SaberSourcing recently interviewed Bendu Armory founder Andrew Woods. We talked about his new custom saber company, which is making a name for itself by constructing carbon fiber lightsabers.
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Here are the top four things we learned about the carbon fiber lightsaber manufacturer, Bendu Armory.
Watch Top 4 Things We Learned from Bendu Armory’s Interview with SaberSourcing.com on YouTube
1. The Innovative QuickSwap Chassis was Created Out of Necessity
One of the more interesting parts about Bendu Armory’s new lightsabers, in addition to them being made out of carbon fiber, is their use of the QuickSwap Chassis. The QuickSwap Chassis, developed by Bendu Armory, allows lightsaber enthusiasts to change the appearance of the lightsaber very quickly by sliding the chassis out of the hilt and popping it into a different hilt. The QuickSwap Chassis could also help facilitate easier access to lightsaber internals for inspection and repairs. The QuickSwap Chassis’ versatility differentiates Bendu Armory and its lightsaber system from other major custom saber companies.
The reason Bendu Armory developed the QuickSwap chassis, though, was because the company’s carbon fiber lightsaber hilts are comprised of only one, single piece. A single hilt piece, rather than multiple hilt pieces, grossly limits a sabersmith’s access to interior of the hilt during an electronics install. Bendu Armory developed the QuickSwap chassis to streamline the electronics install process.
2. Which Bendu Armory’s Parts are Compatible with Other Custom Saber Companies
Compatibility among saber companies is always a popular topic among lightsaber enthusiasts. Bendu Armory’s neopixel blades are 1 inch in diameter and are compatible with neopixel lightsabers from other custom saber companies that use 1 inch diameter blades. As of the posting of this article, the 1 inch diameter neopixel blade is the ONLY piece that Bendu Armory says is compatible with other custom saber brands. The Bendu Armory hilt and QuickSwap Chassis are NOT advertised as being compatible with other custom saber companies.
3. Some of the Background of Andrew Woods (Bendu Armory founder)
Andrew Woods, a Mechanical Engineering student, became a Star Wars fan in 1997 with the Special Edition re-release of the Original Star Wars trilogy. His two favorite lightsabers from Star Wars Canon or Legends are: “Mace Windu’s (Because its freakin’ purple!) and the Storm Trooper Saber (It’s black and white and the thought of seeing a legion of troopers with lightsabers excites me.).”
4. Bendu Armory Plans to Release a Line of Aluminum Lightsaber Hilts
Even though Bendu Armory is becoming known through the custom saber community for developing carbon fiber lightsabers, the company plans to also develop aluminum lightsaber hilts “to appeal to those who only want aluminum.” Some lightsaber enthusiasts have stated that they prefer the weight and feel of aluminum or metal lightsabers and the proposed Bendu Armory aluminum hilts could help entice potential customers who would otherwise be reluctant to purchase a carbon fiber lightsaber.
Bendu Armory plans for the aluminum lightsaber hilts to use the same QuickSwap Chassis system as their carbon fiber lightsaber hilts, so that buyers of aluminum hilts decide “they want to try carbon fiber later on, they can and vice versa.”
Read the Full SaberSourcing Interview with Andrew Woods here
How Bendu Armory Developed the Carbon Fiber Lightsaber: An Interview with Founder Andrew Woods
Bendu Armory website benduarmory.com
Photo Credit: Bendu Armory
