Jedi2016
Sr Member
An odd thing happened to me the other day, as I was digging around looking at stuff online. Specifically, in regards to my "holy grail" prop, the Atlantean Sword from Conan the Barbarian.
As most of you probably know, there are two versions of this sword available out there. There's the one from Albion, which is, for lack of a better word, perfect. The blade is a near-exact duplicate of the original, the runes are etched using the same electrodes as the original, the hilts are even pulled from the same molds as the original. I almost hesitate to call it a "replica", it's more like simply another copy of the sword made for the film, in addition to the original three (of which only one survives).
But, at nearly three thousand dollars, it's quite simply out of reach for me. So the upside is near-100% accuracy, the downside is the cost. I say "near"-100% because the blade's distal taper was changed slightly, and the bronze hilts of the original have an "aged" look from sitting around for twenty-five years that I think adds a lovely touch of realism to what is otherwise just a movie prop.
Then there's the version by Marto. At first glance, it may appear to be identical to the Albion. But on closer inspection, it's noted that most of the small details are slightly off. All of the detail is there, it's just not quite right. A curvy bit here might be a little different, the scales on the dragon heads are in a different pattern, the runes are cut a little differently, little things like that. I liken it to a very well-made fan replica.. "close but not exact".
So with this one, the advantages and disadvantages are reversed from the Albion. Accuracy is down a notch, but the price is significantly cheaper. Well within my means with a few weeks of saving up and maybe pawning off some older props from my collection (keep an eye on the Junkyard).
Now here's where the odd things comes into play. I look at the Marto, and I think to myself that it's not an exact replica, it's not really what I want. That it's just not good enough, despite the fact that I could have the thing in my hands in just a few short weeks, this sword that I've sought after for decades.
What's odd about it is that, if this were any other replica, I wouldn't care. Think about it, folks... how many of us actually have anything in our collection that's truly 100% accurate? Very few of us, I would imagine. Even lightsabers from Master Replicas, no matter how "close" they may be, are still idealized to an extent. Small imperfections fixed, made to look like a perfect, brand-new prop, etc. And the majority of us are quite happy with it like this, including me. I have a Larbel Obi-Wan TPM lightsaber that's no doubt woefully inaccurate. Not the least of which is the gaping hole in the emitter. But from the day I bought it, I said to myself "I love this saber, and I'll never get rid of it.", which I hold true to this day. I have a gold-plated Gladiator sword, that I can see inaccuracies on even from a distance when compared to the screen-used prop, yet I've always been happy with it (I'll be trying to sell it soon, but not because I'm not happy with it, simply because I could use the money, and it's never been one of my "prize" props).
We all have props like that. Close but not perfect. More often than not, it's "good enough" for us, and we spend our money and are happy with what we receive.
So why am I thinking that this Marto Conan sword, which is certainly "close" to the original, such a let-down for me? I'm being nitpicky to the extreme, and I know it. Despite the fact that I'm almost certainly going to buy it, I know I'll never be truly happy with it. It'll almost be like a placeholder on the wall until I can afford an Albion in some distant time. Why is that? Is it because it's my "holy grail" prop? Is that level of perfection required for that one prop that we covet above all others?
Does anyone else feel this way sometimes? Do your searches for your "holy grail" prop wind up the same way? Disappointed by something that's damn close to the original, but not quite perfect? I just want to know I'm not crazy.. lol.
As most of you probably know, there are two versions of this sword available out there. There's the one from Albion, which is, for lack of a better word, perfect. The blade is a near-exact duplicate of the original, the runes are etched using the same electrodes as the original, the hilts are even pulled from the same molds as the original. I almost hesitate to call it a "replica", it's more like simply another copy of the sword made for the film, in addition to the original three (of which only one survives).
But, at nearly three thousand dollars, it's quite simply out of reach for me. So the upside is near-100% accuracy, the downside is the cost. I say "near"-100% because the blade's distal taper was changed slightly, and the bronze hilts of the original have an "aged" look from sitting around for twenty-five years that I think adds a lovely touch of realism to what is otherwise just a movie prop.
Then there's the version by Marto. At first glance, it may appear to be identical to the Albion. But on closer inspection, it's noted that most of the small details are slightly off. All of the detail is there, it's just not quite right. A curvy bit here might be a little different, the scales on the dragon heads are in a different pattern, the runes are cut a little differently, little things like that. I liken it to a very well-made fan replica.. "close but not exact".
So with this one, the advantages and disadvantages are reversed from the Albion. Accuracy is down a notch, but the price is significantly cheaper. Well within my means with a few weeks of saving up and maybe pawning off some older props from my collection (keep an eye on the Junkyard).
Now here's where the odd things comes into play. I look at the Marto, and I think to myself that it's not an exact replica, it's not really what I want. That it's just not good enough, despite the fact that I could have the thing in my hands in just a few short weeks, this sword that I've sought after for decades.
What's odd about it is that, if this were any other replica, I wouldn't care. Think about it, folks... how many of us actually have anything in our collection that's truly 100% accurate? Very few of us, I would imagine. Even lightsabers from Master Replicas, no matter how "close" they may be, are still idealized to an extent. Small imperfections fixed, made to look like a perfect, brand-new prop, etc. And the majority of us are quite happy with it like this, including me. I have a Larbel Obi-Wan TPM lightsaber that's no doubt woefully inaccurate. Not the least of which is the gaping hole in the emitter. But from the day I bought it, I said to myself "I love this saber, and I'll never get rid of it.", which I hold true to this day. I have a gold-plated Gladiator sword, that I can see inaccuracies on even from a distance when compared to the screen-used prop, yet I've always been happy with it (I'll be trying to sell it soon, but not because I'm not happy with it, simply because I could use the money, and it's never been one of my "prize" props).
We all have props like that. Close but not perfect. More often than not, it's "good enough" for us, and we spend our money and are happy with what we receive.
So why am I thinking that this Marto Conan sword, which is certainly "close" to the original, such a let-down for me? I'm being nitpicky to the extreme, and I know it. Despite the fact that I'm almost certainly going to buy it, I know I'll never be truly happy with it. It'll almost be like a placeholder on the wall until I can afford an Albion in some distant time. Why is that? Is it because it's my "holy grail" prop? Is that level of perfection required for that one prop that we covet above all others?
Does anyone else feel this way sometimes? Do your searches for your "holy grail" prop wind up the same way? Disappointed by something that's damn close to the original, but not quite perfect? I just want to know I'm not crazy.. lol.
