kobi wrote:Anyone bought and has any comments?
My friend Andi's feedback on his Lightsabre:
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Review of Obi-Wan Force FX lightsaber
Manufacturer: Hasbro Signature
Price: RM500
Verdict: Dissappointing defect on an otherwise lovely blade
I am naturally thrilled to be getting the Obi-Wan Force FX lightsaber by Hasbro Signature today from MSFF Outpost. Besides being fond of the design, it would be my first Force FX after years of handling other people's.
The first glance of the somewhat familiar looking black box brought a grin to my face as I slowly, patiently strip off the many cellophane tape off. The first look took my breath away - it was just perfect. The colouration of the metal parts, the details... There is a good reason why this lightsaber is known to be one of the best looking/designed item in the Force FX inventory.
Though it feels heavier to my hands (in comparison to the Master Replica's blades) despite having no batteries in it yet, the balance was still good. Now anyone who ever hold a bladed weapon for any duration will know how important balance is. This lightsaber feels right and the grip doesn't feel unnaturally huge nor does it feel like my hands will slip out of it under regular use.
Things are definately looking good, and I just can't wait to light this baby up. I didn't even mind that I brought the wrong set of batteries with me barely minutes ago to test it out, thinking it was supposed to be AA. A quick run to the store downstairs and soon I was with another pack of brand new AAA batteries and a small Philips screwdriver to unscrew and slip back the protective plastic cover. I do like this additional safety precaution. Batteries now in and fastened securely with the screw-on top, I thumb the switch on. A glorious blue spread through the polycarbonate blade and I can hear the familiar hum. My grin broadened.
Carefully I examined the polycarbonate blade for any flaws. I couldn't seen any nicks or scratches, and the blue glow remains even and bright.
As good as things are, I begin to notice something very wrong with the lightsaber - it wobbles. It doesn't rattle like it is about to come out but there is a definate wobble when I move it. Using just my wrist (to use limited range and power) I give the lightsaber a light shake and you basically can feel the polycarbonate blade wobble within the hilt itself. This is very unnatural for a FX blade. You half expect it to break away where it joins to the hilt if you dare to take a half-hearted swing with your arm close to your chest. Gingerly I take a light swing and despite the spot on hum from the motion sensors, there is still a noticible wobble. You don't see it with your naked eye, you can just feel it with your hand and wrist.
Out of sheer fairness, I let two other people to hold it and ask them later if they feel anything. One have use/hold a Force FX before and the other never used one before. Both agree there was a wobble. I was really getting upset about the whole thing. You don't pay RM500 for something that doesn't inspire much confidence.
I went back home to try it again. I removed the battery pack to see if it was the cause of the rattle. Nope. As expected, it was the joint between the blade and the hilt that was the problem.
Is it a design problem then? The closest thing in design to Obi-Wan I do have at home was someone else's MR - a Luke Skywalker. (Sorry, I nicked your sabers, Anakin! ) I give that blade a try - the wrist shake, the half arm swing and a half swing and the results are, absolutely no wobble at all besides the usual sensation of a moving blade. You do not get the feeling that something will fly out soon. I even tried out a MR Anakin Skywalker - again, no problem.
Apparently the Hasbro Anakin Skywalker was stable. I couldn't give that a test because there is no display copy. I only know one thing, I am very dissappointed with my purchase of the Hasbro's Obi-Wan Force FX. I had problems with the mike in my Hasbro Clone Trooper helmet on the very day I just brought the item and tested it in the shop but I did not complain because I know I intended to mod it into another Clone Trooper helmet. This is very different - I have been waiting for a long time to get this and after all the publicity and hype, it just doesn't live up to the quality that all Force FX sabers should have, no matter who is manufacturing it.
In addition to the problem of the wobble, there is also a problem with the impact sensors - it does not work all the time.
I mentally divided the length of the polycarbonate blade into 3 areas. With the same amount of pressure and impact on each length, I recorded how many times the lightsaber actually changes sound (impact noises) when I strike the area with moderate force on the palm of my hand and I found the following:
Area A (First one feet from the tip of the blade) - 37 out of 50. That is an average of 74%.
Area B (2nd one feet from the tip of the blade) -26 out of 30
Area C (remainder of the blade) - 30 out of 20
Obviously Area A is the weakest point of the blade. I tried using firmer pressure and the performance did not improve much, hovering between 76-78%.
Motion sensors work well.
I do hope that Hasbro Malaysia would be able to replace the lightsaber. I am not looking for a returns. As a fan, all I want is a decent Obi-Wan lightsaber. Right now, to the best of my knowledge, I do not think it is so much a design flaw but somewhere along the manufacturing process, something just went wrong with the one I just brought today........"
