The greatest Star Wars lightsabers are often built by fans. Here are some lightsaber construction processes – and their makers’ dedication. In Sacramento, California, 43 year old Michael Murphy makes a living by building high end custom lightsabers. Money quote from the Verge:
“I guess somewhere deep down I always wanted to be a toymaker,” Murphy tells me across the island in his kitchen. Except for the rack of lightsabers by the couch and the detailed blueprints and sample materials sitting on the counter, it feels like any suburban home in America. “Even though I originally wanted to build cars, those are just big toys. More dangerous. More money.” His eyes shift mischievously, and he laughs. “This is something that’s much more unique.”
Unique doesn’t even begin to cover it. For the past 10 years, Murphy’s made his living building LED-powered lightsabers, and the internal chassis that make them tick. The forums on his website, FX Sabers, are part of a thriving custom lightsaber scene, where designers, engineers, “sabersmiths,” and DIY tinkerers all collaborate in the name of building the ultimate Star Wars movie prop.
Murphy’s work doesn’t come cheap: he once sold a Luke Graflex lightsaber with removable blade and sound on Ebay for $3,900, a decent profit from the $800 worth of parts that it was made from. Interested in getting your own custom saber? Try his website, fx-sabers.