I just recieved my Acerocket/Zenkai Obi-Wan lightsaber today, and I wanted to post up a quick comparison to how it stacks up to all the ones that have come before it :)
First, a little background:
I've owned four Obi-wan Lightsabers now, (can you tell I love the guy??) The Larbel, Sithplanet/Parks, MR Elite, and now the Acerocket. Each one has it's differences and none are the same, as I believe this is one of the most nit-picked lightsabers around :P Now I don't claim to be an expert on what is SUPPOSSED to be the most accurate, because I have NO idea what the actual dimensions of the lightsaber is suppossed to be, I just know I LOVE the design and feel of it, and ever since I saw the JediVic Obi, I've always wanted my own that was as close as possible to the original.
Well, here they are!
Probably hard to tell from this shot because they're ALL crazy accurate lightsabers, but from top to bottom it's the MR Elite, Acerocket, and Larbel. The Sithplanet/Parks saber will not be included in this comparison because it is nowhere close to accurate, though it is extremely popular because it could ignite and light up. (Larbel aside)
Weight:
I'll start with the weight, the MR Elite wins out in that category, because it has parts that are made of steel. I really like the weight on it, because it gives a nice SOLID feel to it. Next would come the Acerocket, which is only slightly heavier then the Sithplanet saber, although it IS heavier. The larbel I own is an EL ready larbel, so it's hollow on the inside and I haven't installed any electronics in it or anything, so it is by far the lightest of the 3.
Pommel:
The pommels are different on each one of the lightsabers, so I guess it's up to debate who has the most accurate one. THe Larbel pommel is more "bulbous" then the others, and the pommel cubes themselves are larger and more "square" then the MR Elite and Acerocket, though the cubes are still tapered. The MR elite and Acerocket are VERY similar, and the picture above is the comparison of those two, MR on the left, Acerocket on the Right. The MR Cubes are SLIGHTLY smaller and the hole in them is slightly larger then the acerocket.
Left to right, Larbel, Acerocket, MR ELite. Sorry for the quality of the images... my camera sucks :P
Grips:
This is one of my favorite parts about this lightsaber, the smaller grip section on it feels fantastic in my hand for twirling and holding. That said, the Larbel has a larger diameter then the Acerocket or MR Elite. If i had to guess (since I don't have a ruler here :P), I'd say it may be 0.2" wider around then the others. The Acerocket and MR ELite have the same diameter, and feels GREAT to hold. The cutouts in the grips are all different. They each have seven, but the actual size of the cutouts are different, with the Larbel having the largest cutouts, then the Acerocket, then the MR Elite. I dont' know which one is more accurate, but I kinda like the small cutouts on the MR saber.
Top to bottom, MR ELite, Acerocket, Larbel
The Emmiter:
This is probably the part that differs the most from saber to saber, as no one can agree on what's correct :) The Larbel has a large, yet smooth step right at the neck, the MR has a much more accurate, smaller step at the neck, and the Acerocket is true to the original construction of the saber and has that small step, plus a small "seam" where the neck meets up with the rest of the saber. Interestingly enough, the Sithplanet saber actually has a small machined step, plus an additional step machined in to I believe simulate this "seam" that's on the actual saber.
Really not much to say about the red activator button, it's big and red :) It's also the blade setscrew for the Acerocket saber. The Brass valve is also pretty much the same on all 3, except the Larbel lacks any type of purple hemi inside it, and the MR Elite is actually gold plated. Both the MR and Acerocket have a purple jewel inside for the purple hemi, and looks really nice. The LED's on the Larbel are hollow, whereas on the the MR ELite, they're actual crystal. The Acerocket really shines here, because the LED's actually go to the blade of the saber, and the light from the blade shines through the LED's. Not really movie-accurate, but cool as all heck!
Emitter Face:
The Acerocket is definently the most accurate one here! It has a washer pressed into it, just like the original prop! The MR has a machined groove to mimic it. The Larbel has a switchable face, one with a dip, and a hollow one to hold a blade.
Bottom Line:
As you can tell from the comparisons, the Acerocket and MR Elite are VERY similar, which I have to say is a good thing considering MR had source material to base it's construction on! I gotta say, once all the nitpicking is out of the way, Acerocket comes out a real winner here! It is like owning an MR Elite that's MORE accurate, and LIGHTS up. I gotta commend Zenkai for all the research he did to get all the dimensions correct on this thing, it's incredible! Construction is top notch, and the fact that it matches the Visual Dictionary and has a "recharge port" in the covertec button just makes it all the cooler for me :) The only thing I really have as a gripe is that you rotate the covertec clip to turn on the lightsaber. This leads to it flipping the Luxeon on and off as it swings from your belt. Now the emiiter plug you put it stops light from escaping so you wouldn't notice, but I'm sure it's not good for the battery or LED to constantly turn on and off. I've purchased it as a display saber however, so this is a very minor gripe. I've actually since sold my Sithplanet, because I no longer need it with the Acerocket being functional. I also believe I will be selling my MR Elite, as the whole purpose for me having that one was for accuracy, which has now been trumped by Acerocket/Zenkai, great job guys, I can't wait to see what else Acerocket makes :)
Topic: Acerocket Obi-Wan TPM Lightsaber Comparison/Review (Read 9314 times)