Help picking out a double blade

[tvknight415op]

Good afternoon. I’m planning to purchase my first Ultrasaber as a double blade, and looking for a recommendation.  My use will be a mix of single and double blade use.  I’m 6’3” tall and looking for some recommendations on which hilt to go with.  My plan would be to order with 32” blades given my height, and then maybe get a longer blade for single use.

One idea I had was to get a Sentinel or Phantasm staff for better hilt length/balance  for single blade spinning. Another (probably dumb) idea was to maybe instead get an Initiate or Apprentice staff and when I want to single wield, just stick a longer blade on one end and call it good. Any thoughts?  If I do a shorter hilt for dual use, would getting the longer blade in heavyweight provide better balance?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[HesaHeart]

Good afternoon. I’m planning to purchase my first Ultrasaber as a double blade, and looking for a recommendation.  My use will be a mix of single and double blade use.  I’m 6’3” tall and looking for some recommendations on which hilt to go with.  My plan would be to order with 32” blades given my height, and then maybe get a longer blade for single use.

One idea I had was to get a Sentinel or Phantasm staff for better hilt length/balance  for single blade spinning. Another (probably dumb) idea was to maybe instead get an Initiate or Apprentice staff and when I want to single wield, just stick a longer blade on one end and call it good. Any thoughts?  If I do a shorter hilt for dual use, would getting the longer blade in heavyweight provide better balance?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

in my opinion the sentinel ( aprox 12" long ) or the arbiter ( aprox 14" long ) nice clean hilts . quick coupler. blades can easily be cut down , its a rule of thumb that a staff should equal the users height ( as in all things this is open to debate )

[Galef]

I definitely recommend the QR coupler and since it adds 2", I also recommend an Apprentice or Initiate staff.
With the coupler each hilt will be about 11" give or take, which is plenty to dual wield.
And 22" is plenty long for a staff.

32" blades should be long enough for either. I'm 5'10" and I cut my blades down to 28" personally.
The nice thing about getting an Apprentice or Initiate is that upgrading them to 32" (they come stock with 24") it's still cheaper than getting the Sentinel or Phantasm "full" sized hilt.

The V4s are the best IMO. I'm partial to the Apprentice but the Initiate V4 is nice too.

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[firehand10k]

Sentinels makes excellent staffs. I use Sentinel V4s with 32 inch blades and a flush coupler. The flush coupler makes for a more smooth center grip and controls switch alignment as the QR coupler cannot.

[HesaHeart]

Sentinels makes excellent staffs. I use Sentinel V4s with 32 inch blades and a flush coupler. The flush coupler makes for a more smooth center grip and controls switch alignment as the QR coupler cannot.

I agree, the quick coupler is cool if you plan breaking the staff down into separate hilts , I have a QC which as  I am a pure staff user and dont use single hilts i'm going to trade the QC coupler with one of my students who has a sentinel staff on l order and to save him money as he will use a single hilt as he has brothers to play with

[Galef]

I've made a video detailing my thoughts on the standard, adjustable and QR couplers:
http://youtu.be/zXE4OLBn1vQ

If you aren't adding sound, the standard coupler works fine and you can get an o-ring to make it possible to align the switches.

But I'll reiterate my recommendation on the QR coupler. It still allows you to rotate the hilts and if your goal is to swap between staff and paired, the QR coupler is really the ONLY option we should all be talking about.
But if the OP is going to mostly use the sabers as a staff, then yes the adjustable flush coupler feels the best.

Regarding hilt length: you need to ask yourself if you want a long staff or not. If you go with Sentinels and a coupler that adds length (either the QR or adjustable) then your hilt alone will be quite long. As will each saber in hand if split.
Personally, I prefer long hilts for 2 handed grip and short hilts when paired as singles or coupled as a staff.
That's why I have a Scorpion and Sentinel v5 for single sabering as those are both over 12".

But for my staff, I use Apprentice V4s with the QR coupler.
Even uncoupled those sabers are almost 11" with added length of the QR coupler halves as pommels.
Here's another video showing off the 2 sabers I'm recommending:
http://youtu.be/AcaDxQSELd8

[tvknight415op]

Thanks for the thoughts on the couplers. I’m not planning sound at this time, so thinking just the flush coupler. To get the QD coupler is almost half the cost of another stunt saber, so might just get a shorter staff hilt and a longer hilt for single and just keep the staff together.

For hilt styles, any preferences on Initiate vs Apprentice?  Also, any thoughts on AV switched vs guarded on a staff?

Thanks again!

[Galef]

Thanks for the thoughts on the couplers. I’m not planning sound at this time, so thinking just the flush coupler. To get the QD coupler is almost half the cost of another stunt saber, so might just get a shorter staff hilt and a longer hilt for single and just keep the staff together.

For hilt styles, any preferences on Initiate vs Apprentice?  Also, any thoughts on AV switched vs guarded on a staff?

Thanks again!

Although my personal preference is to have 100% matching hilts, there is something cool about having a longer hilt and a matching 'shoto' hilt.
So I'd recommend getting a Sentinel V4 and a matching Apprentice V4.
Standard coupler plus an o-ring (you can get a 10 pack for less than $5 and either Lowe's or Home Depot) should be fine and you can align the hilts.
I prefer the AV switch, but the Guarded switches are good too. If you are trying to save $$, which I'd assume you are if you're getting stunts and skimping on the QR coupler, than stick with the Guarded switches.

The Sentinel comes stock with 36" blade and the Apprentice with 24". I'd recommend getting both with 32". It's an upcharge for the Apprentice, but you'll have equal sized blades.
And 32" still feels like a full length blade to me.

Although you could keep them at 36 & 24 for a unique looking staff that has one end for primary attack and the other for primary defense?
And uncoupled you'd have ideal lengths for your dominant hand saber and an off hand shoto

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[firehand10k]

Thanks for the thoughts on the couplers. I’m not planning sound at this time, so thinking just the flush coupler. To get the QD coupler is almost half the cost of another stunt saber, so might just get a shorter staff hilt and a longer hilt for single and just keep the staff together.

For hilt styles, any preferences on Initiate vs Apprentice?  Also, any thoughts on AV switched vs guarded on a staff?

Thanks again!

This isn't a bad plan.  I originally bought a pair of Aeon V4s as a staff but decided I want ready.  So I took them apart to stay and customized them as a left and right hand pair.  Then I got the Sentinel V4s as a staff and keep those together. To me the Sentinel shape and the placement of their choke and grip points are nicer in a staff than the Aeons. 

Having handled both but only as singles I would still think the Apprentice better to staff with than the Initiate. It's something in the shape of the emitter to me.

And personally I always get the guarded switches when available. There isn't much difference in the feel when swinging the saber/staff since the AV bezel puts it about the height of the Guarded edge. The latching AV switches US uses are harder for me to depress because the go fairly deep to latch and I have thick thumbs, so the guarded is easier there. Even thought the AV does look better the guarded also leaves me more room to customize when I want to. The hole is small enough I can use 12mm AV switches instead of 16 and get a real sleek look and feel to it.

[Sakura No Kaze]

Good afternoon. I’m planning to purchase my first Ultrasaber as a double blade, and looking for a recommendation.  My use will be a mix of single and double blade use.  I’m 6’3” tall and looking for some recommendations on which hilt to go with.  My plan would be to order with 32” blades given my height, and then maybe get a longer blade for single use.

One idea I had was to get a Sentinel or Phantasm staff for better hilt length/balance  for single blade spinning. Another (probably dumb) idea was to maybe instead get an Initiate or Apprentice staff and when I want to single wield, just stick a longer blade on one end and call it good. Any thoughts?  If I do a shorter hilt for dual use, would getting the longer blade in heavyweight provide better balance?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

I've been meaning to reply to this when I had the time.

I'm 6' and have an Apprentice double bladed saber with 32" blades that works great. I also have a DSI double bladed saber with 36" blades, as well as two Liberators that I combine sometimes, both with 36" blades, and both of those also work. And two Sentinels that I use with 36" blades that work well together.

Biggest benefit I see for the QD coupler is that, when separated, it also acts as a pommel for the saber. So if you're going to separate it, you don't then have to take the coupler off, put pommels on, figure out where you left the pommels, hope you remembered to bring the pommels, etc.

But if you're going to keep the double bladed together and get a third single for spinning, then the flush coupler will work great.

Guarded vs. AV switch, I don't have a preference. I have no discomfort issues with either, so I'd save some money and go with the guarded.

Initiate v4 vs Apprentice v4, I prefer the Apprentice v4. Both are good, and I have both, I just prefer the Apprentice v4. Or it's larger version, the Sentinel v4. Unfortunately the most comfortable ones, the Initiate v3 and Dominix v3 are both sold out, otherwise I'd be telling you to go with those. I know they're not as "pretty" but they are VERY comfortable.

[DarthSyronimus]

I bought a very expensive (to me) diamond-dominicide instead of a double saber.
I do not recommend it as it is one-single-point of failure, instead of two.
you also can't do the cool light-one-then-the-other Maul move.

Go with what others are suggesting... QuickRelease & either one or both with sound