Re: ROTJ Vader light sabre
Both Vader sabers were used in ANH.
The V2 is most notably seen when Vader enters Leia's cell (as in the still you posted a few years ago - also evident in the movie).
The grip length is the same on the V1 and V2, but the clamp is lower on the V2. V1 has silver straight edged sidebars and the V2 has black (probably angled) sidebars. The levers are also on opposite sides.
It seems like the V2 was probably FIRST since the silver sidebar V1 shows up on the Tantive IV which was filmed late in production (also I believe the Chronicles saber pics are likely post production).
Why there are 2 Vader sabers in ANH is unknown.
There does seem to be a good month period from early June to mid July 1976 when Vader wasn't needed on set. I don't think either saber was really lost. more likely they just grabbed the first saber they found when Vader was back on set in July.
I'm still not sure if the shroud on this ESB saber is the original one or not. Parts may have been interchanged over the production of the 3 movies. I haven't been able to match up enough paint chips on it yet. Odd that it has a diamond knurled thumbscrew - I've never seen an MPP or even a Heiland like that. Maybe it's the same as the one on the Vader Graflex though.
There were at least 3 MPP's used during the production of the original trilogy - The ANH Vader V1, ANH V2, and the ESB Fett blaster barrel (which also may be the source of the MPP clamp on the Barbican).
Are you referring to the ANH V2 in promo pics but not the movie (ANH)? I have a few pics of it dangling on Vader's belt, one particularly good one in black and white that I posted in closeup a few years back... it wasn't a promo pic but taken right on the set.
And I suppose what suggests two different sabers in ANH would be that there were two different lengths of grips, and silver and black sidebars.
