“I’m no Jedi. I’m just a guy with a lightsaber and a few questions.”
- Kyle Katarn, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast
Sure, whatever you say, Kyle. 😘
It’s been a hot minute since I last posted - mostly general life stuff getting in the way - but also because I’ve been busy busting my ass, building sabers. 💪 More specifically, here we have the Katarn V3 by Warsabers. I’ve showcased this saber before, in conjunction with the LDM Katarn V2, only this time featuring the beautiful full-metal chassis designed by Maksim Tsvetkov aka Mentalion, the renowned Russian saber builder.
Real talk here: This saber was a nightmare to build. The metal body of the chassis alone presented a whole host of unique challenges. The main body is 3D printed aluminum, so not only did I have to finish it out, but I had to do so while keeping in mind the tolerances of the hilt itself. If I took off too much material, it wouldn’t fit snug and would rattle around in the saber, causing false clashes & connectivity issues. On that note, all the electrical components had to be properly isolated, or else run the risk of shorting out or damaging the sound board and battery. And on top of that, the customer was very particular in terms of what he wanted out of the finished product. 🥴
All this amounted to one of the most stressful builds I’ve ever done - and also, one of my favorites. I have to admit, this thing is just *chef’s kiss*. To have it finally come alive with that remarkable snap-hiss, after weeks of work, was unbelievably rewarding.
Getting back into the swing of things with this saber only seemed appropriate, what with the rumblings of select Legends characters being brought back into Canon, namely Kyle, Corran Horn and *sigh* Roganda Ismaren. *internal screaming*
I’m a bit Leia-warm on Obi-Wan Kenobi so far, but here’s hoping. 🍻