MY STORY
"An elegant weapon, for a more civilized time"....this one definitely fits that bill. While the Mace Force FX originally made its debut back in 2004 I really did not have any interest in adding it to my collection at the time. It was only later as I learned more about it from other owners here on FX-sabers.com that I grew to appreciate it. It being the ONLY purple bladed lightsaber and the fact that we would most likely not see another release of it drew me to the conclusion that I should add it to my ever-expanding collection of these beautiful weapons. After I got my Vader TESB through the group purchase that 5 of us on the site participated in, I thought I might do the same thing to get a Mace. Orignially I didn't care what condition it came in, only that I had one physically in my collection. A couple days after that thought crossed my mind Meridian posted up that he was selling a Mace for $105 and in New condition. Now that was a deal that I couldn't pass up on. So I contacted him and we got the ball rolling on getting the saber to me. It didn't take long before I came home to see a rather long box sitting in my bedroom.
THE SABER OUT OF THE BOX
Once I opened the container and slid the FFX from its clear plastic sleeve, I knew I had made a good choice. This saber just radiates elegance. The design and the chrome and gold-plated accents were extravagant but not garish. The rubberized grips were like nothing i had ever seen due to the strange grip-pattern cut into them.
The Battery Holder remains the same 6-batter holder as the ANH Vader and TESB Luke were. Due to the use of the 6batt holder it does increase the already hefty weight of the saber.
Unlike all the other FFX sabers(with the exception of the AOTC Anakin) the Copyright stamping was put on the saber itself and not just the battery endcap. Even though this is the same saber as the 2004 Windu they had to change the Year stamping for legal manufacturing purposes.
The On/Off switch is the gold-plated rectangular piece in the center of the photo. While it is very well disquised, it can cause some problems when spinning the saber in your hand. Even though it is not as obtrusive as lets say the Anakin ROTS or Luke TESB it can easy be turned on or off by misplacement of your hand.
As with most of the prequel sabers you get a nifty little covertech belt attachment already placed on the saber. The one on the Mace seemed to stick out quite far and that is indeed due to the design and width of the grips on the saber. While it would look funny to have a fullsize FFX hanging from your belt, blade and all. You can certainly do it if your legs are long enough to all the blade to swing freely, haha.
The emitter is well done and looks quite functional. The holes that are notched into the gold piece every 4th one have been completely drilled through. These look to have hex screws inside the to hold the blade in place. I'm not familiar with the Mace dissasembly process but figure these to be removable. (hmm, whats that in the reflection?)
THE SABER IGNITED
In Normal Daytime Room Light
In Low Room Light
In Complete Darkness
WORKING REVIEW
Holding the saber you realize that either Mace had some Huge hands or to make a FFX version of the Mace they had to increase the size proportionally to fit all electronics. This thing is huge and heavy. Its not all that easy to spin without possibly turning it off and the strange grips that go around it just feel a bit weird in your hand. If you have small hands this is probably not a good one to get, unless you just want a suberb shelf decoration. Like I mentioned the on/off switch is in a relatively bad place and can cause you to turn the saber off when handling it ignited. The ignition/deactivation sounds are exactly the same ones used for the 2003 release of the Luke ROTJ EL saber. The idle hum seems to be the same, as well. You can notice the same exact stutter that the ROTJ Luke has. The motion sensor seems to be a bit touchy. I've had the saber sitting on the shelf ignited and with the slightest vibration it is set off. I was just walking past and it activated so that tells you how sensitive it can be. THe sound is not as loud as most but it is decent. The motion sounds used are the usual 4 sounds (2 buzzes and 2 arc movements) Clash sounds are the usual 4 that are used in the Jedi sabers, it seems.
THE BOX
For those that want a detailed look at the Box that the Windu FFX came in. This is the infamous "Red Blade" box for the Re-release of the Mace Windu saber.
Left-hand side Front and Top
Center Front and Top
Right-hand side Front and Top
Left-hand side Back
Right-hand side Back
FINAL THOUGHTS
I am glad that I was finally able to add the Mace FFX to my collection. While it has its drawbacks for playability, it definitely makes up for it in beauty and rarity. The purple blade is unlike any other. The way that it glows is almost ethereal. Very unique and pretty bright too! The hilt makes you want to keep the polishing cloth handy so you can just shine it up every chance you get. I don't think any other FFX saber out there looks as good on display as this one does with its beautifully done accents and Bright glowing Re....ummm I mean Purple Blade!
If Boba had only gotten his chance for REVENGE!
Review of the 2005 Luke ROTJ coming with direct comparison to the 2003 EL version...