Darth Vader Hero Lightsaber From The Empire Strikes Back?

[Avolow]

Hi all,

I was spending most of yesterday reading in the DL-44 thread (all 74 pages :lol) and came across this link in it somewhere.

The Top 10 Most Expensive Star Wars Items Ever Sold At Auction

In it I found this picture.

It is labeled as Vaders ESB Hero? This is the first time I have seen this saber so I started doing some looking around. The only other picture or mention of this prop I could see was in this thread on page 4 posts #80 and 81.

http://www.therpf.com/f9/rotj-vader-light-saber-40270/index4.html

Are there any other pictures of this item and what do we really know about it? Looking at it shows it is reminiscent of the modded Graflex shown in the Archive book I have and everywhere else on the net.

However this one is different in a few places. It is clearly based on a Graflex design, it does not have the hex head screws, the activation box is different, and more. I am convinced the head of it is a Graflex extension flash, rather than a 3-cell, due to the line under the shroud with a plate covering the front of the flash.

So I guess specifically my questions are;

1: Were is this from? Was it a screen used piece as the auction states it is or is it a publicity still piece or what? I assume because it fetched such a price it is authentic on some level, but I doubt it was a hero piece as the auction stated because it is not really that nice looking or flashy.

2: What are some of the parts used? What is the shroud if it is not just a custom piece? What is the activation box? What is the center clip and does it look like it is made with two different materials?

Any insight on this would be awesome. :thumbsup I think I may have found my next lightsaber project if things pan out. :cool

Avolow.

 

[thd9791]

This is a strange saber. The grips don't match anything screen used. Judging from the knurled end, whoever made this may have used another flashgun - and I believe you're right. A Graflex extension would explain the break right under the emitter shroud (Which is also very very sloppy)

All I can say is - try not to base authenticity by how much it makes at auction. There was a Graflex flash gun with luke style grips that didn't match screen used, heck the history was really sketchy too, and it was sold as "Luke's Saber" and fetched a fair price. By Hollywood Auctions no doubt! They just recently put up a casting of Luke's ROTJ saber after it was modified (aka not screen accurate) and that too was sold as if it was a screen used piece. These things come from collections - Star Wars authenticity is really sketchy these days. George Lucas doesn't seem to care about it as much as we do, so his archives are incomplete and mis labeled, as are some Star Wars Exhibits. Go by photos, photos on set and from Prop Dept logging. AKA, that whole thread you mentioned, and many other blaster and saber threads on here where people duke it out over photographs. That's why, the people who you would normally trust for info just aren't trustworthy. :lol sorry to bum you out, but I'd love to know about this saber too

 

[DrStranglove]

Could that have been a stunt saber maybe? But I agree, it looks like junk.

 

[Avolow]

Hehe, no bum out here. :lol I just wanted to know the provenance of the item. If it turns out to be LFL real then great, if its a fake or fan made piece then cool too. If fake/fan made then I wouldn't try to replicate it.

Like I said, I doubt this was a hero piece, but if it really has any ties to the set or Lucasfilm it would be cool to know. Heck, are any of those props on that page authentic in any way then or did ten people get snookered? :confused

Looking at it from a movie prop standpoint it is sloppy, to much so for a hero version. Could it be a stunt saber maybe? It looks like the type of workmenship you would expect out of that type of piece. It looks as if the whole thing was painted silver and the center clip looks like it might be some sort of foam, though that would not be in such good shape if it were.

I did notice the knurled end, but if it was another flashgun the end would also be a screw cap, and that does not seem to be the case here. It's almost as if some one just turned a piece of aluminum on the lathe and knurled it to match the MPP or Heiland units.

That is why I was curious if someone has any more pictures of this piece. Maybe something from behind the scenes or publicity stills I haven't seen or found yet. Maybe there are more pictures showing the pommel or the emitter?

I spent a few hours yesterday skimming that thread and a few hours today looking at the other threads for Vader lightsabers. Except this being mentioned in the thread I referenced in the first post I couldn't find any other info on it anywhere. That's why I started this one. :cheers

Avolow.

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

It's from Gary Kurtz the producer of SW ANH and ESB

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

BTW, if you're interested in knowing what the shroud and the rest of the saber is made from, it's a Heiland Strobonar 64. The shroud is made from the grey plastic part that attaches the flash handle to the bulb holder

and the black clip looking thing behind the shroud is from a windshield wiper blade assembly.

 

[Avolow]

Very cool! :thumbsup Thanks for the parts ID. Now I'll have to look at the local auto salvage for old cars that may still have metal whipper attachments. They are all plastic today. Any ideas on the center clip?

So Gary Kurtz had this in his collection? Has he ever said anything about it or whether it was used in the films or not? Just trying to track down were and when it was used then.

Avolow.

 

[Luis88]

jump over to the fx-sabers forum. theres a few guys over there that have some great looking vader rotj hilts.

 

[Organic Mechanic]

So hey!

Through an unbelievable bit of coincidence, I find myself in possession of the majority of the parts used for this saber. So, real or not, it's my next project.

Anybody have a clue on the activation box though? The band looks as though it's some kind of foam rubber, or just badly weathered plastic. Maybe just a poor paint job too. But the box...it looks distinctly not scratch built.

 

[laserpistol76]

OK, so this will sound like a ridiculous question to you prop masters, but why do they say "hero" for props? Does that mean screen used?

 

[JoeG]

Hero usually means its the prop used for close-ups or any shot that needs to show detail of the object.

 

[Organic Mechanic]

OK, so this will sound like a ridiculous question to you prop masters, but why do they say "hero" for props? Does that mean screen used?

The term "Hero" is used to denote the beauty version of the prop. Meant for close-ups etc. They make "Stunt" versions of the props of more resilient or inexpensive and often less detailed materials for scenes where they get used, thrown, blown up etc.

If this saber was used in a film, it was NOT a Hero prop. :lol

 

[laserpistol76]

Thank you for clearing that up.

 

[thd9791]

Actually, quite honestly, to me, it does look scratch built. The part that the card slides into looks to be separate from the bottom piece. The card itself doesn't look like a real circuit card either. (Pretty badass you're making one of these though!)

the midband looks to me like it was soft plastic or hard rubber a while ago and is starting to deteriorate

 

[Organic Mechanic]

Actually, quite honestly, to me, it does look scratch built. The part that the card slides into looks to be separate from the bottom piece. The card itself doesn't look like a real circuit card either. (Pretty badass you're making one of these though!)

I agree about that part. I meant the large box underneath. Something about it just looks "manufactured" to me. Maybe it's the slight taper and rounded edges, or the utter smoothness of it. I dunno.

the midband looks to me like it was soft plastic or hard rubber a while ago and is starting to deteriorate

Radiator hose? :confused

 

[vader45]

That is not the hero MPP we can confirm that right away!!!!

It looks like a Graflex extention attached to a Heilandbody.....The control box to me looks like a MPP clamp.

 

[thd9791]

That is not the hero MPP we can confirm that right away!!!!

It looks like a Graflex extention attached to a Heilandbody.....The control box to me looks like a MPP clamp.

You're right, Dan (Anakin Starkiller) confirmed a certain type of Heiland flash with a gigantic light on top as the basis for this Prop, as well as a Graflex slave

The control box however is not an MPP clamp. It is composed of a few pieces adhered together, there is no lever, and no empty "clamp" space underneath. I think the whole point of this prop was to look like an MPP from far away - so I guess they were successful!

 

[thd9791]

Radiator hose? :confused

huh, good idea. I wonder, considering the crackling on the back shot, if you were right about it being rubber or some other pliable material.

 

[Sym-Cha]

Hi guys,

Since that black piece before the shroud is a part of a windshield wiper the black rubbery clamp could indeed find it's origin from a car engine ... the structure does resemble the radiator hose or any other hose in my previously owned old Volvo 343 ... so the rest of the clamp could be an engine part as well ... just saying. Remember they already used Volvo parts for the carbonite panel? Heck maybe even that windshield wiper bit came from a Volvo ha,ha,ha!

-Chaim

 

[thd9791]

Hi guys,

Since that black piece before the shroud is a part of a windshield wiper the black rubbery clamp could indeed find it's origin from a car engine ... the structure does resemble the radiator hose or any other hose in my previously owned old Volvo 343 ... so the rest of the clamp could be an engine part as well ... just saying. Remember they already used Volvo parts for the carbonite panel? Heck maybe even that windshield wiper bit came from a Volvo ha,ha,ha!

-Chaim

yooouuuu
may be on to something there