Acolyte

This is my first lightsaber I've ever owned. I did my research and decided Vader's Vault was the safest bet for a lightsaber company due to their outstanding history of customer service and quality. I ordered this Acolyte with neopixel and heavy weathering.

Straight out of the box (it came in a beautiful Vader's Vault branded box and I love that touch) the hilt was simply beautiful. Its lighter than you'd expect but solid and there's no internal noise when you shake the saber - all one piece.

I went with one of the less expensive hilts due to it being my first saber but theres nothing "cheap" about this hilt. Even though it looks simplistic at first glance, Vader's Vault's attention to detail and love for
their craft shows when you hold and examine the details of the weathering and appreciate how it feels in the hand (no sharp edges, comfortable to swing around, beautiful asthetics). In short, it looks and feels like... a lightsaber.

Lighting and speaker system: So I had no idea what I was getting into. I understand some of the history of lightsaber tech before neopixel and with older soundboards so I understand I am somewhat spoiled to get a saber of this quality as my first experience. My initial impression of the Smooth Swing was that it was simply breathtaking how realistic the sound movements are. Every minor or aggressive movement I make with the saber sounds like it does in the movies and I couldn't imagine a saber
without Smooth Swing -you have to have it once you realize how cool it is. The neopixel lighting is bright and even all the way to the end. I'm sure most people understand that. What wasn't as obvious to me even after watching many videos online was how colors are slightly different on screen compared to in real-life. The "white core" that sabers have in film and on camera is created by a camera lighting exposure effect and the saber wont have that white looking core in person. This can still be achieved by pulling out your phone or video camera and seeing how it looks on camera (exactly like it does in the movies). Off camera, it is a VERY bright version of the color you have selected, just without the white core in the middle. The speaker is crystal-clear sounding and sufficiently loud. I'm still learning all the ins and outs of the fonts and effects the saber offers and I have a micro SD adapter on the way so I can start adding more sound fonts to it, which I'm excited for.

I recommend getting familiar with your saber by watching the videos Vader's Vault puts out on their YouTube channel as they go in-depth in explaining all about the anatomy of a combat class saber and how to properly care for it and avoid simple mistakes that could damage your saber over time (like overtightening screws or unscrewing the saber in the wrong places etc).

I also added extra weathering and bluetooth upgrades months after placing my order, it was easy to contact them and they were more than happy to make not just additions to the saber but a necessary address change when I moved. Not to mention the many avenues of contact (phone, email, FB messenger, an ACTUAL STORE in Georgia), haha. I'll have to visit one day

The only detriment that comes to mind was the longer shipping times but this will vary depending on when you order and if they're caught up on orders. I just understood the idea that once the saber arrives, the waiting factor is then irreleveant. This sounds obvious but sometimes people don't take into account the benefits of patience when it comes to a bigger return on investment, in this case, a MUCH higher quality saber than more mass-produced routes that will look and perform like a
glorified flashlight. haha, to each their own.

Sidenote: They do have ready-to-ship sales from time to time that eliminate the waiting process, just with less personal touches as they are... "ready to ship" lol

Thank you Vader's Vault for making my first saber experience the best one. Whether I have it on its stand or wielding it in my hand, I'm super grateful to have the privilege of calling it my own lightsaber.

Love everything about this. Thanks!

I am extremely pleased with my custom act like I got bronze powder coating medium weathering neo pixel blade and heat blueing. This really looks like it could be in a Star Wars movie. This is the highest quality saber I’ve ever seen, and I absolutely love it. Being a lifelong practitioner of wushu This is a very easy blade to do sword forms with well balanced and solidly built. I would love to have about a dozen Vader’s fault sabers, but I can’t afford that. If you’re in the market for a high-quality saber I highly recommend this.

I simply love this saber. The work is top notch. I already plan on buying more sabers from you guys. VV has become my go to for sabers. I highly recommend this saber