I scanned some photos from the new Making of The Empire Strikes Back book that I found interesting. I did not watermark these as they are not my photos and are publicly available.
Luke and Vader practicing the duel. Mark using the ANH shared Luke/Vader stunt, Prowse using the ANH V2 saber. You can tell Marks using the ANH stunt because you can see the white on/off button on between the grips, the old style Graflex knob on top and the Graflex glass eye on the bottom.
Different day, Mark is now using the V2 and Bob the shared ANH stunt (again, the white on/off visible )
Mark with Graflex based bladed stunt saber. This one has the 1/2 inch smooth/shiny chrome tape on the clamp and Graflex ears as well as both red buttons.
I believe Mark has the ANH stunt, but it's hard to tell at this angle but I'm pretty sure because there are no Graflex bunny ears and no Linhof d-ring on the bottom. Bob is using the V2 stunt.
Also note that Bob's inner cape is the short Hoth style. There is a member here (Carson Dyle ?) who showed pics of this shorter inner cape on a set of screen used and/or Tour suit.
Let there be no doubt in anyone's mind that an MPP was converted into a bladed stunt saber. Marks bladed stunt is a converted Graflex- full bunny ears and both red buttons.
It even has the circuit board in the clamp.
Again, Graflex converted bladed stunt.
It can't be the ANH shared Luke/Vader stunt because of the bunny ears plus the Graflex clamp is in the 3 o'clock position and not at 12 o'clock.
Kershner with the V2 stunt.
MPP Hero saber on set. Not the Barbican.
Here it gets interesting.
I think the bladed saber Mark is using is the one that we thought was the ROTJ Vader saber for so long, with the black midband and black control box.
The top and bottom are Graflex, but the midband and control box seem to be the black ones we all know.
The control box is in the 3 o'clock position but the bunny ears give away that this is a Graflex.
You can see the red button between the bunny ears and Marks fingers.
Again, bladed MPP stunt.
Dagobah stunt Darth Vader mid-explosion.
The bladed saber he's holding seems to be the same converted MPP. It has the MPP style double elliptical port holes with wires between them, and an MPP clamp. That black circle just above the clamp could either be a dark piece of debris from the explosion, or a black headed bolt like the ones seen on the Barbican saber to hold the blade to the hilt.
Also note-worthy is the Vader leather suit. It has the super-wide spacing between the pleats like some of the Tour suits and the one that the RPF'ers friend had. Maybe one of them was screen used ? The gloves look like the Tour ones as well.
I didn't realize Luke took the Hoth Scanner to Dagobah with him to find Yoda. It's in his backpack on his left side.
Yoda with a human hand.
Close-up of the prop.
Luke and Vader practicing the duel. Mark using the ANH shared Luke/Vader stunt, Prowse using the ANH V2 saber. You can tell Marks using the ANH stunt because you can see the white on/off button on between the grips, the old style Graflex knob on top and the Graflex glass eye on the bottom.
Different day, Mark is now using the V2 and Bob the shared ANH stunt (again, the white on/off visible )
Mark with Graflex based bladed stunt saber. This one has the 1/2 inch smooth/shiny chrome tape on the clamp and Graflex ears as well as both red buttons.
I believe Mark has the ANH stunt, but it's hard to tell at this angle but I'm pretty sure because there are no Graflex bunny ears and no Linhof d-ring on the bottom. Bob is using the V2 stunt.
Also note that Bob's inner cape is the short Hoth style. There is a member here (Carson Dyle ?) who showed pics of this shorter inner cape on a set of screen used and/or Tour suit.
Let there be no doubt in anyone's mind that an MPP was converted into a bladed stunt saber. Marks bladed stunt is a converted Graflex- full bunny ears and both red buttons.
It even has the circuit board in the clamp.
Again, Graflex converted bladed stunt.
It can't be the ANH shared Luke/Vader stunt because of the bunny ears plus the Graflex clamp is in the 3 o'clock position and not at 12 o'clock.
Kershner with the V2 stunt.
MPP Hero saber on set. Not the Barbican.
Here it gets interesting.
I think the bladed saber Mark is using is the one that we thought was the ROTJ Vader saber for so long, with the black midband and black control box.
The top and bottom are Graflex, but the midband and control box seem to be the black ones we all know.
The control box is in the 3 o'clock position but the bunny ears give away that this is a Graflex.
You can see the red button between the bunny ears and Marks fingers.
Again, bladed MPP stunt.
Dagobah stunt Darth Vader mid-explosion.
The bladed saber he's holding seems to be the same converted MPP. It has the MPP style double elliptical port holes with wires between them, and an MPP clamp. That black circle just above the clamp could either be a dark piece of debris from the explosion, or a black headed bolt like the ones seen on the Barbican saber to hold the blade to the hilt.
Also note-worthy is the Vader leather suit. It has the super-wide spacing between the pleats like some of the Tour suits and the one that the RPF'ers friend had. Maybe one of them was screen used ? The gloves look like the Tour ones as well.
I didn't realize Luke took the Hoth Scanner to Dagobah with him to find Yoda. It's in his backpack on his left side.
Yoda with a human hand.
Close-up of the prop.
