Attack of the clones: 星／主役にする Wars fan and engineer designs $255 replica lightsaber after toy 蓄える／店s failed to 申し込む／申し出 '現実主義の' models

  • Taipei engineer Makoto Tsai?has shipped around 1,000 sabers to 40 countries
  • Prices start at $255, but 地元の fans are typically 申し込む／申し出d a half price 割引
  • Fans have long complained that the 公式の／役人 lightsabers on the market are flimsy?

By Afp

Published: | Updated:

失望させるd by the 欠如（する） of 質 lightsabers in toy shops, Makoto Tsai did what any self-尊敬（する）・点ing hardcore 星／主役にする Wars fan would do -- he 熟考する／考慮するd 工学 at college and then spent years perfecting a replica.

The 36-year-old is part of a small group of artisans around the world who have (1)偽造する／(2)徐々に進むd successful careers 手渡す-（手先の）技術ing remarkably 現実主義の models of the movie saga's famous energy swords.

As fans gather globally on May 4th for what has become the 非公式の 星／主役にする Wars Day -- this year 嘆く／悼むing the death of 非常に高い Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew -- many will be clutching one of Tsai's lightsabers, made in his workshop 近づく Taipei.

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Frustrated by the lack of quality lightsabers in toy shops, Makoto Tsai did what any self-respecting hardcore Star Wars fan would do -- he studied engineering at college and then spent years perfecting a replica

失望させるd by the 欠如（する） of 質 lightsabers in toy shops, Makoto Tsai did what any self-尊敬（する）・点ing hardcore 星／主役にする Wars fan would do -- he 熟考する／考慮するd 工学 at college and then spent years perfecting a replica

In the past １０年間 he has shipped around 1,000 blades to some 40 countries as diverse as the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs, フラン and Cuba to Peru, アイスランド and Tunisia.?

Prices start at $255 and around 80 パーセント of his orders come from abroad.

地元の and 民族の Chinese fans are 申し込む／申し出d a half price 割引, 供給するing that they pass a written 実験（する） 'to 証明する they have enough passion for 星／主役にする Wars'.

'I 手渡す-make every piece of work so it's very intimate to me. I only want those who really like it to own it,' he told AFP at his memorabilia filled workshop.

星／主役にする Wars may be a multi-billion dollar Hollywood franchise but fans have long complained that the 公式の／役人 lightsabers on the market are flimsy and disappointing 見解／翻訳／版s of the whizzing, crackling, swords seen in the films.

As a result a whole cottage 産業 has sprung up of replica 製造業者s filling a gap that more 設立するd companies have uncharacteristically failed to fill.

Advances in battery, LED and computing technology have helped artisans create increasingly sophisticated replica lightsabers, many of them choosing to avoid overt branding from the films to reduce their exposure on copyright issues

前進するs in 殴打／砲列, LED and 計算するing 科学（工学）技術 have helped artisans create ますます sophisticated replica lightsabers, many of them choosing to 避ける overt branding from the films to 減ずる their （危険などに）さらす on copyright 問題／発行するs

前進するs in 殴打／砲列, LED and 計算するing 科学（工学）技術 have helped these artisans create ますます sophisticated replicas, many of them choosing to 避ける overt branding from the films to 減ずる their （危険などに）さらす on copyright 問題／発行するs.

有望な tubes of light and 動議-linked 音声部の cards 類似の to the film's sound 影響s are now 基準.

の中で fans of the custom saber scene, California-based Michael Murphy is known as 'Yoda'. His online shop and 会議 FXSabers.com is the go to place for those 貿易（する）ing tips on where to buy and how to build the best lightsabers.

'As far as people doing 取り付け・設備s like myself and Makoto, I'd say it's grown from the 初めの group of 25 支援する in the 早期に years to 井戸／弁護士席 over 100 people out there in 会議s and on Facebook 申し込む／申し出ing services for sabers in one way or another,' he told AFP.

The 初めの lightsaber （権力などを）行使するd by Luke Skywalker in the first 1977 instalment -- a remarkably 予算 生産／産物 compared to its lavish follow-ups -- was little more than the 扱う of an old G raflex camera flash.

Those retro flashes have now become 悪名高くも hard to source thanks to 星／主役にする Wars fans. The most expensive fan-built lightsaber replicas which feature 初めの Graflex 扱うs have sold for as much as $15,000 on eBay.

As fans gather globally on May 4th for what has become the unofficial Star Wars Day -- this year mourning the death of towering Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew -- many will be clutching one of Makoto Tsai's lightsabers, made in his workshop near Taipei

As fans gather globally on May 4th for what has become the 非公式の 星／主役にする Wars Day -- this year 嘆く／悼むing the death of 非常に高い Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew -- many will be clutching one of Makoto Tsai's lightsabers, made in his workshop 近づく Taipei

Tsai first fell for 星／主役にする Wars as a 十代の少年少女 and his 追求（する），探索（する） for a 現実主義の lightsaber 誘発するd him to 熟考する／考慮する electro-光学の 工学 and then work in that 産業 until he became a 十分な-time lightsaber 製造者 over a １０年間 ago.

Tsai said he 絶えず 研究s to make his lightsabers 'brighter, more 持続する and easier to manoeuver' so they can be used in 盗品故買者ing, which he has been 促進するing in Taiwan with 正規の／正選手 duels.

The 商売／仕事 also supports fan and charity 集会s he organises 解放する／自由な-of-告発（する），告訴（する）／料金.

'I spend two-thirds of my time organising events. My 使節団 is to 促進する 星／主役にする Wars in Taiwan as hard as I can to draw out more fans,' he 追加するd.

One of Tsai's proudest moments was an 遠出 to Taiwan's 大統領の office on last year's 星／主役にする Wars Day.

Darth Vader, Chewbacca and a motley 乗組員 of intergalactic characters 詠唱するd 'May the 軍隊 be with you' と一緒に 副大統領 Chen Chien-jen, while toy gun-こどもing stormtroopers joined 軍の police to stand guard outside the 目印 in downtown Taipei.

Makoto Tsai's lightsabers retail from $255 per item

Makoto Tsai's lightsabers 小売 from $255 per item

This year fans will gather 近づく the renowned Taipei 101 超高層ビル to 示す the day, he said.

With plenty more 星／主役にする Wars films planned by the Disney-owned franchise in the years ahead, Tsai is 確信して he'll have new 世代s of fans flocking to buy his sabres.

'I am very 楽観的な that there will be more and more die-hard fans and we can definitely keep the 勢い for at least another １０年間,' he said.

College student Kuo Shun-hao, 20, became a fan two years ago after watching the seventh instalment '星／主役にする Wars: The 軍隊 Awakens' -- the JJ Abrams reboot that brought fresh 批判的な acclaim to the franchise and a new windfall for Disney.

Kuo now 定期的に 盗品故買者s with his lightsabers.

'I like sparring and talking about 星／主役にする War movies with other fans,' he said, 追加するing: 'I am making new friends as there are often new people coming to our 盗品故買者ing 集会s.'

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