The lightsaber is the elegant weapon of the Jedi Knights. These powedrswords project blades of pure energy capable of cutting through most materials-except the blade of another lightsaber. The design seems simple from the exterior: a handgrip with several switches ends in a mirror-like concave metal disk. Inside the handgrip,power cells and variously shaped crystals are activated to produce the narrow beam of meter-long light that gives the lightsaber its name. When compared to blastersand other modern weapons, lightsabers are nonetheless impressive and powerful personal weapons that require extensive training to use effectively. Tradition dictates that lightsabers be constructed by their Jedi owners as part of the knighthood training.
The lightsaber is a compact technological wonder built into a handle from twenty-fourto thirty centemeters long. A single power cell produces a tremendous charge of energy which flows through a series of multifaceted jewels within the handle's interior. The jewels focus the energy into a tight beam that can be emitted from the concave disk atop the handle. Sabers with a single jewel have a fixed amplitude and bladelength. Those with multiple jewels can alter their amplitude and change their bladelength. The lightsaber's blade emits no heat, though it does floresce. See a lightsabersite (its pretty good).