An in-depth explanation of Flowsaber Carbon's most popular configurations and why people like them.
Single Saber Flow Configuration:
Specs: 16-18" carbon fiber hilt length, steel or acrylic flow pommel, 27-29" thin wall neopixel blade.
Description: This setup is excellent for Flow Arts. This is our "standard" flow configuration using a NeoPixel core. Our steel flow pommel is slightly lower profile compared to the acrylic pommel providing a clean aesthetic and is also usable for light sparring. Comparatively our acrylic flow pommel offers a much wider diameter which dramatically reduces the roll speed of the saber on your body contributing to a much improved handling characteristics for advanced Flow Arts movement. Most folks from a traditional martial arts background or amature saber spinners prefer the low profile aesthetic of our steel pommel, whilst expert Flow Artists will deeply appreciate the classic handling of our acrylic flow pommel for performing tricks such as "matrixes" and full body contact rolls.
Single Saber Sparring Configuration:
Specs: 9" carbon fiber hilt length, steel sparring pommel, 30"+ blade, thick wall blade, approximately 600g total weight.
Description: This setup is best for sparring; if you are accustomed to a well-balanced HEMA-style longsword or single-handed sword, you will be amazed at how familiar and buttery smooth this configuration feels. Feel free to choose a blade length that best suits your height. We recommend a 30 to 34-inch blade. Our general guidelines for sparring hilt lengths range from 9 inches (optimal for a longsword configuration) up to around 14 inches which would be considered an extended longsword configuration or hybrid sparring/flow configuration. Anything above 14 inches certainly still works for sparring however, you will begin to notice a decline in usable blade surface area for getting into "binds" with an opponent, which may or may not affect your particular application of sparring.
Single Saber Ultralight Flow Configuration:
Specs: 12-16" carbon fiber hilt length, steel hybrid pommel, 25-27" length thin wall blade, approximately 550-600g total weight.
Description: Using a thin wall blade, this setup creates a comfortable, slightly forward-oriented flow grip, or alternatively, using a thick wall blade will create a perfect longsword-style configuration for sparring. This is sometimes a preferred setup for some Martial Artists who like their saber to be more on the lighter side for flow for faster spinning styles and toss-catch type manipulation whilst maintaining the ability to swap thin wall blades with a thick wall blade for sparring. This build with a thin wall blade is the preferred configuration for "Levi wand" style "leash" manipulation.
Saber staff Configuration:
Specs: 16-18" carbon fiber hilt length, (any 2 cores of the same type), no pommel, 25" thick wall blade.
If you plan on using a saber staff, consider using our 25" saber staff standard length. With our 25" blade and a 16-18" hilt, your saber staff is approximately 70 inches long, which is an excellent average-size staff length for most people. If you go up to a 26-inch blade, you will have a 72-inch staff. Generally, it's best not to use a staff taller than your total height. For spinning purposes, some even prefer staff length below chin height. See our blade chart guide for more info.