Weaponsmiths Create Retractable Plasma Lightsaber That Can Slice Through Metal

It is an elegant weapon, for a more civilized age… and it is also cool AF.

A group of weaponsmiths have built the world’s first fully-functional retractable 4000° plasma blade — in other words, a lightsaber.

The Hacksmith James Hobson unveiled the astounding creation on his YouTube channel on Thursday, a project he has been working on for years, and Star Wars fans have been dreaming about for decades.

“A real, retractable, plasma-based lightsaber: the pinnacle of sci-fi tech, and probably one of the most sought-after fictional technologies, ever,” he said without a parsec of exaggeration.

In the fascinating 18-minute video, he detailed how he and his team built the Jedi weapon, that can literally cut through a steel door — and he proves it.

The creation is more of a “protosaber”, which in Star Wars lore was the precursor to the lightsaber; as it requires a separate power source in an attached backpack; but the minor limitation makes the stunning steampunk-style creation no less impressive.

The blade is created by funneling compressed liquid propane gas through a $4k laminar flow nozzle, similar to one used in the glassblowing industry, which “is capable of cutting through a lot of stuff.”

The blade can be rendered different colors by adding different chemical compounds to burn at the base: boric acid creates a Luke-esqe green, while calcium chloride makes a fiery Vader red.

A carefully programmed circuit board meanwhile controls the valves to ensure the blade ignites and retracts to the correct length, with just a flick of a switch, every time.

Mesmerizing as the video may be, the creators only offer a glimpse of the saber in action at the end; the full weapon test is reserved for paying Patreon supporters and YouTube members.

He does offer a tantalizing clip of them boring through a steel door just like Qui-Gon Jinn in “The Phantom Menace”, as well as a stormtrooper having his blaster chopped in half.

If you can bear to wait, the full lightsaber test video goes public on October 14.