The force is strong with this teardown

The guys at iFixit procured a lightsaber through Endor's eBay affiliate—it's travelled more than twelve parsecs to get here—and now, it's time to tear it down. Listen up, nerfherders: We've got a lightsaber on the teardown table. Before we dive in, let's take a look at the specs:

• Manufacturer: Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Crystal: single blue Adegan crystal
• Production date: 22 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin)
• Length: 15.8 cm

If only we were Force adepts, we could release this interior clasp with a simple wave of the hand. Instead, we nudge it free with the tip of a spudger, revealing the crystal chamber. Master Kenobi must have had long-term repairability in mind during its construction—it's incredibly easy to access the crystal chamber, with its single Adegan crystal.

It seems Obi-Wan saw fit to include a charging port on his lightsaber. Lucky for us, he decided to use a standard DC barrel jack connector. You won't find any regular old lithium ion batteries here! This lightsaber features a diatium power cell. The Force is strong with this one—the recharge port seems a tad redundant, as a properly-maintained diatium power cell will last indefinitely. We gingerly remove both the cycling field energizer and the focusing crystal activator from atop the crystal chamber. Misaligned crystals could cause a lightsaber to explode the instant it's powered on.

Excited to get an unobstructed view of the primary crystal, we pull back the energy modulation circuits—and lift away the crystal chamber cooling fins. We finally arrive at the heart of the lightsaber, the primary crystal. This particular lightsaber uses a blue Adegan crystal, typical of a Jedi. Sith lightsabers are commonly made with synthetic red crystals. Arguably the most important component, Adegan crystals are known for their Force-sensitive properties. Once properly attuned to the Force, a crystal is built into the lightsaber. Over time, the crystal will form a special bond with its wielder. And may the fourth be with you. ---- Images: © iFixit - and as always, you will find the entire teardown at ifixit