The six month wait was totally worth getting this saber with the Gen 3 Thread in blade.
The stainless steal shroud around the LED module adds rigidity, and has given me confidence while dueling.
The saber itself is stunning; the chrome does not retain fingerprints as much as I expected, and the anodized grooves are quite comfortable.
I definitely prefer the new desin to the Mk1 Avenger, the hilt is overall far more comfortable.
The hilt is just large enough for a two handed grip, (my hands are large, spanning 9in pinky to thumb) and is comfortable to spin.
The pommel does dig into my off hand slightly, and the speaker is not as loud as I had hoped, although it is adequate. Volume can be adjusted.
On a final note the customer service was exemplary; every email and inquiry was answered, and Phil Isherwood personally answered many of my questions regarding the new Gen 3 Thread In blade's development, which was the cause of my 6 month wait. After seeing vids of blades breaking, it was really great to see SaberForge implement a fix, and it's been awesome being one of the first to get the new design.
I highly recommend this hilt and the Gen 3 Thread In Blade system.

The saber is awesome! Only one suggestion- I know there's a tab on the site for what commands corresponds to what effect, but not one specifically for Golden Harvest RBG. Also, a list with what sound-font correlates with what character/easier to recognize soundfont boot up names. Otherwise, great so far.

Felt really good in the hand

The hilt is absolutely gorgeous. It's a little heavy, but it's the coolest hilt I own now out of 7.

The power button came with a tab on it that says "Pull out". So of course I pulled the power button out and found it tethered with wires. Ummm, that's not what anyone should be doing, so I put it back in. SaberForge, please remove that tab before it reaches the consumer. The saber uses Micro USB rather than USB-C, so that's annoying. There is a slight wobble with the blade. I assume the part it screws into isn't entirely stable.

This is my second Golden Harvest Neopixel, where a majority of my sabers are DarkWolf Xenopixels and RGBs.

The GHv3 is absolute dumpster fire plagued with numerous issues out of the box. Saberforge has reconfigured the board to be more worse than it already is. First thing to do is to wipe the storage on the saber and replace it using the default files directly form Golden Harvest (see their website). It still leaves you with a plethora of problems. There is a top-secret facebook group you have to get invited to just to get a beta copy of a configurator program to reprogram the saber with ease.

The audio is also choppy time to time.

Note to Saberforge: Lightsabers DO NOT change colors when swinging. Please, just watch any form of Star Wars media and see for yourselves. Please start configuring your lightsabers better. I believe this to be yourfault since the default files from GH don't have this problem. Eitherway, you are the retailer, you should have the final authority to configure these right, if you truly know or care anything for Star Wars. Also, please clean up the SD Card. You have config files on there for every version of the saber, when this is a Neopixel, it should only have config settings for the Neopixel (Slot-9 IIRC).

Notes to GHv3 creators: 1. Lightsabers DO NOT change colors when deflecting or clashing. Please, just watch any form of Star Wars media and see for yourselves... 2. Lightsabers in Star Wars do not have preon and preoff effects... 3. Lightsabers have quick ignition and retraction speeds.

It's taken me some time, but I have reconfigured mine so that there is no color change on swing, or clash, or deflect, or force. I was also able to turn on no more than 3 pixels at a time during clash and deflect. For some dumb reason, GoldenHarvest thought was a funny joke to change the entire saber as if it was a base lit.

I urge SaberForge to either cut ties with Golden Harvest, or do a better job preconfiguring these sabers before they reach consumers.

Hilt: 4/5
Soundboard: 1/5

My fiancé is OBSESSED with it!!! Took about a month to get to the USA, arrived in time for Christmas! An incredible gift, incredible quality - thank you