What kind of Lightsaber would YOU construct?

As a kid, Star Wars was all about the amazing lightsabers.  I didn't really know or understand about the variations in hilts and what they meant to the Jedi and Sith who crafted them, or indeed the unique history behind each saber.

To the Jedi and Sith, the crafting of a lightsaber was a deeply personal  and unique experience often taking several months to complete.  To the Jedi, the task of constructing a lightsaber was an important part of a padawan's training and the final design for both Jedi and Sith very much reflected their personality as well as individual style and needs.

I grew older, the Star Wars universe and extended universe pulled me in and it become so much more than just the sabers but like many fans, they've always remained an object of intense fascination and I often wondered what kind of Lightsaber I'd construct if I lived and the Star Wars universe as a Jedi or Sith.  What would MY lightsaber look like, and how would it reflect my personality?  Take Obi-Wan's Saber for example.

This particular hilt is one of four hilts used by Obi-Wan during his lifetime and built after he lost his third (and favorite) saber in the battle against Darth Maul on Naboo.  This was in fact the hilt originally used by Alex Guiness as old Obi-Wan and Ewan Mcgregor in Revenge of the Sith.

It could be said that it reflects his Business like and brash personality.

This was another hilt used by Obi Wan but rather than it being designed to reflect the character, it was actually chosen by Actor Ewan McGregor from a number of other hilts. We'll forget about that though because it shatters the idea that the hilt is designed based on the character.  If you're interested, here's the moment Ewan selects his hilt on You Tube.

So anyway, back to MY saber!

I could have tried crafting my saber using real life materials from somewhere like www.saberkit.com but that would have cost me money and I'm useless at creating things with my hands!  So I decided to try and create my saber using 3D software.  Using the trial version of 3dsMax, I tinkered with the program for a few hours (well a lot of hours to be honest) until I got to grasps with the way it works.  After experimenting and creating some really awful hilts, it eventually all fell into place and i was able to create a hilt just the way I envisioned it in my head.

I present to you Ladies and Gentleman, MY Jedi Lightsaber! (Sith version will come soon!)

Click the images for full size view!

So why this design?  

Well I looked at many other designs to get some ideas before I started.  I have a couple of the Force FX Lightsabers at home so I was able examine them and of course play around with them. 

One thing that struck me about the Anakin / Vader hilt is although it's pretty, it's a bitch to hold and feels really uncomfortable in the hand. I guess that's because it's a two handed hilt.

It's like holding a brick!

I wanted something that was relatively simplistic in design but with a smooth and comfortable handle.  (Yes I'm imagining it's real!) Cut into the metal handle are a number of attractive ring groves which are designed to improve grip as well as add to the over all look by giving it colour. Black and dark red in this case.  The two bulbous parts at each end are designed to ensure the saber doesn't slip out of the hand during vigorous combat (Which of course I'd be participating in regularly. Shhh, don't spoil the moment!)

So lets examine the features of my new saber!

And finally, the demonstration would not be complete without a photo of it activated :D