I've only ever seen the short blade.
Halliwax's weird V3 theory
- Thread starter Halliwax
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Vadermania's saber is from ANH, from what I've read. He painted it that way (ROTJ) and cleaned it up a little.
i distinctly remember seeing details of a graflex clamp with holes on the barge-climbing saber. and that has a nipple, and black paint on the emitter face, and a black upper neck. That's the only wrench in this theory that I can't figure out. R2 hollow lightsabers and this Barge climbing one were both ANH era sourced casts.
(I had never really appreciated the urgency of getting the Yuma made, you're right, after the switch they probably didn't have the Throne Room saber in hand)
i distinctly remember seeing details of a graflex clamp with holes on the barge-climbing saber. and that has a nipple, and black paint on the emitter face, and a black upper neck. That's the only wrench in this theory that I can't figure out. R2 hollow lightsabers and this Barge climbing one were both ANH era sourced casts.
(I had never really appreciated the urgency of getting the Yuma made, you're right, after the switch they probably didn't have the Throne Room saber in hand)
Happy New Year to all of you!
If I remember correctly, the ROTJ Luke Yuma/ISYHCANL/cave scene saber(s) were machined saber(s) made for ROTJ production by Norman Harrison of the Norank Engineering workshop at Elstree, England. I'm still not sure how many they supplied to the production, perhaps 1-3 pieces in total.
My metal blank is from ANH production, it was raw and unpainted when I got it. I did the conversion to the "V3 type" Luke ROTJ saber myself back in 1998 or 1999.
I only have pics of the "Yuma" outfitted with a short black (carbon fiber?) blade. There was a longer (scotchlite-covered?) blade attached to it in the ISYHCANL scene.
If I remember correctly, the ROTJ Luke Yuma/ISYHCANL/cave scene saber(s) were machined saber(s) made for ROTJ production by Norman Harrison of the Norank Engineering workshop at Elstree, England. I'm still not sure how many they supplied to the production, perhaps 1-3 pieces in total.
My metal blank is from ANH production, it was raw and unpainted when I got it. I did the conversion to the "V3 type" Luke ROTJ saber myself back in 1998 or 1999.
I only have pics of the "Yuma" outfitted with a short black (carbon fiber?) blade. There was a longer (scotchlite-covered?) blade attached to it in the ISYHCANL scene.
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Here's a short list of lighsabers I have seen/handled during my visit at Skywalker Ranch in May 1995:
Ranch main house, behind glass: Graflex "The Ranch Saber"
Archives: Luke ROTJ V3 (no blade), Vader ROTJ bladed stunt MoM/DV6 (no blade, very heavy!), Luke ROTJ Hero (ISYHCANL). Plus a box with some Graflex handles made out of of cardboard tubes covered with thin aluminum foil. According to modelmaker Nelson Hall those were made for Hamill to be used hanging on his belt in long shots where he was running/exercising (Dagobah?), because he was complaining about the metal Graflexes hitting his family jewels...
Ranch main house, behind glass: Graflex "The Ranch Saber"
Archives: Luke ROTJ V3 (no blade), Vader ROTJ bladed stunt MoM/DV6 (no blade, very heavy!), Luke ROTJ Hero (ISYHCANL). Plus a box with some Graflex handles made out of of cardboard tubes covered with thin aluminum foil. According to modelmaker Nelson Hall those were made for Hamill to be used hanging on his belt in long shots where he was running/exercising (Dagobah?), because he was complaining about the metal Graflexes hitting his family jewels...
What!! Never heard anything about cardboard graflex(s)!!
You think it was like paper towel roll tubes?
Interesting you say the dv6 was very heavy.
Was the v3 heavy as well? Or did it feel hollow?
View attachment 971053
Yes, that looks like it. There were buttons on it, cardboard bunny ears and black cardboard strips for the T-track grips. When I found that box sitting in a shelf in the archives, I originally thought those sabers were made by some kids in San Rafael as some sort of contest.
That I do not really remember unfortunately. Only that the DV6 felt much heavier compared to the ROTJ Luke hilts. I vaguely remember asking Nelson Hall about the weight of the DV6, it had something to do with proper counterbalancing the blade for Bob Anderson or so. Jeez, that's 24 years ago, I wish I'd written down everything I've heard/learned during my visit.
you're right, I meant the barge climbing saber, as a casting without paint, matches the r2 one. Except for that nipple and the r2 one bring hollow. (See bts table)
I'm editing a second time because this is a complicated theory. As per your quote, I think I mis-spoke when I said ANH-sourced. I meant they're casts of the ANH stunts, but during ESB or ROTJ time. Weird thing is that the barge climbing saber is painted like the V2. the R2 saber sppears to be painted like the V3 at the time.
I've gathered that a solid piece of metal was bolted into that Vader lightsaber as an anchor for a blade
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TheUnchosenOne
Active Member
Having walked around with an empty metal hilt attached to my belt (not even running or anything), I can confirm that this happens a lot more often than you might expect. Empty hilts bounce WAY more than ones with electronics inside
Here is a pic from my visit in the archives in 1995. I think it's a good side by side shot of the hero and the V3. BTW, has anyone here ever seen or handled another screen used metal ROTJ Luke "hero" saber?
There are a few things which are confusing me when I look at the three Luke ROTJ screen used sabers (V2, V3 and "hero"). The shape of the "hero" is actually closer to the V2 (shape of the emitter, thinkness of the neck etc.) than to the V3. Is it written in stone that the Yuma "stunt" is the same metal saber that was used in the "ISYHCANL" scene? Could the Yuma "stunt" be a resin casting of the metal "hero"? And the metal "hero" was originally produced to replace the "beaten-up" V2 for the rest of the production?
Defiantly, the lower 3 rings in the ring section are identical
Thank you so much for sharing that vintage picture!! It is wicked!!!
I have a high res photo of the Yuma, which I can't share unfortunately, that shows it to defiantly be turned aluminum
Thanks for clarifying this. During my three visits at Elstree Props many years ago both Norman and Paul Harrison said that they produced the „hero“ ROTJ Luke saber that has been used on screen plus a special saber for the cave scene which was not seen on screen. If I would have been the prop master for ROTJ I would have ordered at least two to three metal hero versions for the production.
I wonder what. And where this other cave saber is today?! Did they go into detail about it?
Was this second cave saber a resin cast of the hero?
I am referring to a special mechanical prop that opened up and presented the inner „workings“. They still had this saber in their collection, it was the subject of many discussions whether it was real or not.
Does this refer to a saber hilt that did “MORE”—in terms of showing the saber’s “Inner guts”—than the one seen in the deleted scene (which is the standard post Yuma / post ISYHCANL Hero, as I understand it) with the clamp card that slid open to reveal primitive Earth-like electronics, circa 1982?
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vadermania You wouldn't happen to remember how many grub screws in the emitter were there on the V3, do you? I know I'm testing 20+ year memory but anything would help.
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