Is This The "Ranch" GRAFLEX Saber?

[Captain Dunsel]

In watching the "Pop Culture Quest" video featuring the V2 Lightsaber, I became untrigued with the shot of the GRAFLEX saber that apparently showed up during the first day of filming "Jedi":





I am wondering if this is, in fact, the "Skywalker Ranch" GRAFLEX? This would explain the "revised" appearance of the flash as well as the fact that it's the only surviving (known) Skywalker GRAFLEX remaining in the archives.

This would also explain why we can't find the "Ranch" saber, in its present appearance, in "Empire"...perhaps it was actually a saber constructed specifically for "Jedi" until the V2 was substituted?

Thoughts?

 

[CHalcyon82]

I mainly lurk here but I posted that same theory about a month or so back in another thread. IMHO, I think it's very possible.

 

[Halliwax]

id love to know how many belt hangers there were... I dont know, i think i see a bottom red button in that picture. not saying the button could have been lost during the time between this photo and the ranch.

I've always wondered why the ranch saber was taken apart and put together all wrong. thats a big question to me

 

[Sym-Cha]

That's it! . . . You solved the puzzle ALLEY!!

Next you're up for the refrigerator ... if you win you can pick it up in the Hoth system

Chaïm

 

[Treadwell]

a bit OT, but it's frustrating that Brandon wonders on the show whether Mark himself brought up the need for a different saber but Mark doesn't answer the question.

 

[thd9791]

To my eyes that looks like a red button in the lens socket just like the ranch and ESB sabers, that's not a great way to tell them apart from this angle. I will say the D ring looks a bit bent out of shape, but they were stretched to fit into the kobold clip...

To me, I don't think they specially remade the graflex for ROTJ. The busted lever and the kobold share similar screws suggesting to me it was a repair job, and the original had silver tape so they found something silver to cover the graflex logo. Crappy job still.

My guess...as to the ROTJ appearance...maybe Lucas didn't pick up on the fact the saber was gone, or maybe they were discussing the old one...hmm

 

[Captain Dunsel]

That's it! . . . You solved the puzzle ALLEY!!

[url]http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz258/Sym-Cha/ESB101-Luke%20X-wing_zpskzzt1duy.jpg[/URL]

Next you're up for the refrigerator ... if you win you can pick it up in the Hoth system

Chaïm

I'll take it!

 

[Captain Dunsel]

The grips have the same unique misshapen curvature towards the tops of the grips closest to the clamp:





I really do believe that's the "Ranch" saber in Hamill's hands...

 

[Jedi Reali]

Given that this is likely the last time it was ever on set, and the Ranch saber is the only (known) Graflex Luke saber left in the archive it makes sense they'd be one and the same. That said, the grip placement doesn't match up in the comparison, in relation to the red button in the lens socket. The top or bottom half could've been rotated slightly though, so I'm still inclined to agree.

 

[Halliwax]

The grips have the same unique misshapen curvature towards the tops of the grips closest to the clamp:

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/...3-F1E5-4C74-B890-D7590C2AB4FC_zpsbxnjlqmu.jpg

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/...1-AEAF-4FDE-A5F2-15D2D6B4DA04_zpscxe0ee1n.jpg

I really do believe that's the "Ranch" saber in Hamill's hands...

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/...4-508F-4421-8D36-3FFAC84A670F_zpsnc8ahky3.jpg

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/...1-AEAF-4FDE-A5F2-15D2D6B4DA04_zps9tynt1ru.jpg

Alley you now have me sold on your theory... those grips sure do look the same... damn! now i really wonder!

 

[Halliwax]

Alley you had me tossing and turning all night.. i knew if i were to get out of bed i wouldn't go to sleep until i found the answer. so now I've been comparing all morning...

SO!! you got me sold on this "grip alignment"... My favorite OT version of the graflex is the dagobah saber, the one with the missing button on top. I believe once we see luke crash land that saber is button less from there on out.

many members here believe the ranch saber is the dagobah saber because the button is missing. which i can see and understand, but i can also see the button falling off and getting lost some where on set. and them not replacing it until they move to a different set/sound stage. with your discovery of the "grip alignment" i now wonder if we can prove the dagobah saber was used in the return of the jedi photo you posted, and eventually ended up in the ranch on display.

i believe hard left we can see the bunny ears, looks smooth with no button on top

again smooth no button

Now knowing since the first scenes on dagobah have no red button, i want to see if we can get a good shot of the grips. see if we can connect the dagobah saber, to the RoTJ graflex, which in turn would make this the RANCH saber.

heres a pic of the grips but i dont know if its good enough

heres another one, with my brightness turned all the way up i still can't make it out...

wish this one wasn't blurry....

this one below kinda looks wavy no?

this is probably the best photo we have of the grips

what do you think Alley? am i going nuts?:wacko

 

[Sym-Cha]

Great pictures halliwax ... you're in persuit in the race to that refrigerator on Hoth



Chaïm

 

[SethS]

Do I have to change the guidebook AND the family tree?! Jerks!

 

[Jedi Reali]

I don't see what this changes if it is the same prop. It's just kinda cool that it showed up one more time on the set of ROTJ before they realized that Luke needed a new saber.

Here are a couple comparisons I made. One noting the grip alignment doesn't match (although a simple twist of the Graflex top could explain this), and the other comparing the shape of the D-ring.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I don't see what this changes if it is the same prop. It's just kinda cool that it showed up one more time on the set of ROTJ before they realized that Luke needed a new saber.

Here are a couple comparisons I made. One noting the grip alignment doesn't match (although a simple twist of the Graflex top could explain this), and the other comparing the shape of the D-ring.

View attachment 727094
View attachment 727095

The d-ring shape looks close enough for me, though the very poor quality of the "ROTJ" photo, upon zoom-in, makes this very difficult.

Really what I'm looking to answer is, if the "Ranch" is also the Dagobah saber," does this explain its "revised" appearance with new textured clamp tape that never appeared in "Empire", etc.

To me, it's sort of a big deal if the "Ranch" saber was originally meant to be the "ALL NEW! ROTJ Skywalker Saber" all the way until the day of actual filming; a mistake which required them to quickly dive into the "box o' lightsaber props" to find a quick replacement for the GRAFLEX hilt and thus the V2 was drafted into service.

This also goes a long way towards explaining the appearance of the GRAFLEX lightsaber hilt in "ROTJ" Luke costume sketches:

 

[Halliwax]

Great pictures halliwax ... you're in persuit in the race to that refrigerator on Hoth

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz258/Sym-Cha/8abf73f0564bff9be594ae4ab8ffa75b_zpsa7mpgjm8.jpg

Chaïm

LMAO!! :lol

 

[Halliwax]

I don't see what this changes if it is the same prop. It's just kinda cool that it showed up one more time on the set of ROTJ before they realized that Luke needed a new saber.

Here are a couple comparisons I made. One noting the grip alignment doesn't match (although a simple twist of the Graflex top could explain this), and the other comparing the shape of the D-ring.

View attachment 727094
View attachment 727095

thank you for doing that photoshopping work! i have to agree with you if the tube flips we are golden!

as for the D ring, i was looking at that this morning as well.. i didnt want to focus too much on that because i think it could have changed shape very easily throughout the years. there is this photo that chaim posted, and look at how different the d ring looks there

the d ring almost looks squared off. i think clipping in and out could move it alittle, or even pop it out of the kobold, resulting in a quick "pinch" to get it back in

another key item is too bad they put that big silver tape over the graflex clamp... if the little screw is black under the tape we have another step closer...

do you guys think the tape on the graflex clamp is only to cover the graflex logo in the ranch? i mean come RoTJ they didnt care about coving the graflex logos on the v2 and v3. its only until lucas film decided to display this in public where we see the tape covering things up

 

[Jedi Reali]

To me, it's sort of a big deal if the "Ranch" saber was initially meant to be the "ALL NEW! ROTJ Skywalker Saber".

Ohh, I see! Yeah, that would be somethin. Seems pretty doubtful to me though, knowing how little attention was paid to the details of these props in particular. I mean, in that sandstorm scene photo it literally looks like we're seeing the moment when they were like "Hmm, didn't Luke lose this saber? Shouldn't he have a different one now?" Was there someone in the prop department who previously recognized that Luke needed a new saber and thought switching from smooth tape to textured tape on the clamp would do the trick? Errr, I doubt it. :lol

We also know that lightsaber props like the Graflex Vader and the Shared Stunt Luke were spruced up to be photographed/exhibited/whatever some time after ROTJ. If this were the only remaining Graflex Luke saber left in the archive, then surely some attention would be paid to making that one presentable again as well.

As for the costume design, I think the artist was thinking about the costume, and not what the saber or the blaster would look like, just that they'd be there on the belt.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Ohh, I see! Yeah, that would be somethin. Seems pretty doubtful to me though, knowing how little attention was paid to the details of these props in particular. I mean, in that sandstorm scene photo it literally looks like we're seeing the moment when they were like "Hmm, didn't Luke lose this saber? Shouldn't he have a different one now?" Was there someone in the prop department who previously recognized that Luke needed a new saber and thought switching from smooth tape to textured tape on the clamp would do the trick? Errr, I doubt it. :lol

We also know that lightsaber props like the Graflex Vader and the Shared Stunt Luke were spruced up to be photographed/exhibited/whatever some time after ROTJ. If this were the only remaining Graflex Luke saber left in the archive, then surely some attention would be paid to making that one presentable again as well.

As for the costume design, I think the artist was thinking about the costume, and not what the saber or the blaster would look like, just that they'd be there on the belt.

I'm thinking after a few dips in the water on the Dagobah set, if the "Ranch" and Dagobah saber are one in the same, I am sure the smooth Mylar tape on the clamp needed to be replaced with whatever was on-hand (in this case, textured tape) for "Jedi".

Given the sloppy job they did in cutting and applying the textured tape, i don't think it was done to "spruce up" the saber for photography. On the contrary, the crappy job tells me the saber's textured Mylar tape was NEVER meant for close-up photography or display. It had that "good enough" look to it that is indicative of being applied for filming purposes.

 

[Halliwax]

I'm thinking after a few dips in the water on the Dagobah set, if the "Ranch" and Dagobah saber are one in the same, I am sure the smooth Mylar tape on the clamp needed to be replaced with whatever was on-hand (in this case, textured tape) for "Jedi".

Given the sloppy job they did in cutting and applying the textured tape, i don't think it was done to "spruce up" the saber for photography. On the contrary, the crappy job tells me the saber's textured Mylar tape was NEVER meant for close-up photography or display. It had that "good enough" look to it that is indicative of being applied for filming purposes.

never really thought of the water! yes! your on to something opcorn