Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the products in our store:
Refunds Policy
We do not offer Refunds, Cancellations, or Returns on our products as they are handcrafted to order and made specifically for each customer. This is also applies to any deadlines, issues with construction times, or Buyer's Remorse. We are not responsible for events, or their time frames though we do try our best to accommodate customers. Should there be an issue with the products function and it is covered under our warranty , we will be glad to service or replace the product at our discretion. In the event that we accidentally ship you the wrong item, of course we will take care of getting you the item you ordered and take care of all shipping charges incurred in making it right.
Shipping
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations. PLEASE NOTE that international buyers are responsible for all customs charges, VAT taxes and ay other fees charged by their home country. Vader's Vault is not responsible for these charges and have no way of calculating or estimating these charges for customers.
Estimated lead/wait times for sabers are posted in red, in the descriptions of each category of sabers. These times are 'estimates' and as such, aren't set in stone.
Please note we reserve the right to substitute shipping carriers unless specifically told in writing through the store messaging system not to. Due to the worldwide pandemic, some carriers are no longer shipping to certain areas or have drastically increased prices in certain areas, or are having delivery issues in certain areas. As a result, we occasionally have to substitute one carrier for the next in order to insure your package arrives safely and in a timely manner.
"Can I change my address if I move or am out of town when it is time to ship my saber?"
Of course you can! We are happy to accommodate. However, your request needs to be in writing through the store messaging system. To accomplish this you need to go to the website, LOG IN, find your order number and send message. DO NOT use email, the contact us form, social media or phone. For your protection and ours, all address changes need to be on the message on the appropriate order.
"Can you declare the value of my package low so that I don't have to pay customs fees or taxes?"
No. Not only is this mail fraud and could have legal ramifications for us, but doing so would negate the value of the insured package and should anything happen in transit, you wouldn't be covered.
Shipping Insurance
All Vader's Vault sabers will be automatically insured at the customer's expense whether you select 'none' or choose to pay. There is a software limitation on this platform, and this is the way we have to add insurance. Trust us, if you ever need it, you'll be glad you had it, and so will we. The last thing we want to do is eat something because the shipping carrier lost or damaged it, and we're pretty sure you, as the customer, don't want to be out any money.
Lead Times
How long will it take to get my Saber?
This is the most often asked question in Saberland. Build time ESTIMATES are posted and updated on the main Combat Class sabers page, in bold, red text. Keep in mind that while we start orders almost immediately, they are hand built to your specifications and take TIME. These aren't cheap toys, they are usable, functional, AWESOME props. They go in stages of like kind and time range, and are not necessarily built or shipped in order. This means that some people who ordered before you could wait longer, and some who ordered later than you could have a shorter wait. It isn't personal, we do things here in a way that makes the most sense for efficiency. Please be patient with us, and rest assured that you will get your saber. You can also always call us at 470-839-2551. However, while we are more than happy to communicate with our customers via phone or email/messaging, we cannot tell you where your specific saber is in the build process. Sorting/sifting through thousands of orders to do that would take valuable time and staff resources that we cannot afford to do.
Can I order any of the sabers as an "empty" hilt? I just need it for a belt hanger for an upcoming event.
No. We do not sell empty hilts as it does not fit into our business model of providing the 'complete' custom saber experience.
Can I open my Combat Class Saber in the middle?
Most Combat Class sabers ordered after April 1st 2019 are accessible via unscrewing the grip at the middle. Care still needs to be taken when doing so as to avoid cross threading pieces. Certain models are still excluded from this: Revanchist, Brawler, Legionnaire. Combat Class Sabers Shipped prior to July 2019 are currently only accessible via the pommel. Opening it any other way or tampering with it will void the warranty.
Where can I get sound fonts for my Vader's Vault saber?
We are lucky to have many great custom saber soundfont authors in this community. Most can be found at Saberfont.com and you can browse from over 700 different saber soundfonts and purchase them for download. Saberfont.com is the largest Saberfont vending machine in the Galaxy! Support our soundfont makers because, without them, there would be only glowy flashlights.
My saber is having symptoms typical of a low battery but I just charged it. What gives?
If your saber is a Combat Class model with a removable solution and you have a 'grey' 2 bank Tenergy charger, take a look on the side of your charger and make sure the charger is set to 4.2V. If it is set to 3V it will never get enough of a charge to properly run the saber. (some of our newer chargers are automatic and do not have a slide switch). If you have a later model charger with no switch that connects via USB-C make sure you're using an appropriate charging block/adapter and NOT connecting to a computer USB port that does not put out the appropriate charging amperage. The other thing is, keep in mind, Lithium Ion batteries can swell during charging. This means that they can pop up ever so slightly from the charger. The charger will indicate the battery is fully charged but it is not. The way to check this is to get in the habit of every time you charge your battery, when you remove it from the charger, pop it right back in. If the light stays green you are good to go, if it turns red it did not take a full charge and needs more charging.
Why can't I buy your Starkiller™ saber or any of the other sabers that I see in your gallery?
Our Master Class sabers or custom built sabers are usually either built to a customer's specific design requirements or something that we came up with and just....made, and then sold privately. Sabers like the Qui, or the Starkiller™ are sabers that are made in limited quantities and done in "runs" on a first come first serve basis when we announce a run. In the future, when we do runs, the spot sales will be handled through the store.
Can I get any other powdercoating options on the Combat Class™ sabers?
We offer a ton of different customization options, more than anyone else, including virtually any powdercoating color you can imagine, laser engraving, and acid etching, etc. Any options that aren't listed on the product pages for any saber, 'might' be available, but would be a custom order and you would need to discuss it with us via direct email at: sabersmith@vadersvault.com , you will find we can happily accommodate most requests. If you have already placed your order, the preferred method of contact is to log into your account on the website, find the messages tab, pull your order number from the dropdown, and compose your message and click send.
On your in house manufactured led blades, why don't you glue your diffusion film into your blades like other companies?
We have found after over 15 years of making many thousands of blades, that the film inside gets creased or krinkled after time from not being able to flex upon itself when glued into the blade. Saber blades flex, even when just swinging or spinning around. If you keep the film stationary and the blade flexes, the film will crease. Not gluing the film in allows the film to spiral in on itself and flex with the blade. We have blades in the house that have seen years of use with no creasing. The only thing is, you have to take care when removing the blade not to let the film drop out and use your included dust cap to keep dust out, and the film in.
Why are your blades 'frosted' looking, and can I get them totally clear like "insert competitor's name here"?
Our in house made blades are frosted as part of the diffusion method. It does many things, but mostly, it brings the light all the way to the edge of the blade, eliminating that "light in a tube" look that clear blades give. It also does so, without washing out the blade color like a 'tinted' or 'white' blade does. We have developed our method of diffusion over the last 10 years and it is part of what makes our blades legendary and sought after, not to mention often immitated. No, we will not compromise our standards to just sell you a blade that is made like dozens of other blade makers out there.
Can I use a standard grade blade to duel against a heavy grade blade? Or a 7/8" blade against a 1" blade?
No. You can use a standard grade 1" against a standard grade 1", a heavy grade 1" against a heavy grade 1", a standard grade 7/8" against a standard 7/8" or a heavy grade 7/8" against a heavy grade 7/8", but you cannot mix and match. The lighter weight blade will always be at a disadvantage because of...physics :)
What "wattage" are your in hilt LEDs? How do they compare with so and so's 1.21gigawattsuperplus LED?
Ok, first off, 'wattage' is just the power consumed by the LED and has little bearing on how 'bright' an LED is. How bright an LED is, can be determined by many factors, however what IS important in sabers, is HOW BRIGHT THE BLADE IS. See, it makes no sense to have a great LED, pumped with all the juice it can eat out of a battery and then simply waste its light with poor optics, poor blade construction or both. Number one: Know your technology, it's uses, and it's limits. We use what is considered the best and brightest LED tech on the market that can safely be powered inside a saber hilt. Right now, that is the Cree XPE-2. Next month, something else 'might' be better, but we'll test the heck out of it before we commit to using it in a saber. We also use an optics solution that was DESIGNED for the LED itself. Cramming a bunch of LEDs onto a star PCB and then looking for a lens that 'might' work, isn't science, and it's not good business. Our criteria is that the LED be bright (and we ARE fans of brightness around here), have a good optics solution so that you can get the light up the blade AND not have ridiculous base flare and and uneven blade (Base flare is a blade that is bright at the bottom and dim the rest of the way up). We are known for having some of the brightest in hilt sabers in the world, but also for having the most EVEN and full looking blades as well. So when you see "wattage", don't get sucked into that marketing gimmick. If you want the brightest saber on the market, choose pixel from the drop down. In hilt LEDs from any manufacturer will never compare to pixel. While we are known for the brightness of our in hilt LEDs, ever since we pioneered pixel in production sabers back in 2017, pixel has been king. Long live the king.
My Combat Class saber is making lots of swing noises when sitting on the table, is it broken?
No. Two things, the first is that if you have an older model that has a Crystal Shard v2.5 -v3.0 your battery is probably low and you should charge it. On these sabers, we drive the LED pretty hard, and when the battery gets to a certain level, the soundboard and the LED start fighting over power. The result of this is the random swings. Second, a saber sitting on a hard surface is prone to other types of vibrations and will sometimes generate random swings from these vibrations that would not normally happen with your saber in hand.
My speaker is making crackling noise, is it broken?
No. Newer generation Plecter boards will have speaker crackle when the battery is low, so you should probably charge it. On these sabers, we drive the LED/Pixels pretty hard, and when the battery gets to a certain level, the soundboard and the LED/Pixels start fighting over power. The result of this can lead to speaker crackle. On the newer Crystal Focus X, you can also enable a vocal message to indicate low battery.
