a flash of red to represent his shoes. I gave the hilt some white highlights and a white blade, but of course in these studio preview pictures you can’t see it in technicolour so I think it’s time to Power-Up a Glamour Gallery….

I did a little research for this design and I discovered some really fun interesting facts. Firstly, Sonic appeared as a character as far back as 1988 in a technology demonstration concept, while some of his backstory revolved around him being a character used in a “Nose-Art” image painted on a jet fighter plane whose pilot was nicknamed “Hedgehog”. Sonic was developed by SEGA as competition to Nintendo’s mascot, Mario (and Luigi). SEGA wanted a fun relatable character that kids could draw and connect with, and they made a clever decision on the colour he was going to be. They chose a Cobalt Blue to match the SEGA brand logo, and the reason Sonic has red sneakers? Well they were inspired by Michael Jackson’s boots and Santa Clause. This resulted in Sonic being very bold and colourful (as well as fast) so I thought I’d turn my hand to a bit of art and try to come up with some Sonic posters. These images I found online on wallpaper download sites which I then added some effects and text layers on….

I think I’d buy the game and the saber if I saw these adverts! Sonic seems to like it. Hopefully you all like it too. I am drawing close to the end of this week’s post but as I usually do I’d like to invite you all back for future posts as I have a new collection of hilts inspired by a popular pair of Superheroes….and I’m working on new Star Wars The High Republic themed hilts (The High Republic is the new series of material Disney/Lucasfilm recently announced). So I hope you can join me to see those. But I’d like to say thanks for taking time to visit my site today and supporting me/FTSabersite. Whether you are a first time viewer or one of my regular callers, thanks so much you’re very much appreciated – especially in these increasingly hectic times. Till next time….stay safe and Sonic!

“Super Sonic Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design and is Copyright of FTSabersite 2016-2020. It is inspired by SEGA Entertainment’s character “Sonic the Hedgehog”. All images, names, logos and other related material are Trademark/Copyright of SEGA Entertainments 1988-2020

Alice Saber – Inspired by Resident Evil

Hello Everybody, today I bring you the hilt I have been teasing for the past month that is for the lead lady in a hugely popular film and gaming franchise. That person is Alice, who the heck is Alice? Well she is a product of the Umbrella Corporation, a shadowy company intent on controlling the world’s Biotechnology but as usually happens….that company was compromised and went out of control. Alice originally starts out as a Security Operative for the Corporation at a vast underground bunker facility called “The Hive”. An incident at the Hive resulted in the artificial intelligent computer system wiping out the human workforce and Alice and her “husband” Spence were the only survivors after being sent to investigate. One problem arose, a virus was stolen by Spence when he discovered Alice intended to stop Umbrella and close it down. A battle ensued, at the end of which a horde of zombies were created whilst Alice is captured by Umbrella scientists and placed in quarantine. When she awakes, Alice has no memory of previous events and has to recover her memory and fight her way out of the virus ravaged Racoon City…oh and stop Umbrella for good.

Through the 6 (I think 6, I’ve lost count!) movies she becomes a fighter for the non infected human race and tries to save them from a pathogen developed by the out of control Umbrella Corp. However Alice didn’t just try to stop a virus/pathogen she had to contend with various zombie creatures that were the result of failed testing, mutated dogs, giant hammer/axe wielding humanoids as well as the corporation’s supercomputer which developed a self awareness and saw Alice as a threat. So I thought Alice needed a saber and here are a few work in progress studio pictures….

Alice build in studio, looks familiar…

Alice Saber pommel with Umbrella

Now my regular viewers may recognise this saber sort of, it is based on my “Angelic -Inspired by Charlie’s Angels” hilt but I have given it a new attitude and aggressive paint scheme! The Umbrella Corporation’s corporate colours are red, white and black and while I was experimenting to get the right colour for the Angels’ saber I stumbled on this colour combo. I also noted that the octagonal blocks I used as “wheel arches” were the same shape as the famous “Umbrella logo”. I had the idea to sneak an Umbrella logo into the pommel to cover the speaker vent. The crystals were turned red to look like three vials of the pathogen “T-Virus”, and as this hilt is intended for Alice I inscribed her name on the sides of the hilt in the Resident Evil font. No mistaking who this saber belongs to! Ok, I’ve rambled on so here are a few more Glamour Shots…

“T-Cell” Crystals

Alice Saber pommel and crystals

Alice Saber, simple but deadly

So this belong’s to Alice?

Alice Saber activated

Alice Saber with Resident Evil red blade!

In these pictures you get a better idea of the new attitude and look! No messing! Now I couldn’t possibly go through the entire story of Alice, but her exploits take her to desert survivor outposts, an abandoned prison complex and even the frozen wastes of the north. I asked who is Alice, well I gave you an introduction to the fictional character but the actress who portrays her on film is the fantastic Mila Jovovich.

I am approaching the end of this post but as always I have housekeeping to do. I continue to design new stuff and have more Stormtrooper hilt designs, a pair of hilts for the Star Trek franchise, a pair of hilts for two exo-suited warriors, a massive three bladed hilt for a Norse god and I even have a saber that resembles a space mining ship! All of this and more will be in upcoming posts so I hope you’ll join me for them. And again thank you so much for visiting this site and supporting me, whether this is your first visit or you regularly drop in, it is much appreciated. Till next time!

“Alice Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design and is ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2019. “Resident Evil”, “Alice”, “Umbrella Corporation” and the Umbrella Corp logo are all Trademark/©Copyright of Capcom Games./ScreenGems. “Resident Evil” is based on the video game from Capcom Games and is distributed by ScreenGems.

Trooper Saber – Inspired by Ralph MacQuarrie’s Artwork

Hello everybody, today we stay in the Star Wars Universe but travel this time into the genius mind and world of Ralph MacQuarrie – the world famous concept artist who created the “look” of Star Wars. Ralph MacQuarrie’s works could hang in any gallery and I find them fascinating, whenever I see one of his pictures I stop and study it. There were character designs for Darth Vader complete with battle armour and helmet/mask making him look like a space Samurai, there is an image of two droids walking on a sand flat…then there are the pictures of the Stormtroopers! We all know the Stormtroopers now, the shiny egg-shell white armoured foot soldiers but did you know they were supposed to have lightsabers in the beginning? Originally, George Lucas envisaged everyone would have “Lazer Swords”, the good guys, the bad guys and Stormtroopers! Mr MacQuarrie produced an image of two corridors, one with three Rebel fighters and in the adjoining corridor a group of troopers…the one nearest to us wielding a pure white plasma bladed lightsaber. However you can’t quite make out the hilt itself except it is short, so I decided now I have Blender to release my creativity, I would design a hilt that the Stormtroopers may have hung on their belts. This is Trooper Saber….

Trooper Pommel

Trooper Body/Handgrip

Trooper Basic Hilt

I took the approach that a saber for a trooper would be functional, compact and based off the image (seen in the title image above btw!) it would be similar to a hilt known as a Shoto. Shoto hilts are predominantly single handed weapons used in your non dominant hand as a defensive weapon. They tend to have a shorter blade too but I kept a regular blade as you will see later again in keeping with the image. The pommel I took inspiration from Obi-Wan Kenobi’s saber from The Phantom Menace, which according to sources houses an additional power cell. This saber just has a speaker vent but it does share the round skull-crusher style and the turrets or blocks around it’s circumference. The handgrip I made from two sections, an inner core and a perforated outer sheath/sleeve. I imagined that this outer sheath would be some sort of rubberised/textured material as this is a tactical weapon and grip would be important. Ok I have tattled on and you have still to see some Glamour Shots of the saber so here they are…

Trooper Emitter

Imperial Cog Activation Switch

Trooper Pommel with belt clip knob

Trooper full length top 1

Trooper full length top 2

Trooper profile 1

Trooper Profile 2

I think this design worked out ok (it is a slightly older design but it still checks out sir! 😀 ) I replicated the eggshell white colour of the troopers’ armour and accented sections in black to mimic their equipment belts (such as the ring of panels around the emitter). The handgrip again is in white but to avoid the hilt being lost in one colour I used black as the inner core so it can be seen through the sheath holes. The activation switch however is a bit special as it is modelled on the Imperial Cog logo which sometimes is displayed on the shoulder plates and pauldrons troopers wear. To finish the hilt is the pommel which as I mentioned earlier is loosely based on Obi-Wan’s saber but it also shares the spherical motif that the Empire employed. The Death Star was spherical, the fuselage of the Tie Fighter (more on this later) was spherical and so too is the pommel of this weapon! And the blade of this weapon is pure plasma white as Ralph Macquarrie imagined. Later rewrites of the story would replace the white blades with Blue ones for the good guys and Red for the bad guys…and the Stormtoopers got….Blasters! So uncivilised!

Image Copyright of Ralph Macquarrie/LucasFilm

I suppose in a way it made sense that the lightsaber be withheld for the main special characters and not just everybody, it instilled the weapon with a sense of mysticism but it might have been fun seeing hordes of troopers with lazer swords…and I could have supplied them! But sadly that is another story and it is also time for this post to end. But as always before I go, I have a few bits to let you know about. I still have at least TEN more hilts to show you all (and maybe a Tie Fighter themed one) so I hope you will all return to see those in futures posts. And I have to say a big thank you to a gentleman named Lord_S_Gray from the Ultrasabers’ forum who kindly commented on my Satele Shan hilt that I “had truly recreated the weapon of a Jedi”. That means a lot. So to end I will say thanks to you my viewers and followers new and regular for all the support and kind words. Till next time!

“Trooper Saber” is a For Tyeth Edition design and is ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2019. The Stormtrooper concept art is Trademark/©Copyright of Ralph MacQuarrie/LucasFilm 1977-2019.