SANDY, Utah – It’s the weapon of choice for many in a galaxy far, far away, but you don't have to look very far to find a lightsaber of your own.
The iconic blades are at home in the deserts of Tatooine, the lofty heights of Cloud City, and, now, a garage in Sandy.
A Utah man is working to bring lightsabers to the masses here on Earth. Blair Maynes started selling the weapons online a year and a half ago.
"It started with just this work bench, and I just kind of worked my way out from there,” he said.
Maynes eventually realized there was big demand for his hobby, so he decided to pursue it full-time. But first, he had to convince his wife.
“And I didn't believe that, but it was true: he either had to quit his job or quit doing this,” Jennifer Peterson said with a laugh. “It was one of the two.”
Now, business at Salt Lake Saber Company is booming.
"Last year with this business, we made $68,000, and that was with half of the year being super, duper slow,” Peterson said.
Maynes said he dedicates a lot of time to the construction of new lightsabers.
“But it is a lot of work,” he said. “I mean, I live in the garage. Sleep four or five hours a day, and the rest of the time I’m pretty much out here."
Whether you prefer the purple glow reminiscent of Jedi Master Mace Windu, or the more traditional green used by Yoda, Qui Gon Jinn and others, Salt Lake Caber Co. has a blade for you.
"Each one comes with twelve colors, so you can change it up as much as you like,” Maynes said.
And if Jedi weapons aren't totally your style, Maynes also crafts cake knives for “Star Wars” themed weddings. He uses parts from local hardware stores, and he said each hilt takes about three hours.
"Anything that I think I can use at all, I buy and try to turn into something,” he said.
During the last 18 months, Salt Lake Saber Company has sold more than 1,300 lightsabers. For more information, visit the company’s Etsy shop.
