I received this hilt yesterday and the pictures and video don't do it justice! The level of weathering and subtle "battle Damage", the nicks in the pommel and emitter section, scuffs in the leather are beautiful in person. The Tsuka Ito leather wrap is beautifully done and feels great in the hands. This is a robust, 12" saber that matches the rugged character of Kota himself! The CS2.5 is louder than I thought it would be, with nice, crisp sound quality. I also requested a tri cree 9 watt GGW, and it is a beautiful, bright green with a lot of color saturation.
Overall, I am very pleased with the detail in the weathering, battle damage and leather work. Force Relics made another great piece, and gave me great customer service the entire time! For anyone on the fence about it, if you like a robust, rustic, battle worn type hilt, contact Force Relics and get yourself a Kota saber!
Thanks again guys!