Quote Originally Posted by theangelJean View Post
New comic.

I always assumed they had a "only on when pressed" button. Turning them on was always a separate step from unsheathing them, which distinguished them from swords in a visually impressive way. I figured the button required constant contact, rather than being a toggle switch. (Some RL lightsaber toys work exactly that way, probably to save battery.) Now that I think about it, though, that would also mean a lightsaber could never be a thrown weapon - it would turn off in mid-air.

I didn't kill the thread this time! Yay!
IIRC in the Legends canon lightsabers by default turned off if you released the power button, but there was a switch or something you could toggle to lock the blade on. I haven't engaged with any of the Disney canon EU, so I don't know if there's a similar concept there.