Star Wars Fans Duel With Real Burning Lightsabers

A couple of Star Wars fans decided to make their dreams a reality and fight with real lightsabers. That’s right, James Dobson created a genuine “proto-saber” and decided to test it out. The Hacksmith manufactured the energy source for the saber that manages to burn at 2752 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, that’s plenty hot, and seeing the video above of the two squaring off lets you know just how serious this whole project is. There’s no room to be completely reckless when one false swing can make this a very bad time.

Hobson fashioned the saber from a rod made of titanium and tungsten. From there he crafted a ceramic insulated handle and powered it all with a portable battery. The Hacksmith then allowed the electrical current to flow through the tungsten and back up through the titanium. Funny enough, the entire enterprise isn’t nearly as elegant in the movies, but obviously our technology is not as advanced. One of Hobson’s friends actually makes a second one of the weapons and they duke it out in protective suits. The visual is just really cool.

For the fans out there hankering for some more fast-paced lightsaber action, The Mandalorian will be there in the fall to entertain everyone. Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Moff Gideon in the series, talked about how much swordplay Season 2 will have last month.

“The prop guys are wondering about me because I was in a bit of a commotion and a bit of a struggle with someone else, which I’m hoping you will enjoy when you see it,” Esposito said at FAN EXPO Vancouver. “Major, major, epic, epic lightsaber action happening on this show, and I should mention that I’m the only character in this first season who was able to be honored with having that lightsaber. So it feels wonderful.”

“It feels wonderful to have that iconic weapon in my hand. It takes some getting used to, as it is longer than a normal sword or saber,” Esposito continued. “And of course, it is shorter when you turn it off. So you have to figure out how to work the handle. And when you’re using a saber like that, you have to think of — you can’t really hit, because it’ll bend. It has that [humming], it vibrates with that light and that energy … so you have to strike as if you’re trying to hit someone with the heel of your hand, as opposed to letting the saber go out. So you keep your wrist straight. It feels powerful, it feels wonderful. I broke three of them last week [laughs].”

Are you impressed by the work done on this proto-saber? Let us know in the comments!