“There and Back Again; A Mystery Chunk Tale”

BRRogers

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
"The ChunkMystorillian"

In the beginning

It was a perfectly square chunk, with no marks and no dings
and sat as it should
square bolt; open threading
it certainly made sense what without 1080p
yet we all searched and surmised and agreed
A square machine bolt would end up to be
our best guess to install and swing bout' with glee

thus, the RPFers sang ; for many a year!
until one day, Brandon Alinger appeared

The V2 he held, aloft at celebration!
with images higher in pixel densation!

Perhaps, it wasn't perfectly square.
Perhaps it was actually rather un-square!
We viewed, and we questioned and we assembled and thought
Blast the work on this ILM prop!

It was certainly a mystery to me and to others
and many of others pondered in clusters

stamps, bolts, rivets, and studs
perhaps a machined part that came from a scud
... but eventually
the fervor died down and many gave up
for others however the question still stuck
what is the chunk and what was it for?
how did it get there and why not before-
will we ever find and discover its nature?

Yet some would find, an alternative picture.

And although it was hidden from many a view,
someone would find a way to renew
the interest sparked with the chunk as a fixture
now as itself resides on Luke’s saber.

After many a hopeless google word search
it seems there was yet one piece to unearth
and given the appropriate ebay research
that chunk was given a home and a hearth.

"There and Back again, A mystery chunk tale"

"On a hilt in a film there lived a mystery chunk. Not a nasty, dirty, ugly mystery chunk, covered with the rust, and bumps, unattractive, with no purpose: it was a V2 Lightsaber mystery chunk, and that means obsession." (Thanks Brothervader ;) haha, brilliant)

It was 2015 when we all really got a good glance at the V2 thanks to Brandon Alinger's panel at Celebration with the images we know today.
Fresh photos to spark mystery and intrigue!

I'll admit, at that time I hadn't quite resigned myself to being the adventuring sort that would just go on and dive into a rabbit hole like this... but I suppose we wouldn't be having any fun if I hadn't eventually now would we.

2017, Brandon shared the *most* iconic image of the V2 on his personal page. Around this time I had started to get into saber building because of Neo-pixel technology and wound up doing a highly modified version of a Saberforge Frankenstein V2. I'm still pretty proud of it all things considered. Although, with the first Solos Hold V1 and the Anakin Starkiller hilts out there at the time it left a lot to be desired.
18620372_10103512416062035_6339413771776515819_n.jpg

Mark Hamill's 'Prop Culture Quest' REALLY got the ball rolling though with that interview with Brandon. We truly saw the V2 and could slow down that frame-rate *just* enough to grab caps and see some clearer details... the mystery chunk just became a lot more interesting! Yet, confusing. Not enough to really SEE what was happening with it. I assume then was a big push to search for the identity of the chunk (and lever) again.

swalinger_lede.jpg


Soon thereafter Anakin Starkiller made a fantastic replica and Nerfworx/Solos Hold announced (with scottjua) that they were going to be doing a new V2 run. Scott had seen and observed the original, so details were going to be even more accurate and crisp down to the components like the chunk.

It was around this time that Verity Cosplay and I had started working together on our MoM Hero model (RoTJ Cave Hero FX Replica) and along with the research thread I started I formed some really great friendships and colleagues who I could bounce material and dialogue off of.

I live in Atlanta, and teecrooz is just a short drive away. If you don't know him well you should know that, he is the keeper of many's trust... and for THAT project he opened up his place and allowed me to examine one of the castings off the ROTJ Hero Stunt Cast.

During that visit, he shared a few things with me and one (which he's now posted) was an early close-up of the bunker grenade.
85A23DF6-E6BC-4260-B7EB-5E44B3C8202B.jpg

That got my wheels turning and about a year or so ago I started searching for the chunk in earnest.
I presume many of us searched the same avenues.
Boot studs, furniture, traction, climbing, mountaineering, military, photography, surplus, medical, marine, vintage, antique, thumb, button, release, etc, etc, etc...
In fact. I KNOW I made the exact same query as I did on August 3rd 2020 at 1pm.

But, the time wasn't right it seemed... and after exhausting all of my resources... and after Solos Hold released the images and promo for the new V2 and their chunk I simply gave up. There seemed to be no need.

However, with the NEW photos from the prop-store auction of those grenades... I just had a feeling.
That one image popped BACK into my mind from my search a year before... surely the modern equivalent.

And just as surely as I returned back to my old search. I came upon it.... clear as the middle of the day. The Mystery chunk! How serendipitous it seemed... and just like that. It seemed to be found. The perfect item, and the perfect timing to search had aligned in my favor! I didn't yet fully know the implications of the discovery.
To be continued in the next chapter:

"The Lord of the Chunks: The Fellowship of the Chunk"
An interview with Scott Juarez of Crucible Custom Props.
-the discovery
-the item
-the significance
-how to find it
-precautions
-the ethical way forward
FullSizeRender.jpeg




“The Lord of the Chunks: The Two Tools”
-removal tutorial
-basic tools needed
-safety considerations about the coating

EC51BC18-061F-4F3A-8C51-3D6740289CD6.jpeg



“The Lord of the Chunks; The Return of Community”


I have titled this section as such because: as we’ve seen before the most contentious part of this process is the automatic tendency to want to profit off of discovery.

I’ll state it simply. If you engage in bidding wars and drive the price up for these boots that’s extremely unnecessary and very disheartening.

More will be found. I’d encourage the objective of the community to be friends and allies rather than profiteers. As you can see... one boot can fetch a high price but may contain very few or many good studs to proliferate.

Bin the studs if you get them. Price them proportionally by their wear if need be. And by all means try not to force the boot values to skyrocket... that’s my hope.

I realize it’s a nuanced process but; it’s been rewarding to share discovery and acknowledge finds and allow friends to win bids at low prices. There are more studs than one person can shake a finger at anyway on each boot (given the boot) and enough to be spread around.

We have the power and ability to prevent these boots from skyrocketing while making it fun.

That said. Myself and I believe others HAVE boots and will sell studs at their leisure... just a matter of time and whoever does so first.
Please be patient; we are only human.
016F4A6F-DE50-4C1E-9C21-81969E68BF47.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Part 1: Romans Empire ;)


"The ChunkMystorillian"

In the beginning

It was a perfectly square chunk, with no marks and no dings
and sat as it should
square bolt; open threading
it certainly made sense what without 1080p
yet we all searched and surmised and agreed
A square machine bolt would end up to be
our best guess to install and swing bout' with glee

thus, the RPFers sang ; for many a year!
until one day, Brandon Alinger appeared

The V2 he held, aloft at celebration!
with images higher in pixel densation!

Perhaps, it wasn't perfectly square.
Perhaps it was actually rather un-square!
We viewed, and we questioned and we assembled and thought
Blast the work on this ILM prop!

It was certainly a mystery to me and to others
and many of others pondered in clusters

stamps, bolts, rivets, and studs
perhaps a machined part that came from a scud
... but eventually
the fervor died down and many gave up
for others however the question still stuck
what is the chunk and what was it for?
how did it get there and why not before-
will we ever find and discover its nature?

Yet some would find, an alternative picture.

And although it was hidden from many a view,
someone would find a way to renew
the interest sparked with the chunk as a fixture
now as itself resides on Luke’s saber.

After many a hopeless google word search
it seems there was yet one piece to unearth
and given the appropriate ebay research
that chunk was given a home and a hearth.
 
Last edited:
"There and Back again; A Mystery Chunk's Tale"

"On a hilt in a film there lived a mystery chunk. Not a nasty, dirty, ugly mystery chunk, covered with the rust, and bumps, unattractive, with no purpose: it was a V2 Lightsaber mystery chunk, and that means obsession." (Thanks Brothervader ;) haha, brilliant)

It was 2015 when we all really got a good glance at the V2 thanks to Brandon Alinger's panel at Celebration with the images we know today.
Fresh photos to spark mystery and intrigue!

I'll admit, at that time I hadn't quite resigned myself to being the adventuring sort that would just go on and dive into a rabbit hole like this... but I suppose we wouldn't be having any fun if I hadn't eventually now would we.

2017, Brandon shared the *most* iconic image of the V2 on his personal page. Around this time I had started to get into saber building because of Neo-pixel technology and wound up doing a highly modified version of a Saberforge Frankenstein V2. I'm still pretty proud of it all things considered. Although, with the first Solos Hold V1 and the Anakin Starkiller hilts out there at the time it left a lot to be desired.
18620372_10103512416062035_6339413771776515819_n.jpg

Mark Hamill's 'Prop Culture Quest' REALLY got the ball rolling though with that interview with Brandon. We truly saw the V2 and could slow down that frame-rate *just* enough to grab caps and see some clearer details... the mystery chunk just became a lot more interesting! Yet, confusing. Not enough to really SEE what was happening with it. I assume then was a big push to search for the identity of the chunk (and lever) again.
swalinger_lede.jpg
w

Soon thereafter Anakin Starkiller made a fantastic replica and Nerfworx/Solos Hold announced (with scottjua) that they were going to be doing a new V2 run. Scott had seen and observed the original, so details were going to be even more accurate and crisp down to the components like the chunk.

It was around this time that Verity Cosplay and I had started working together on our MoM Hero model (RoTJ Cave Hero FX Replica) and along with the research thread I started I formed some really great friendships and colleagues who I could bounce material and dialogue off of.

I live in Atlanta, and teecrooz is just a short drive away. If you don't know him well you should know that, he is the keeper of many's trust... and for THAT project he opened up his place and allowed me to examine one of the castings off the ROTJ Hero Stunt Cast.

During that visit, he shared a few things with me and one (which he's now posted) was an early close-up of the bunker grenade.
85A23DF6-E6BC-4260-B7EB-5E44B3C8202B.jpg

That got my wheels turning and about a year or so ago I started searching for the chunk in earnest.
I presume many of us searched the same avenues.
Boot studs, furniture, traction, climbing, mountaineering, military, photography, surplus, medical, marine, vintage, antique, thumb, button, release, etc, etc, etc...
In fact. I KNOW I made the exact same query as I did on August 3rd 2020 at 1pm.

But, the time wasn't right it seemed... and after exhausting all of my resources... and after Solos Hold released the images and promo for the new V2 and their chunk I simply gave up. There seemed to be no need.

However, with the NEW photos from the prop-store auction of those grenades... I just had a feeling.
That one image popped BACK into my mind from my search a year before... surely the modern equivalent.

And just as surely as I returned back to my old search. I came upon it.... clear as the middle of the day. The Mystery chunk! How serendipitous it seemed... and just like that. It seemed to be found. The perfect item, and the perfect timing to search had aligned in my favor! I didn't yet fully know the implications of the discovery.
To be continued in the next chapter:

"The Lord of the Chunks: The Fellowship of the Chunk"

(Aka, it's 2AM here y'all. I gotta sleep... will post more in the next couple days to finish. The JOURNEY)



FullSizeRender.jpeg
 

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This reminds me of my obsession and search for some other ‘mystery chunks’ two years ago. I love it!

Dan
 
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