Chrome tape on ANH Obi lightsaber clamp?

[Prometheus]

Although all the parts except the transistors are now identified, this saber still has a few mysteries surrounding it particularly the attachment of the balance pipe to the grenade stem.
Another part of the saber which has puzzled me is the area of the clamp where the transistors sit.
From the black and white photo which i am sure everyone on this board has seen, it looks like this area was covered by some chrome or mylar tape which has been torn off partially.
So what is the consensus so far? Tape or no tape? I have noticed that the MR version does not have any tape covering that area but has some heavy weathering instead.

 

[Serafino]

The MR has no tape, but it also lacks the lettering which tape would cover, so how do you tease a 'statement' out of that?

Also, I don't see why their version would be taken as having any particular weight in the interpretation of the original, it's been shown often enough not to bear (for whatever reasons).

It is possible that HD caps of the movie could help us resolve this issue of tape once and for all. There are some 'things' visible in normal screen caps which some argue are just compression artifacts, but with make one's mind itch with possibility nonetheless.

lonepigeon has argued that since Luke's saber did not have tape, there is no reason to think Obi's did.

Personally I think the 'tape' interpretation of what we see in the Chronicles pics is not a certainty, it is one possible explanation out of several for what we see (solder and/or wear are others).

If someone has time to post all the reference that would be good. I think my screen caps are up in a couple threads still, and some decent versions of the Chronicles pics too (the recent clearer Mechanismo scan would be nice to consider in this context). I'm away from my main machine right now and don't have time to track them down.

 

[DARTH SABER]

I don't believe there is tape on the Obi Wan clamp. If you look at one of the Mechanismo pics you can see the light clearly reflecting off of the etched GRAFLEX lettering.

DS

 

[lesternessman]

A few of the requested Serafino pics..

Certainly looks like there's something on it...spilled coffee perhaps.

 

[Darth Lars]

Btw.. Has anyone taken HD screencaps of the Obi-Wan saber yet?

 

[kalkamel]

Could it be that the original prop had chrome tape to cover the GRAFLEX but wear and tear of filming caused the tape to peel off but not all of it?

 

[Kylash]

id agree in thinking that it may have been covered with tape during filming, but once th pictures were taken, they had been worn and beat, i mean they were filming in the desert, im sure it got pleanty of beating and dropping in the sand. I guess what would solve it is a shot from the film where you can see "graflex" or not.

 

[Prometheus]

Heres a larger shot of that area in question. Picture was taken from ASAP posted by JD Pilot (Thanks JD Pilot, hope you dont mind)


[attachmentid=12480]


There is no doubt in the picture that there was a torn piece of chrome tape. The sudden discontinued row of 4 lines near the transistor w/o the washer is hard evidence. Question is: Are we able to recreate the shape of the torn piece of material before slapping it on the clamp. BTW, i think its possible that some of the 'dirt' we see on the clamp might actually be caused by the sticky residue from the tape itself.

 

[Kylash]

well was the chrome covering the entire face of the clamp or was it just a thin strip like the ESB Luke? the cracking and patterns seen under the transistors make it seem like the entire clamp was covered with a piece of chrome tape that wore away. And i think some of whats making the lines appear to stop before the transistor without washers is just the shine.. its a very high contrast image.

 

[kalkamel]

Here are pics of my saber. The clamp was partially weathered with chrome tape to follow the pics in the Chronicles book (weathering was done by Scarfman and pics were taken by him before he sold the saber to me):

 

[Kylash]

any chance of some closer pictures all around the clamp?

 

[kalkamel]

I'll take some pics in the morning and post it up.

 

[DL 44 Blaster]

Just as a casual observer, chrome will flake off in large peices like tape, given the right circumstances. From the little I have observed over the years and the current status, I personally don't think there was tape. I think it would have been more obvious by now as the Luke saber in ESB is.

Considering there were a few different vesions during filming the inconsistencies could lie in that fact.

Steve

 

[Serafino]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prometheus @ Feb 9 2007, 06:12 PM) [snapback]1415734[/snapback]</div>

There is no doubt in the picture that there was a torn piece of chrome tape. The sudden discontinued row of 4 lines near the transistor w/o the washer is hard evidence.
[/b]

I think that's really leaping to a conclusion. While I agree that it is beyond doubt that "something" is covering the row of lines, the interpretation of *what* it is is totally open.

In fact the way the 'stuff' tapers off looks less like tape than solder or something else. Solder as the way to attach the transistors makes sense, and the other artifacts could fit DL 44's idea. Which makes solder/cracked chrome IMO a stronger contender among theories of why it looks the way it does.

Thanks for the pics Lesterlessman. Darth Lars--I haven't seen any HD caps yet.

 

[ob1al]

I don't think there was any tape, just weathering.

I might be persuaded if someone can post pics showing the tape in situ.

Following that thought through, Luke's ANH saber didn't have any tape so why would they add it to ben's? It's not like it had and close-ups (more's the pity).

 

[OldKen]

to me it looks as though its been sanded or buffed to the point its worn down the ridges etc, and made it smoother and shinier in that area, i really dont think it looks like tape, watchin the HD right now, and ive tried to find the best angles, but truth is its like they conciously kept this prop outa view LOL.

anyone have any particular timestamps etc.?

im about to get some screen grabs... when i get a program and figure it out that is. LOL.

any sources on a program would be sweet as well.

PM me with any questions... or answers.

 

[ob1al]

Power DVD.

torrentspy.com

Azureus

 

[Serafino]

OldKen,

Post #4 in this thread shows the good views to catch in the movie, in the 3rd picture down. They all occur while Ben is wandering around the deathstar. In particular:

-When he enters a hallway, pulls out the saber, and goes across the hallway.
-either in that shot or a later shot he is holding it down and forward as he exits to the left.
Note--one of the shots is used a 2nd time, reversed.
-the shot of the saber right before the blade is ignited would be useful too.
-the shot of the saber on Obi's cloak.

Ken, getting these HD caps would be a huge service to Obi Saber research. I hope you're able to do it.

 

[OldKen]

word, yeah i used to have a copy of powerDVD... im getting the trial right now to play with it...

will let you know. :love

i just like watchin the thing in ultra slow... really cool stuff.

so obis saber that he hangs back on his belt after offing ponda boba and the doc... thats the same shared saber as lukes V2?

 

[Serafino]

As far as I know, if there is NO blade, it's the hero.

The stunts were only for bladed work as far as I know.