Actually, I would say the new saber makes more sense, handguards are useful. Only problem I have with it, is that the handguard could still get cut off, unless the saber is made out of cortosis or something like that... EDIT: And I agree with @@NumberWan, people always seem to reject new and fresh ideas if it doesn't fit with their nostalgia. Now granted, you probably do have good reasons for rejecting them, but still...seems like the same thing every movie (not referring to you @@hleV, just people in general). EDIT 2: Also, the unstable blade is most likely a result of the crystal being used for it - red blades aren't natural, they have to be synthetically made, which is why Jedi don't typically use them.