Star Wars E3 BASIC LIGHTSABER PURPLE

Star Wars E3 BASIC LIGHTSABER PURPLE | Durable and Thwackable! Could be safer though.

toys & games:

Star Wars E3 BASIC...

	Star Wars E3 BASIC LIGHTSABER PURPLE Hasbro Hasbro, 2006 average customer review:based on 14 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Star Wars E3 BASIC LIGHTSABER PURPLE

Be a Jedi

Play safely with friends in action packed fun with your personal lightsaber.

Durable and Thwackable! Could be safer though.

THE GOOD
Compared to my very old 1980's era saber, these lightsabers are so durable they are perfect for the active kid - just keep them away from your breakables.

No electronics, lights or fancy features; these sabers seem to be aimed at the lightsaber duelists and enthusiasts, not as collectors items but as real play-duelling sabers.

My 2 kids (8 and 3) thwack each other all day, lending the sabers to friends for impromptu duels.

The secret to their durability is a combination of the plastic (it keeps it's shape better now) and the design. I figure each section of telescoping plastic is about 2mm thick and about 8 inches long. As for design, the secret is the overlap. Each section overlaps the other with about 3 inches of plastic, making for very gently-sloped and strong conical sections.

How durable? Without any scientific testing, I have to put it this way: my 3-year old girl is about 25 lbs and she's not even half as strong her 100 pound 8-year old brother, but she's a fighter. To block one of his two-handed downward axe-chops, she grabs the handle in one hand and the blade with the other (about 6 inches from the end) and holds it over her head like she's pressing a barbell. He used to hit her timidly, now he let's her have it. The result? The saber doesn't even deflect by half an inch and it's still straight when you inspect it.

Drops from waist high all the way up to bunk-bed high onto concrete floors have resulted in no cracked plastic.

That's kid-proof!

THE BAD

The locking button locks the "blades" into the handle. Push the button down to unlock the blades, allowing you to swing the handle to extent them. The problem is the force required to push the button is pretty high. My kids need to really work at pushing it, and my wife has to use both thumbs for leverage. Since both are "stiff" to press, I figure this is by design, but I think they set it a little too tough.

As far as the grip, I know it's big for the blade. That's not so bad. What's bad is that below the hand grip, there's a crenelated portion with square protrusions running around the end. In use, kids will inadvertently hit each other and themselves with the grip. These crenels make for excellent bludgeoning points, and bruises are sure to result. I'd want a crenelated grip on a real weapon, not a play-weapon. These would only be a good idea for my kids toys if the alternative were sharp spikes or maybe saw-teeth.

Without the crenelated grip and with a slightly better lock button, this should be a 5 star.

THE UGLY
Things that could be improved include:

The length
It's a little short for a tween, teen or adult. It's great bcs. I had to get my daughter this one instead of the Yoda saber. I thought it'd be too long for her but it wasn't. My son is about to outgrow the length though (about 30+" blade)

The balance
All that thick overlapping plastic makes the toy front heavy when deployed. A 2 ounce counterweight in the grip would be great and not unwieldy even for small hands.

The belt clip
It's a little long. I suppose it's the right size for a sash-type belt, but for most others the belt clip is a bit long.

THE RATING
As for educational value, my kids have been playing with cardboard / styrofoam / umbrella swords for a long time (mostly without consent). I figure I'd rather have them use something made for play than to play with something made for other uses. Plus, I get to teach them about parry's, ripostes, lunges, beats and all sorts of fun stuff.

THE CONCLUSION
Undeniably the sturdiest, most usable lightsaber out there.

for more information click here

fun yet durable

me and my friends love playing wit this lightsaber.I found i could hit this lightsaber with a stick and it wouldent break.unlike the expensive electronic one this one is much cheaper and durable.

fun yet durable