Lightsabers & Blasters Parks sabers

"He has also run over a blade back and forth with his car. That's where he gets the term 'unbreakable' on the back of his shirts. "

I do think I overheard him telling that to someone now that you mention it. I also fight with wooden Bokens against my friend. So far we basically have been teaching ourselves, however we would like to get started in a kendo class.

Forcebewitya!

 

My local group just did a costumed event for a local museum and we dueled with several Parks sabers. It was full on combat and there was NO problem with the blades (safety disclaimer...you have to know what you're doing and the duelers were experienced sword fighters). The owner of the sabers literally THREW a hilt across a 30 foot room just to demonstrate how solidly it is made.

I never thought I'd want to spend that much on a lightsaber but using one got me so jazzed I really want to get one!

 

I know a lot of people around these parts have Parksabers IIRC, so can anyone take some pictures of the blades for me? In all of the pictures I've seen there was a weird tip thing on the end of the blade and I'm just wondering what it is, is it really noticeable, etc.

 

The tip is removeable, it's just a dust cap and can be taken off...
[image=http://echobaserebels.com/photos/albums/userpics/10039/normal_EL%20QGJ.jpg]

 

If you take off the cap, you don't want to leave your blade open at the end. I've seen what happens to them if they get moisture inside. The EL film starts shorting and making burnt spots along the edge.

What my friends and I are doing it taking off the caps and sealing the ends of the blades with silicone.

 

Well, after five months of waiting, my Parks EL Graflex finally arrived in the mail, and I must say that it's pretty sweet. Cool as it is, however, there's something odd. The EL Graflex they show has a body that consists of a stainless steel tube, like this. My saber looks just like this, except for the bottom piece, the one you remove to access the batteries. That piece has black flanges on it, much like the ones on this, although it doesn't have a brass knob on it.

What I want to know is, do Parks Sabers usually have small variances from the ones shown, such as this? Or was this a mistake, and should I call them and ask them to replace it? I don't mind the flanges too much, they give the handle the Anakin/Vader look, which is good for a costume I'm planning, but they are rather uncomfortable to grip, due to their rigidity.

So, what can you guys tell me?

 

Those black flanges are grips. Luke's graflex saber had them, so did Anakin's. They are supposed to be there.

 

Are you sure? Wouldn't they show them in the sample graflex then? Do all EL graflex come this way?

Also, yeah, I kinda figured they were grips.

 

Can anyone post pictures of their parksabers?

 

I don't know why they don't show the Graflex saber with the grips on it, since they all come with them.

At the San Diego ComiCon where I worked for Jeff Parks and earned my Fusion saber from him last year, he was selling the Graflex without the grips on, and you put them on yourself. They gave them to you in a bag with the saber.

 

I see. That is strange. Thanks for your help!

 

Picturing and selling them without grips attached allows Parks to keep it a "Graflex replica." With the grips it might look close enough to the movie sabers to be considered an unlicensed replica, but just including the grips with the unit could be just on the legal side of the line.

 

Interesting theory. I may just phone them and ask.

 

That's a very good point, Avernus. I should have figured that out for myself, because I think you are probably right.

 

Hmm, I ordered myself online the EL graflex a few weeks back (don't like the thought at having to wait 5 months for it though).
I don't care if the grips come seperately but I certainly don't want them attached- I've already got the Anakin conversion kit with shorter grips from TFX studios...
BTW, those blade caps, are they definitely clear these days?

 

Cloneofdan, the blade on my saber didn't come with a cap at all. The end of it was already sealed with some clear substance, possibly silicone, in a nice hemisphere. It looks very good, just as a lightsaber should. Unfortunately, it DID come with the black things attached, so you might be out of luck there.

And yes, five months is a long time...the website says 12-14 weeks, but they've been especially busy lately what with increased business due to Episode III. They also ran out of parts for my saber at some point, causing further delay, so maybe yours won't take as long.

 

Cheers Pantsman, sounds like I may have to give Parks' a ring and say that I don't want those grips. It's a little odd though, seeing as the picture on buystarwarsstuff.com is of the blank hilt!

I know it's been said it's "because then he doesn't get into trouble for unlicensed replicas"- but there's so many grips versions (ANH, ESB, ROTS) you probably wouldn't get the one you want. Are they removable at all?

Sounds really cool about the blade, I'm really looking forwards to seeing it in action

 

Well, theoretically, anything's removable. The black flanges seem to be glued on pretty well, but one might be able to unstick them with a fine edge to slide between them and the saber. Other than that, though, they're stuck there.

 

Call, don't order online.

And when you purchase the graflex, you can tell them what style of grips you want on it. They don't do full ROTS style yet as far as I know, and they said they don't like putting covertecs on the graflex because the graflex is the heaviest of all the sabers.

The newer blades come with a rounded acryllic tip instead of the old plastic caps.

If you get one of the sabers with the LED lights on the activator or elsewhere, I'd recommend disconnecting the battery, otherwise the LEDs blink nonstop while off, then the next time you go to turn on the Saber you find out it needs a new battery.

In fact, if anyone has ever removed the LED lights successfully, while still allowing the activator to work, please post how you've done it, because I'd love to get rid of the ones on my Avenger saber.

 

I tried calling yesterday to check, but "due to a family emergency" the office will be unmanned for the next week, according to the ansaphone. Hope everything turns out alright..

I DID email the site I ordered the EL-G off- I got a reply saying they come as pictured, so I guess I'll see...

 

FYI: When I ordered my M2, it arrived with a silver activation box instead of a black one like on the web site. So there is some variation in what they ship. Also, the tip for the blade had a clear rounded end on it.

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I've had a parks graflex for almost a year now and i'll say it's great looking but.... first off the battery holder is easy to destroy because it just dangles 2 9v batteries by two wires and clang's together like crazy just goofing around. While this is easily fixed with cotton balls or a baby sock cut in half, it's still a problem who want's a new saber that breaks in a day because they won't make the effort to up the competition a little? battery holders that will and can fit in a parks for AA'S and AAA'S are out there and with proper inverters work great. Also what is this we never up the quality of our blades business? they have used the same easily destroyed el sheet's FOREVER! competitors use the way more durable el wire with poly e as a diffuser and an acryllic half ball for a tip. result much brighter more durable and better looking blades and you get light coming out of the tip! why won't they try to atleast give the customer a good looking blade? they do have great looking hilts and are well designed but that was the deal breaker for me. i have since moved on to bigger and better things and prices. if you don't want to wait frickin' months for a saber or would like to build your own then check out thecustomsabershop.com tim has everything you need to either make your own saber or tell him what you want and he'll make it for you. and while your at it get an upgrade in technology and get an luxeon III led lightsaber or convert your broken master replicas saber to a lux III they are brighter and more durable as they have no electronics in the blade so if you bust a blade it only cost's about 20 bucks to replace instead of 60-77 bucks for an el blade. thank you for shopping at wal-mart have a nice day.

 

I'm the one who came up with the polyethylene diffuser tube, which everyone is now using for the blades made out of EL wire. Which I figured out, after much trial and error of various materials, back in 2003.

First posted about it last May, in my tutorial thread. Jedi-Loreens's EL Blade Tutorial, which seems to have become the definitive tutorial, linked to on many message boards, now.

Jeff Parks has seen my blades, BTW.

 

I just said competitors no need to get snippy. Thank you for shopping at wal-mart.

 

I noticed that someone tried to call Parks Sabers earlier this week, but was unable to speak with anyone. Now their website appears to be offline. Do you think his legal troubles have finally caught up with him. Plus the poor folks that ordered from It Be Dave are now being told that if they didn't get their orders then they are out of luck. Looks like Jeff's bad business practices have finally come to an end. So long Parks Sabers!