Correct D-ring for a Luke ANH Graflex Saber?

Hello,

I am new here and still getting used to the crazy amount of information available here. So if there is a definite answer out there maybe I am missing it.

What is the correct D-ring for a Luke ANH Graflex saber. I have a vintage graflex, a real Exactra calculator strip and a friend of mine hooked me up with a set of 7 Gino t-track grips. Just looking for the most accurate d-ring. I appreciate any and all help. Thank you.

If you haven't yet, check out this thread. http://www.therpf.com/f79/luke-anh-lightsaber-d-ring-103270/index2.html

Lots of great info!

I'm pretty sure a regular one-hole dring from Tandy Leather is almost exactly the correct size/shape based on matching photos of other drings used on other props/costumes.

Hi there,

if I had not attached a custom D-ring already on the designated ANH graflex ... I would have put this D-ring on since it is still attached to a graflex case for a smaller graflex camera then a 4x5" :



Chaim

Thanks so much for the info

'That's it' to qoute Vader on the Hoth power generator. I have been very curious about the D ring and came across what Sym-Cha posted. I bought a case with a camera with the same d-ring. At first I thought they may have used some of the camera handle mounts and put a d ring into it. But then I took off the D ring and the mount as in Sym-Cha's photo, I folded it over and got it to move freely. I attached it to my graflex hilt with some double sided tape and held it up to a projected image of the promo shot of Luke standing and scaled the photo to the real life size of the graflex flash. The D ring matched up perfectly, I am convinced 100%

I rewatched ANH carefully, some of the best reference spots are in the scene where Luke and Obi are by the jawa's crawler. I noticed and questioned a couple of things.

1. We see that in the scene there is one T track grip missing, from 7 to 6. It must have been lost, this explains the transition to ESB 6 grips.
2. Why did they change the D ring set up for ESB. If you notice the ESB D ring assembly has two rivets, and looks very secure. It could be that the first D ring from ANH only had one rivet, and swiveled around a lot and came loose. Also it may have been taken off and repositioned, evidence from promo photos to screen shots seems to support this. I think the D ring was riveted in the center of the graflex at first, but upon wearing it it may have been too uncomfortable and then moved so the ring was closer to the edge/rim of the hilt, which would be more comfortable to wear. I also notice most people attach the D ring to the toe shot, which is not screen accurate.

This D ring from the graflex camera case is the only D ring I have seen that has a prominant curve before the two ends bend in. The prop guy would have used what was on hand. My case came with a Graflex camera that used the flash unit that was used in the X wing cockpit, so the prop guy likely had this case also, and used the D ring from it IMO.

Thanks Sym-Cha for posting that pic

While the d-ring on camera cases are a good match with d-rings present on many other ANH props (bowcaster, gun belts, etc..) the prop makers had a good supply of stock d-rings most likely purchased from a surplus store similar to switches and turntable pulleys.It's cool to take a vintage d-ring off a camera case and use it on a lightsaber, but most likely it was not used on the actual film lightsaber.

Sym-Cha said:

Hi there,

if I had not attached a custom D-ring already on the designated ANH graflex ... I would have put this D-ring on since it is still attached to a graflex case for a smaller graflex camera then a 4x5" :

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz258/Sym-Cha/GraflexCase04.jpg

Chaim

Click to expand...

The metal piece holding the d-ring looks pretty similar to one holding the d-ring on Luke's saber. Who's to say they didn't just lift the whole setup off the case and reattach it to the hilt with a new rivet? I see what you're saying James, about having a whole supply of d-rings to choose from, but why go to all that work?

Yes, good eye lester..
I think so, too. Seems to be a good catch on symchas graflexcase:thumbsup
If you look for D-rings I would also look for vintage german army backpacks and also other army surplus. There is also a D-ring on Lukes douple-pouch (swiss army) from his belt.

Aison could you post any pics of your D-ring comparison, please?

Chaim

Andymac84 said:

Yes, good eye lester..
I think so, too. Seems to be a good catch on symchas graflexcase:thumbsup
If you look for D-rings I would also look for vintage german army backpacks and also other army surplus. There is also a D-ring on Lukes douple-pouch (swiss army) from his belt.

Click to expand...

Chaim is the one with the good eye! Lifting the whole assembly would have been the path of least resistance. All the prop guy would have had to do is remove the assembly and replace the rivet. Would have taken minutes and cost nothing. Given they lifted the attachment off the Kolbold and used it on the ESB saber, it makes sense they lifted this assembly as well. Why spend money when you don't have to? To Aison's point, probably used it for ANH, wasn't as secure as they would have liked, so they used the Kolbold the second time around, again, something they had on hand rather than searching or buying something new to use. Same theory applies to adding screws to the T-track in ESB.

Chaim, can you snap a few pics of the case D-ring attachment next to the one you created from this thread?
http://www.therpf.com/f9/show-off-luke-anh-d-ring-clip-custom-made-hand-70121/

Chaim's pics and D-ring thread
http://www.therpf.com/f9/these-d-rings-weve-been-looking-173497/

Yep ... meanwhile the D-ring is still attached to the case ... though with enough light I can shoot a comparison with my G R A F L EX custom D-ring tomorrow for y'all Perhaps in the meantime Aison could show us his configuration? I love a thread with lots of pictures

Chaim

Wow, did not expect this to spark such a quick response. Water will travel the path of least resistance, which logic seems to fit, "use a graflex flash for a lightsaber, or in a cockpit of an x wing (Graflex Graflite 3 cell in which the case had the D ring I used) why not use the D ring from a case" The fact the Graflite is used in the X wing means they had the camera, and likely a case and the D ring in question. For me the personal clincher is holding it up to the projected image, my wall is a very large screen for home theater. Anyway here a a couple of pics.

Nice pics Aison. The contour of the outer edge of the clip in your pic looks awful similar to the same contour in this pic. There's a bit of a dip as opposed to being a nice straight fold.

Thanks lesternessman, that pic you posted, familiar to me it is, mmmmm. The placement of the D ring is the same as the Toe shot pic and the one of Luke standing, I have been messing around and now realise that the only difference from the promotional shots, and the screen used is that the top part of the Graflex has been switched around, not the D ring, however the one rivet probably did wear loose and broke at some point, and why ESB has a more secure two rivet set up. (If it aint broke, dont fix it). I have tried to take a better toe shot reference picture.

I am going to take another pic of it at the same angle as the Promo of Luke standing for a side by side comparison later.

Just found Roygilsing's reply to me on another thread, he reversed engineered dimensions from a photo, amazing enough, he got it spot on, I measured the inner diameter of this D ring and it was exactly 22mm

Hi Aison,

Hopefully I can also contribute something to this (old) thread and to your search for the proper D-ring.
I am also looking for the best possible D-ring lately and I have been discussing this also with Sym-Cha the other week.
Today I did some reverse engineering on the famous 'toe-pic' of the Luke's ANH lightsaber:

I created a realistic 3D model of the Graflex and matched the perspective with the image in Rhino. I then checked and scaled the D-ring until it fitted the image as good as possible.



My estimation is the following dimensions of the D-ring:


So, it is somewehere in between a 3/4" and 1" size D-ring, with an inner diameter of 22mm.
I have found one like this before on a German website: D-Ring mit Clip

But I was wondering about something else: why is the clip of the D-ring looking so white on the picture!
It looks like something other then metal is covering the clip. Maybe painted? Or maybe a custom attachment was created to fix the D-ring? Maybe this is what Chaim mentioned about what James Kenobi 1138 was referring to. Also: no standard D-ring with clip seem to have such a wide clip attached. They are normally smaller than the 19mm.

Good luck in your search!

Roy

Wow! That is amazing Aison! Besides the dimensions, I notice the bright color of the clip in your picture, which is also clearly visible in the toe-pic.

Indeed great find Aison, ... nice clear pictures ... looks spot on to me

Here's mine still attached to the camera case and with my custom designed D-ring + clip in comparison as requested :





It's already nicely weathered due to oxidation in progress

Chaim

Ok... so what was the D-ring that they used for the ESB lightsaber (which happens to be my current build)

Kobold or Linhof Mount