Should you get one custom-sized or are they generally the same length across the board?
I first need to get this out of the way, there is quite a bit of technical stuff involved in getting your blade sorted out. You can skip this if you’re going directly for movie replicas though!
There are generally three types of diameter for a Polycarbonate blade (which is what the saber blade is made of), 3/4”, 7/8”, and 1”.
The most common is a 1” blade, which offers a great balance of brightness and stiffness. The the thinner the diameter, the floppier they get, It is common to describe a 3/4” blade as ‘floppy noodles’ and they are largely obsolete these days due to that, plus they aren’t particularly bright.
The 7/8” blade is a newcomer to the scene and is comparable to 1” and they are slowly gaining popularity as an alternative to 1”. They are however still slightly floppy but has the benefit of being lighter overall than a 1” blade.
Once you decide on the blade diameter, you need to decide on the thickness of the walls of the blade. They generally come in two types, thin wall and thick wall. The thicker blades will be more durable and able to withstand abuse better. The drawback is them being heavier and it will be less bright due to the thicker wall.
They will also need to be cut to as short as 28” to 30” to keep the balance ideal (unless you have a heavier or longer than average hilt) at the expense of a shorter looking lightsaber overall (they are generally 36” or more in the movies). They are also more dangerous and I actually suffered a minor concussion after being hit in the head by a thick wall blade during training. I have since banned the use of thick wall blades in the group for safety reasons.
My own personal opinion is that go for a thin wall 1” blade. They are brighter, offer good balance while maintaining a pleasant overall length for your saber and still very durable.
Some saber companies will try to sell you the thicker (and more expensive) blades calling it a duelling blade, indirectly implying that the thinner one is not fit for duelling.
That could not be further from the truth. FAST has only broken three thin wall blades in five years of consistent weekly duelling. And two of those blades have been tossed into the air and landed blade first on concrete. Technically, the third one didn’t break, it bent and then returned to its original shape. We replaced it anyway for safety.
So unless you are into hitting tress (which is how some companies show you the difference between thick wall and thin wall blades) a thin wall blade will serve you well for a long time to come and save you a concussion or possibly broken fingers (being hit on the fingers by a thin wall blade is no fun. I don’t want to imagine being hit by a thick wall which is rated to be as solid as a bokken).
Everyone is of a different height and everyone has their own preference on the balance of the saber. Pretty much any saber company out there will offer to cut the saber to any length when you buy from them.
If unsure, the general rule of thumb for the average Asian is 32”. While longer blades look nicer ( i.e 34” to 36”) , they are generally harder to spin and usually will not offer the optimal balance unless you have a longer and heavier than average hilt (ideal hilt length is 10 to 12 inch). However, as every hilt is different in terms of balance due to the design and materials, I usually advise people to get a 36” blade (which is the common default blade length) or longer and if they find it too long, they can cut it shorter.
It is very easy to do and you can get a pipe cutter from a hardware store for RM10. Make sure it is the rotary type and not the scissors type as that has a tendency to warp the section being cut and making it difficult or impossible to fit back into the hilt.
If they are not comfortable doing so, they can come look me up during events where FAST is around or during our training sessions and I will gladly do it for FREE. (Yes, I carry the cutter in my training bag).
