How much are your sabers? This is the most asked question we get, getting it every couple of days. The problem with the answer is that each and every saber on the site is custom machined and has a 'customized' price. The cost on each hilt is/was completely dependant on its design. We have had customers pay upwards of $500+ for a maxed out double sided design of theirs, all the way down to a simple $50 for a low-detailed fan-film hilt that doesnt need to be flashy since it never sees closeup screen time. Keep in mind, also, that we dont own a single saber on the site...each one is made and shipped off to its happy little home. Asking to buy a specific design is futile, since we dont have it anymore. However, we can remachine designs ->see below.

Once I have a price quote, how long do I have to order? Our email or drawing quotes are generally good for 10 days. That doesnt mean you cant order the saber if 10 days have past, that just means that we can only guarantee that price quote for 10 days from the date it was given. If its been longer than 10 days since your price was quoted to you, the price may not necessarily change, but this is because of fluctuating prices in the metal industry as much as anything.

What are the different saber types? Stunt sabers make up 90% of our armada, and are sabers that are high-end machined hilts, that have all of the good looks of movie-style HERO sabers. Junior Stunt sabers are just like regular Stunt sabers, but made for smaller hands. FanFilm sabers are similar to Stunt sabers, except they have less detail. FF sabers were introduced to filmmakers on tight budgets, who needed something that was instantly recognizable as a saber, but didnt have all of the flashy buttons and knobs, since they wont be needed for filming. Solid sabers all of the high-end machining of our other sabers, but made solid. Since these sabers wont ever be able to hold a dueling blade, they are usually made for display or belt use only. We can also 'fake' a solid saber, by offering a short length of solid rod to place in the emitter of a Stunt-style saber. That way, if you want to still be able to duel with a saber, and have it appear solid when its not in use, you can. ELITE sabers use electroluminescent electronics and feature light-up blades. We can machine a hilt to be EL-ready so that electronics can be added in later, OR they can be machined FULLY LOADED with our own electronics installed by us. LED sabers feature a super-bright single LED that is installed inside the hilt, similar to a flash-light. These hilts also feature light-up blades. We can machine a hilt to be LED-ready so that electronics can be added in later, OR they can be machined FULLY LOADED with the electronics installed by us. Practice sabers are very simple hilts, that feature no buttons, grips or extraneous details. They are essentially just raw tubes that feature a heavy brushed finish, and a blade setbolt. They were born from the necessity for choreographing duels in the case that a hilt is accidentally dropped (while all of our hilts are machined to be quite durable, nobody wants to drop a new toy).

What do the price ranges mean? Because most customers dont want an 'exact' copy of an existing saber, when we work up a remake of a saber, we set the price up in a price range. For example: take TEMPEST. On its page, the price range is from $50 to $75 - essentially, this just means we could reproduce a similar hilt to this one for as little as $50 or as much as $75 (or more obviously). It may seem like a silly way to classify the hilts, but it can create a much broader range of hilts, being that each remachined hilt based on TEMPEST can be made less flamboyant, with little detail, or even more ornate, by adding more detail to it. Many times we have customers who are on a specific budget (self imposed, or if you are among the majority of our customers: a budget imposed by your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse). If this is the case, you can let us know a general cost range or even a specific price that you need to keep - it will help us, help you to design the new saber so that it meets your budget.

Who names the sabers? We can either name the hilt ourselves, or if you have a specific name in mind, let us know. Do note this, though: if you dont specify a name and we just choose one, its set...there is no changing it or complaining. While it may seem like its just a quick fix to change a name to something else, there are mulitple files associated with each saber, and each of those files all have to do with the name on the hilt. There is one caveat to this whole naming thing: if you come up with a name that we dont think fits on the site (something adult in nature, or religious in nature) chances are we arent going to allow it. Not to mention there are some names that just wouldnt fit. If you wanted your hilt to be called GREASY PIE, chances are we wont do that, either.

How will I know what my saber looks like before I place an order? If you are ordering another 'version' of an existing saber, thats an easy question...but if you are compiling different elements from other sabers, sometimes its not so easy to envision your design. Normally we dont offer any drawings on projects that havent officially been ordered. This is because we have had far too many potential customers come to us with a design, have us draw up all the concept artwork for them and then have them decide not to order, OR worse: order through someone else, with us having done all the design work. If you are submitting your own design, you already have a good idea of what its going to look like...and we can give you some general dimensions on what our price quote entails. If you need more than that, we can talk about getting some drawings either from us, or from our amazing rendering artists on our FORUM

Can I get special characters or words engraved into a design? We dont offer any sort of engraving ourselves, I am afraid. Customers truly interested in having something etched into a saber, should look into trophy and engraving shops local to them when they receive their finished saber

What are the different blade types? ACRYLIC BLADES are solid, colored acrylic suitable for display. They will fit inside Stunt sabers, Junior Stunt sabers and FanFilm sabers, as well as EL sabers (EL ready and ELITE -fully loaded). CARBON FIBER BLADES are tubes from the same manufacturer that supplied filmmakers for EP3 in 2005. They are high impact tubes of woven carbon fibers that provide an amazing strength-to-weight ratio. Each of the tubes weigh less than half a pound, and can be outfitted with an accessory kit; adding a machined aluminum rounded tip, and a machined aluminum adapter allowing the smaller diameter blades to be used in larger 3/4" diameters. They will fit inside Stunt sabers, Junior Stunt sabers and FanFilm sabers, as well as EL sabers (EL ready and EL FULLY LOADED). EL BLADES are electroluminescent wires in a high-impact polycarbonate tube. They are removable blades that can have any one of eight different colors inside them. They will fit inside Stunt sabers, Junior Stunt sabers and FanFilm sabers, as well as EL sabers (EL ready and ELITE FULLY LOADED), but unless the hilts they are in are wired for EL technology, they wont light up, and will just remain a dull-off-white color. LED BLADES are hollow, polycarbonate tubes that feature a lightweight diffusion material inside, to spread out the glow of an LED inside the saber. They are completely removable. Because they tend to be a larger 1" diameter, they will NOT fit in any other sabers unless the hilts are designed to fit that size emitter opening. We dont offer any guarantees as to just how fragile or how durable any of the blades are. While we can tell people that the blades have been used in the past for film work, light sparring and even heavy dueling - we dont offer any assurances that they wont be damaged.

What color EL blades are offered? We offer 8 different colors, including: PURPLE, BLUE, GREEN, RED, PINK, ORANGE, YELLOW and even WHITE. Pictures can be seen on our ELITE page. The EL blades will be offered in sizes custom chosen by the customer - so if you need a blade that is shorter than 42" blade, it can be done, but you need to request it.

How do I place an order? Since there is no order form, because we dont sell the designs shown on the site anyway, all you need to do is send us an email to start the order process. Essentially, we can use your description or sketches to give you a price quote on your design. Do keep in mind that because of the fluctuating prices for steel, aluminum and brass, the price quotes we give are good for 10 days from the date we give them. Once your order is placed (and a deposit is put down to hold your place on our Project Progress Page) we will be able to offer you concept art, by means of CAD drawings so you can get an idea of what your design will look like.

What format do you want the saber design in? We have had past customers send in anything from a barely legible sketch on construction paper, to ornate photo-realistic renderings to help us with their design. Just keep in mind that the more detailed you show your design-to-be, the better we can understand what you are trying to convey. We can use just about any format of image, and we use AutoCAD 2008 for our CAD program. If you are planning on sending in a CAD drawing, its always safest to send it in as a .DXF file. If you have your drawing on paper and dont have access to a digital camera or a scanner, you can always just snail mail us a copy...just email us for the address. Another option is to stop by the RENDERING section of our FORUM. We feature nearly a dozen different artists that can help you visualize even rough sketches, by turning out high quality renderings, some even in 3-D. While they are by no means required, these renderings can greatly help us out when it comes to getting you an accurate quote on your design.

What are the sabers made out of? We use high quality 6061 or 7075 T6 aluminum, commonly refered to as "aircraft aluminum". We also machine with common brass, extruded acrylic, cold-rolled steel and even Delrin (which is a high tolerance plastic, not unlike nylon). In some instances we use 'real world' parts, but for the most part we like to machine each of the pieces involved in our sabers.

Do you machine 'movie' sabers, or other vendors designs? No. No bending the rules, either. We only machine custom designs. For obvious legal reasons, we wont machine designs that are held in copyright by other manufacturers. We also wont remachine another saber-makers design, like Parkssabers.com or Lighttech's - its just not ethical, since we wouldnt like it if someone were doing the same things with our work. Many, many customers send us the small 'icon' images from thelightsaber.com - keep in mind, with a few exceptions, the sabers featured on that site are almost all from movies, books or comic books; all falling under the helmet of copyrighted materials. In other words: even though you are welcome to send us those small images, there isnt any chance we'll machine them for you without design modification. One final note: there is a great hardware saber site called Big Yellow Box. While we are willing to take elements from the great collection featured on that site - do keep in mind that because we are offering a completely machined saber, as opposed to a hardware version, the price isnt going to be anywhere near as cheap as it is quoted on the BYB site. While its still a saber, there is a big difference in harware vs. machined - and while neither one is necessarily better - its best to make sure everyone knows that we cant machine a hilt for the same price someone could gather found parts and assemble one for.

Will you remake your own designs? Yes...sort of. Each one of the sabers on the site are unique...most of them were designed by the customers who now own them, and one of the goals of this website was that each individual could have their own, personal design. That being said - if it turns out that a specific design featured in our Gallery is just like what you envisioned, we can remachine a design with small changes to make it, too a one-of-a-kind hilt. Take for example BLITZ. This design was so popular when we first machined it, that we had at least one request a day for a copy of it. We instead began to machine clones of the original with subtle differences: different emitters, odd grip configurations, etc. If you look around the site, there are 9 other hilts that take off of the original design. If you are dead-set on a particular design exactly as its shown on the site, we can just remachine the hilt for you down to the last detail. Do keep in mind, though: a Jedi's saber should be as unique as he/she is.

Can you provide electronics for my custom saber? Yes, we can...in fact, we have two different styles of electronics that can be used in the majority of our hilts: LED and EL electronics. In 2006, we began to introduce our own lineup of EL sabers called our ELITE sabers. These hilts come pre-installed with our electronics and come with the blade color of the customers choice. New to 2007 are our LED sabers - hilts that can be outfitted with a high-output Luxeon-style LED inside them, to create a dazzlingly bright blade. Because we are supplying these electronics, we dont charge anything additional to install them...however, if you choose to order electronics from another vendor (be it, EL electronics, LED electronics or other) we do have an installation fee. We have installed a few different types of electronics kits from E.L. drivers to Plasma drivers - and even elaborate LED drivers. As far as the best company to purchase the electronics from...its all a matter of personal choice. We dont offer any sound units or sound cards ourselves, but just like blade electronics, if you decide that you want to use another vendors sound electronics, you can have them shipped to us and we can install them for a small fee.

What sorts of finishes are offered? Most of the sabers on our site are featured quite 'naked' -without much if any, paint. We can mirror polish the aluminum and brass, or give it a light or heavy brushed finish. We use a fairly secialized paint coating called 'aliphatic resin' - essentially its a two part epoxy paint. Nothing will last quite as long and be as durable as anodizing or oxidizing, but the epoxy paint is quoted into the cost of your saber, and is the next best thing. New for 2006, we are offering anodizing, by means of a separate plating shop. We wont actually have much to do with the coating of the parts, other than to take them to the shop to have them done, per your specs. While we wont charge anything extra, other than what the plating shop will charge us, their services arent ever factored into the cost of a saber, unless you specifically ask.

How are the dueling rods held in place? We prefer to use setbolts that are typically hidden among the design, or simply placed in inconspicuous places near the emitters. We use a rounded Allen-head cap bolt, and we supply an Allen-key with each hilt to use on the bolts. While they arent as quick to tighten and release as a large thumbscrew, they are much safer, in that they can be secured against the blades much tighter than tightening a thumbscrew by hand. They also cant be broken off if they are struck by your opponents blade, and because they have rounded heads, there is almost no chance of them injuring you our your opponent with them. If your design calls for a specific type of thumbscrew that you can tighten by hand to hold the blade in place, we can machine it to work on your saber, bearing in mind the saftey issues noted above.

How long will my design take to get to me? This simply depends on just how busy we are at the moment you ask. The average project takes about a day to complete, however, each one is done in the order the project was paid for. In the most basic terms, that means if you order a saber today, dont expect to get it worked on tomorrow. We have had a 'waiting list' ever since the company started, nearly 6 years ago. By checking the STATUS page, you can get a general idea of a time frame. Keep in mind, though - that because each project is created by hand, there are sometimes problems that arise. The dates set on the STATUS page are tentative, and are there to provide an approximate date. We have learned early on not to promise a specific time frame. If the notion of waiting a long time for a saber is a turn off, there are other companies out there that will sell you mass-produced, not-so-one-of-a-kind sabers, or sabers of their own design. If its a high-quality, custom machined saber that you are looking for, you have to keep in mind that the wait time wouldnt be as long as it is, if it werent completely worth the wait. Nearly half of our customers that purchase one saber, come back for another hilt down the road.

How do I pay for my project? Currently we accept PayPal, Credit Cards, Bank Checks, Bank Transfers, Money Orders (even international Money Orders), MoneyGram, and even personal checks. Personal Checks and Bank Checks will be held for 7 days to be sure the check clears the issuing bank, and any returned checks may be subject to a $25 processing fee, or complete refusal of any further orders. Domestic Bank Transfers are subject to a $10 processing fee, while International Bank Transfers are subject to a $60 processing While some of our customers prefer to pay for their entire project at once up front, others prefer to simply put down a 50% deposit to hold their place in the project list. We prefer to only receive deposits of 50% in case of changes or additions - that way the new changes can be reflected in the remainder of the balance as opposed to having to send in an additional payment or a refund on our part.

If I put down a deposit or pay in full, can I get a refund if necessary? All refunds are subject to a 50% refund adjustment fee, regardless of whether we have started your project or not. In cases of projects that have already been started, we will still offer a refund, but it will be based on elements such as material costs and labor costs already put into the project, in addition to any fees that your bank or payment provider may have charged. What about a refund on items like blades or belt clips? If the items being returned are in a re-sellable condition (havent been used for dueling or worn with a costume), we will accept returns, subject to a 20% restocking fee. If the item you are trying to return is custom made (for example, custom machined designs, custom cut blade legnths, or custom cut Practice saber lengths) we do not offer the option of a refund. Electronics (or fully assembled blades) arent subject to any refund, since they are typically installed in a machined hilt. Bank Transfer fees are non-refundable, and in most cases if a refund is being made back to the customer through a Bank Transfer, another fee will be incurred.

What if I cant finish paying for the saber once its machined? If your saber has been fully finished, and an emergency comes up in which you realize that you can no longer finish paying for it, we are forced to sell off the saber, in order to process your refund. Because we dont have a buyer in mind already, this process may take some time. If your fully finished hilt is left for 14 days without the final balance being paid for, from the date that we post the completed hilt on our site (and consequently email you), we reserve the right to sell off the saber for you, and you will forfeit your entire deposit amount. This may sound strict, but bear in mind that we wont even start the project until we get a 'green-light' from you - making you fully aware that the project will be complete soon, and to be sure you are prepared (financially).

Do you ship internationally? You betcha. We have shipped all over the world, and we even have our sabers on 6 continents. We can ship through U.S. Post Office, UPS or FedEx - and rush shipping is usually available. Shipping out of the U.S. requires a quote, so dont forget to tell us where you are having the package sent to. Everyone needs to keep in mind that forces beyond our control can affect shipping costs -namely: postal increases. While we can get you a price quote on international shipping at the time of your order, we cant guarantee that it will be the same price as when the order is actually ready to ship. We do reserve the right to change the shipping cost, based on the most current shipping quotes available, be it international or domestic.

How long have you guys been around? The RANDOM SABERS Project began nearly 7 years ago in one sense or another. Originally, we began by offering completely random designed sabers - hilts that we had swimming around in our heads as designs, and were finally able to make into a solid...so to speak. While we had some good times designing our own sabers - we quickly had too large of a collection to even try to display. The most logical thing to do was to try selling them to friends. Word quickly caught on that we were producing high quality sabers designs that were so unlike anything that people had been seeing before, that we began to get inquiries about making more custom work. Suddenly, we were being inundated with requests from people all over the world - word spread from one person at a convention to another until we had no choice but to open up this website =}.