I want to brainstorm ideas to "fix" Hot Toy's lightsabers.

So I just got my Clone Wars Obi-wan with the LED USB lightsaber and it's a little underwhelming. I have the Obi-wan Vader with the USB lightsaber and it looks a lot better. But it got me thinking is there a way to improve these USB sabers. Yes I know there are custom sabers you can buy (I own some CCFL sabers and it's a mixed bag IMO for the simple fact that you can never use them without burning them out super fast).

I principally was thinking of ways you could change the blade.

I for one kind of hate that Hot Toys settled on Lightsabers having a tapered conical shape. As far as I know Lightsabers don't really have this shape as depicted in much of the media. The only time I think I've seen them with this shape is in some of the effects used in the OT when it's a bit off and definitely in the game Jedi Knight, but in the PT, animated shows and the ST they definitely have a straight look to them.

Beyond that Lightsabers are not transparent. I do not know why all toy versions of lightsabers settled on this idea, but HT is guilty of this as well. Lightsabers are actually opaque emitting a white glow from the center. I cannot think of a single toy that has actually depicted them as such. As such I am curious if this is possible to make, ie a lightsaber with a solid white core that is covered with a transparent color. That doesn't seem impossible. And honestly with the light-up function that the HT come with I think that could work.

Does anyone know of custom sabers like this? If not I think someone should make it. I don't know why HT (and for that matter the entire toy industry) settled on clear plastic as what lightsabers should be.

I'm interested in your thoughts.