Luke Skywalker’s Return of the Jedi lightsabers a Guide

[scarf man]

Still not into calling the shared stunt, the V3. No offense to SethS, but many prop names are arbitrary, and the common vernacular should be observed. Don’t try to rename the Barbacon, Ranch, ******* Maul, or bloody shared stunt.
I’m really not that rigid, I’ll call it whatever the community wants, as long as we’re all on the same page.

 

[LOM]

I feel like the usage of the term "V3" has increased in the past couple years, plenty of people calling it that for awhile now. Maybe include both names as a happy medium? That way the people that know it as the V3 don't get confused and same for those who know it as the Shared Stunt.

 

[scarf man]

I feel like the usage of the term "V3" has increased in the past couple years, plenty of people calling it that for awhile now. Maybe include both names as a happy medium? That way the people that know it as the V3 don't get confused and same for those who know it as the Shared Stunt.

Good compromise, I’ll begrudgingly add V3.

 

[Dewy]

I feel like the usage of the term "V3" has increased in the past couple years, plenty of people calling it that for awhile now. Maybe include both names as a happy medium? That way the people that know it as the V3 don't get confused and same for those who know it as the Shared Stunt.

It has, especially because seemingly everyone calls “Hero B” the V2, but “V3” seems to be more divisive.

Still not into calling the shared stunt, the V3. No offense to SethS, but many prop names are arbitrary, and the common vernacular should be observed. Don’t try to rename the Barbacon, Ranch, ******* Maul, or bloody shared stunt.

Shared stunt always seemed confusing to me, because are both the V2 and V3 not shared stunts?

 

[scarf man]

Shared stunt always seemed confusing to me, because are both the V2 and V3 not shared stunts?

They are both stunts, but the extent to which bts ANH images in recent-ish years have popped up, has changed our understanding of the ANH derived props. We used to be content with hero-V2-shared, now there are things that fit in sideways. It was called a stunt because it had a blade, the V2 was a second hero in ROTJ for the most part. It wasn’t until many years after the nomenclature had been set, that we started to realize the shooting order and screen time of the individual props.

 

[thd9791]

I'm 90% sure the Obi Stunt mold got a lot of action. Roto-cast or pipe-embedded for the R2 air cannon, a resin or rubber one for the barge climbing scene and when luke jumps from one Skiff to another. I don't believe the wired cast is either of these, the paint doesn't match and the details don't line up.

 

[Dewy]

I'm 90% sure the Obi Stunt mold got a lot of action. Roto-cast or pipe-embedded for the R2 air cannon, a resin or rubber one for the barge climbing scene and when luke jumps from one Skiff to another. I don't believe the wired cast is either of these, the paint doesn't match and the details don't line up.

Curious why you think the details don’t line up between the Wired and the R2 “table” saber in my earlier pic? I agree the paint is different, but we know they have repainted props (like the metal V3) for the exhibition/press circuit post OT. It seems to me the metal V3 was sent to the US during ROTJ filming (probably has the emitter nipple at this point and a gap behind the graflex clamp) and the crew there used it to make to Yuma, and a bunch of resin casts.

 

[Halliwax]

I think with all the new photo evidence, the V3’s nipple has always been different then the v2. The V2’s nipple acts like a seat for the blade and a guide bearing in the emitter

I don’t believe the V3 ever had a nipple like this, it had a collar setup just like the ANH motor stunt.

V3 has a much larger collar then the rest of them, probably to cover the 7/8” hole in it

I still say that nipple we see sticking out of the v3 on the barge scene is a pour spout.

With the way the blade attaches to the v3, it wouldn’t make sense for the collar setup to be floating there they would just take the blade out entirely and the collar would come with it since it’s attached to the blade

 

[scarf man]

I think with all the new photo evidence, the V3’s nipple has always been different then the v2. The V2’s nipple acts like a seat for the blade and a guide bearing in the emitter

I don’t believe the V3 ever had a nipple like this, it had a collar setup just like the ANH motor stunt.

V3 has a much larger collar then the rest of them, probably to cover the 7/8” hole in it

I still say that nipple we see sticking out of the v3 on the barge scene is a pour spout.

With the way the blade attaches to the v3, it wouldn’t make sense for the collar setup to be floating there they would just take the blade out entirely and the collar would come with it since it’s attached to the blade

I agree with what you’re saying Haliwax, do you or anyone else for that matter, have a clearer screen cap of that climbing scene? I’d like to keep adding pics to the op.

 

[LOM]

Not the best, but a bit larger screen caps

 

[SethS]

Still not into calling the shared stunt, the V3. No offense to SethS, but many prop names are arbitrary, and the common vernacular should be observed. Don’t try to rename the Barbacon, Ranch, ******* Maul, or bloody shared stunt.
I’m really not that rigid, I’ll call it whatever the community wants, as long as we’re all on the same page.

I actually totally agree-- In the last draft i tried to shift more to generic names like "Hero" or "Bladed stunt" and then list all of the aliases.

My particular pet peeve is the "Dv6" name. For me, that is always the MoM Vader saber, the Dv6 is what Korbanth named his replica, so that name stuck for a lot of people. Some crazies still ever refer to it as the Vader ROTJ hero. And while i get WHY they call it that, it still bugs me. But, I put all of them on the page.

 

[scarf man]

View attachment 1342870View attachment 1342883View attachment 1342884
Not the best, but a bit larger screen caps

Thanks LOM, that one with the skiff guard is excellent context for the name I went with.

I actually totally agree-- In the last draft i tried to shift more to generic names like "Hero" or "Bladed stunt" and then list all of the aliases.

My particular pet peeve is the "Dv6" name. For me, that is always the MoM Vader saber, the Dv6 is what Korbanth named his replica, so that name stuck for a lot of people. Some crazies still ever refer to it as the Vader ROTJ hero. And while i get WHY they call it that, it still bugs me. But, I put all of them on the page.

A man after my own heart.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

I think with all the new photo evidence, the V3’s nipple has always been different then the v2. The V2’s nipple acts like a seat for the blade and a guide bearing in the emitter

I don’t believe the V3 ever had a nipple like this, it had a collar setup just like the ANH motor stunt.

V3 has a much larger collar then the rest of them, probably to cover the 7/8” hole in it

I still say that nipple we see sticking out of the v3 on the barge scene is a pour spout.

With the way the blade attaches to the v3, it wouldn’t make sense for the collar setup to be floating there they would just take the blade out entirely and the collar would come with it since it’s attached to the blade

Love ya, Halliwax but gotta disagree with you here. The nipple in the V2 from my experience acts both as a d/s guide and well as a stop for the emitter, securing it to the the rest of the hilt. We don't know how much the V3/SS (while Shared Stunt I feel more correct and descriptive, V3 is better shorthand) was prepped to also house a motor, if at all, but considering how close it is to the raw cast in size and detail, I can only speculate that it wasn't as intensively worked on as the V2. I believe the V3 emitter lacks a collar and is only center-drilled for the it to slide over the driveshaft/tang and with a nipple similar to the V2 serving the same function. I think there's enough photo evidence to show that the fencing blades secured to the exposed center rod and only sat on top of the nipple.

To that end, I don't believe the nipple on the resin casts is a pour spout. In fact, I think they all came from the same mold. The Barge-Climb and the R2 cannon both sport the same clamp (the 3-holed upside down clamp) that still exists on the V3 currently, and pommel is in the same orientation to the clamp with a pommel cube just close to being centered with clamp box. I think evidence of this is the lack of bubbles in the casts, particularly around the emitter surface. Had it been poured from the top from the nipple, without having obvious risers/air vents to limit bubbles, it would have pockets around the pour area. It would also be a lot easier to cast it hollow from the bottom, whether by roto or slush-casting, or sticking a pipe through the pommel.

Something to consider is that there's little to suggest that the current grub screws in the windvane and the emitter the V3 sports currently were ever on the prop before Don Bies dressed it up for touring. There's not to say they weren't ever, but I find it a little convenient that many of the photos of it around the time are conveniently facing the grub screws away. The one photo of it being used in a walk-through with Luke and Vader on the catwalk, and its nipple is removed and held upside down, now that I don't know how that's done without it falling apart but I also don't know what was done to it at the time and why.

 

[thd9791]

Curious why you think the details don’t line up between the Wired and the R2 “table” saber in my earlier pic? I agree the paint is different, but we know they have repainted props (like the metal V3) for the exhibition/press circuit post OT. It seems to me the metal V3 was sent to the US during ROTJ filming (probably has the emitter nipple at this point and a gap behind the graflex clamp) and the crew there used it to make to Yuma, and a bunch of resin casts.

The trouble is we only see one side of the Wired saber. The only R2D2 saber we've seen off-screen is this one.

it seems to be raw and unpainted. I don't see any tells on the Wired saber to suggest a hollow casting. On screen... well, here are some images, I've always thought, of 2 different pieces. verbally it's been confirmed they had a bunch to continue firing for multiple takes)

They don't seem to be dead-ringers for eachother - the wired saber and the close-up ones. Maybe the Wired saber is hollow and we won't know until we see the bottom of the pommel. It definitely doesn't look like the belt hanger, natural tones all over the grenade, black and shiny silver emitter, clean first flange, etc.

I think there's enough photo evidence to show that the fencing blades secured to the exposed center rod and only sat on top of the nipple.

To that end, I don't believe the nipple on the resin casts is a pour spout. In fact, I think they all came from the same mold. The Barge-Climb and the R2 cannon both sport the same clamp (the 3-holed upside down clamp) that still exists on the V3 currently, and pommel is in the same orientation to the clamp with a pommel cube just close to being centered with clamp box. I think evidence of this is the lack of bubbles in the casts, particularly around the emitter surface. Had it been poured from the top from the nipple, without having obvious risers/air vents to limit bubbles, it would have pockets around the pour area. It would also be a lot easier to cast it hollow from the bottom, whether by roto or slush-casting, or sticking a pipe through the pommel.

Something to consider is that there's little to suggest that the current grub screws in the windvane and the emitter the V3 sports currently were ever on the prop before Don Bies dressed it up for touring. There's not to say they weren't ever, but I find it a little convenient that many of the photos of it around the time are conveniently facing the grub screws away. The one photo of it being used in a walk-through with Luke and Vader on the catwalk, and its nipple is removed and held upside down, now that I don't know how that's done without it falling apart but I also don't know what was done to it at the time and why.

Very well put. Hmm.

 

[Halliwax]

Love ya, Halliwax but gotta disagree with you here. The nipple in the V2 from my experience acts both as a d/s guide and well as a stop for the emitter, securing it to the the rest of the hilt. We don't know how much the V3/SS (while Shared Stunt I feel more correct and descriptive, V3 is better shorthand) was prepped to also house a motor, if at all, but considering how close it is to the raw cast in size and detail, I can only speculate that it wasn't as intensively worked on as the V2. I believe the V3 emitter lacks a collar and is only center-drilled for the it to slide over the driveshaft/tang and with a nipple similar to the V2 serving the same function. I think there's enough photo evidence to show that the fencing blades secured to the exposed center rod and only sat on top of the nipple.

To that end, I don't believe the nipple on the resin casts is a pour spout. In fact, I think they all came from the same mold. The Barge-Climb and the R2 cannon both sport the same clamp (the 3-holed upside down clamp) that still exists on the V3 currently, and pommel is in the same orientation to the clamp with a pommel cube just close to being centered with clamp box. I think evidence of this is the lack of bubbles in the casts, particularly around the emitter surface. Had it been poured from the top from the nipple, without having obvious risers/air vents to limit bubbles, it would have pockets around the pour area. It would also be a lot easier to cast it hollow from the bottom, whether by roto or slush-casting, or sticking a pipe through the pommel.

Something to consider is that there's little to suggest that the current grub screws in the windvane and the emitter the V3 sports currently were ever on the prop before Don Bies dressed it up for touring. There's not to say they weren't ever, but I find it a little convenient that many of the photos of it around the time are conveniently facing the grub screws away. The one photo of it being used in a walk-through with Luke and Vader on the catwalk, and its nipple is removed and held upside down, now that I don't know how that's done without it falling apart but I also don't know what was done to it at the time and why.

I have proof of a large collar that I can’t share... now I look like a jerk...

 

[coolhanluked]

I have proof of a large collar that I can’t share... now I look like a jerk...

Lol! And thats why we can't have nice things

 

[LOM]

Wait I think we're talking about different things - The V3/Shared Stunt doesn't have a collar per se, assuming the collar that is being referred to by PPP is the type of collar in the V2 neck that Mr. Alinger mentions, and Halliwax is talking about a collar on the nipple/blade set up? At least I think there's a misunderstanding - please correct me if I'm wrong

Also noticed this these two have a similar breakage on the emitter:

 

[thd9791]

Also noticed this these two have a similar breakage on the emitter:
View attachment 1342983View attachment 1342982

They do - it's possible for similar cracks to happen if you do the same gag with different casts, I need some more tells to match them, marks and a shot of the bottom honestly.

I actually dropped a saber I was trying to hang-dry and it cracked the same way. That's the thinnest part of these casts.. less of a probability for me that it's proof

it would be really cool... REALLY cool if the wired saber was one of these. Just occurred to me they could have painted solid casts for the close-up reveal and elevator gag and then used raw hollow casts wrapped in silver tape for the launch... hmm

 

[Dewy]

They do - it's possible for similar cracks to happen if you do the same gag with different casts, I need some more tells to match them, marks and a shot of the bottom honestly.

I actually dropped a saber I was trying to hang-dry and it cracked the same way. That's the thinnest part of these casts.. less of a probability for me that it's proof

it would be really cool... REALLY cool if the wired saber was one of these. Just occurred to me they could have painted solid casts for the close-up reveal and elevator gag and then used raw hollow casts wrapped in silver tape for the launch... hmm

I’m also see similar marking at the base of one of the pommel cubes:

 

[thd9791]

now THAT is cool. The one on the table doesn't look painted, maybe that's part of the mold... Or we just can't see the paint from this angle, but the cast right next to it is painted. excellent eye there!