What about assembling an As First Built Obi-Wan Kenobi hilt?

[the.rebel.agent]

You know that Russ & company are doing some new parts for this hilt and I wanted to start this thread to know how are you going to do it.

My idea was use the ROTS hilt as base, you know, black grenade, polished emitter, black booster, brass stern I think, well, you know. What about you?

Here are some MR photos from they version:
http://www.rebelscum.com/mrobiwananhsaberasbuilt.asp

 

[SnDMaN]

My idea is a little different....here's my take on an AFBB using Russ & Company's parts:

-Emitter: chromed vs not chromed vs polished (I prefer polished steel...chrome is too shiny for this part)
-Grenade: bluing vs powder black coating (I prefer steel with powder black coating...it looks more shiny and pristine that way)
-Clamp: polished vs chromed vs machine finish (I prefer it the way it is on the flashguns...I think that's either polished or machine finished)
-Booster: same as grenade
-Sink knob: polished vs chrome (This is the only part of the saber that I prefer chromed)

What are your guys' thoughts?

You know that Russ & company are doing some new parts for this hilt and I wanted to start this thread to know how are you going to do it.

My idea was use the ROTS hilt as base, you know, black grenade, polished emitter, black booster, brass stern I think, well, you know. What about you?

Here are some MR photos from they version:
http://www.rebelscum.com/mrobiwananhsaberasbuilt.asp

 

[p0sitr0nic]

Wouldnt the real AFB version be what was seen onscreen in ROTS?

 

[franz bolo]

Wouldnt the real AFB version be what was seen onscreen in ROTS?

No! I think it would be the one in ANH but cleaner.

FB

 

[p0sitr0nic]

No! I think it would be the one in ANH but cleaner.

FB

Lol, I DO realise theres a difference, but the colors/activation box on the ROTS should be a great starting point for an AFB OT version...

 

[scarf man]

IMO replicating the AFBB is replicating a replica. Before MR came out with their AFBB, very few if any had thought to do such a thing. I like their interpretation, and am going for a MR style AFBB (with better parts)

 

[Serafino]

You must introspect, young jedi. What vision drives you? Which movie has more meaning for you? IMO you can make a new-looking version of the ANH saber and relate it to how the saber looked in the movie and be happy. “ANH” does not necessarily mean “beat to spit”

Although I respect everyone's right to their own esthetic preferences, I really can't see the MR AFBB relating to this:

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/5697/obicaps15lc.jpg



(Although I suppose we could imagine that Obi painted the saber matte black because he'd gone 'undercover'. )

 

[SnDMaN]

That's right. AFBB is really an "artist's/collector's interpretation" of what the saber would have looked like.

Scarf man, I'm also using MR's ANH AFBB as my model (with the exception of the black windvane and the excessive chroming). Are you planning on chroming the clamp, sink knob, and emitter? or just the sink knob?

Serfino, you're all about the weathering!!

 

[scarf man]

I'm going to do some tests and see what I can come up with with some polishing compound and elbow grease. Chromium is expensive!

 

[SnDMaN]

I'm going to do some tests and see what I can come up with with some polishing compound and elbow grease. Chromium is expensive!

So far I've got my emitter polished (by russ). I'm on the fence about my grenade...but leaning towards powder coating. I think the coating can be removed if I don't like it.

Serfino, would your AFBB saber look like this??:
Emitter: Polished steel
Grenade: blued steel
Booster: blued steel
Clamp: polished steel(?)
Sink knob: polished steel(?)

About the MR AFBB, it's purely an artist's concept of the saber. MR conceptualized Obi-Wan building a pristine, shiny, and new saber when he first built it. I agree you can build an AFBB by relating it to the screenshots you show. We're using 2 different meanings for "AFBB" here. In one case, AFBB means how Obi 1st built his saber (somewhere in time between ROTS and ANH). In another case, AFBB means a cleaner version of the screenshot saber seen in ANH. I hope that makes some sense....

 

[Zombie_61]

I've always thought the term "as first built by" was a bit of a misnomer. There are so many subtle differences between the ROTS and ANH versions (activator switch, control knobs, windvane/stem, device used to attach it to his belt, etc.) that it should be "as first re-built by". My personal theory to explain the differences is that it became necessary for him to replace these components during his stay on Tatooine, and he used whatever parts were available to him on the rather impoverished planet; apparently, at some point he decided it could use a new coat of paint. Later, like a reliable old car, he decided function should take precedence over aesthetics; as long as it works properly, who cares what it looks like.

Regardless, I agree an AFBB version is subject to each individual's interpretation to a degree; for the most part, I concur with MR's interpretation of how it might look. But that's part of the fun of this hobby--seeing the unique ideas everyone uses to create their "ideal" version of any given prop. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you'se guys come up with.

 

[SnDMaN]

Zombie, you summed up what I was saying better than I could.

Building an AFBB can be pretty complicated, IMO. Weathering moreso, but AFBB isn't a piece of cake either :wacko

 

[the.rebel.agent]

I've always thought the term "as first built by" was a bit of a misnomer. There are so many subtle differences between the ROTS and ANH versions (activator switch, control knobs, windvane/stem, device used to attach it to his belt, etc.) that it should be "as first re-built by". My personal theory to explain the differences is that it became necessary for him to replace these components during his stay on Tatooine, and he used whatever parts were available to him on the rather impoverished planet; apparently, at some point he decided it could use a new coat of paint. Later, like a reliable old car, he decided function should take precedence over aesthetics; as long as it works properly, who cares what it looks like.

I agree with the "As first re-built" title. I guess we are going to see crazy things in the future. :love

 

[franz bolo]

Here are the pieces I have so far.

I'll be using Russ's emitter though because it's cleaner. I have a Vader ROTJ that's all silver so they will match.

FB

 

[Howard]

Oh I get a warm and fuzzy feeling from threads such as these! :love
I love this saber soooo much!

Okay - non saber guys, move along - you know you shouldn't be reading this anyway! :lol

As for me?
I've yet to decide, but, this may sound strange, but from the caps Andres posted, it's possible the 'black' areas of the saber are worn, and were possibly black when AFB, matching the black / silver of Vader's ANH saber.
Okay - not very inspiring I must say but a possibility.

EDIT: Just to clarify my POV. I don't take ROTS sabers into account on any account. GL made a big mistake not using the ANH saber for ROTS IMHO - but that's another discussion from another thread, from a long time ago here...

 

[Serafino]

Howard--I find the all black Obi quite inspiring, as it fits my first impressions from the movie, and the crazy gothic sensibility I first got out of ANH, due partly to the very first teaser preview which still gives me chills (unlike the movie )

 

[SnDMaN]

When you say "all black obi" do you mean this:

I'm no expert, but I'd think the black on an AFBB Obi is more like the black you get from bluing. The black on the Vader ANH isn't matte....it's more plastic-looking:

Personally, I like the newness of this black (but I don't like the excessive chroming...I like polished steel more then chromium):

Howard--I find the all black Obi quite inspiring, as it fits my first impressions from the movie, and the crazy gothic sensibility I first got out of ANH, due partly to the very first teaser preview which still gives me chills (unlike the movie )

 

[Howard]

Howard--I find the all black Obi quite inspiring, as it fits my first impressions from the movie, and the crazy gothic sensibility I first got out of ANH, due partly to the very first teaser preview which still gives me chills (unlike the movie )

This one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkKYwc8kn20
I must say when I first saw this - on DVD a little while ago, I was struck by the totally different impression I was given. I guess it's partly to do with the lack of Williams' score - this trailer makes the film seem, for want of a better term, a very serious affair - compared to the film I love.
Heck - that didn't come out right. :confused

 

[Serafino]

--this trailer makes the film seem, for want of a better term, a very serious affair - compared to the film I love.
Heck - that didn't come out right. :confused

It came out exactly right! When I first saw that preview I was awestruck, I was amazed. It seemed like it was going to be the perfect movie, gothic serious fantasy.

I was quite disappointed by the movie actually. I kept going back, kept being fascinated by it, but I always wished it was more like the preview implied. I think the preview's impact is partly the music and partly the lack of campy character moments. Williams could easily have done a score a bit more on the serious side, and what an amazing thing that would be! As it is he treated the subject seriously enough, he didn't follow the movie down the road of camp.

SnDMaN yes that's what Howard and I were talking about. The black from bluing works as an idealized vision of what the saber in the screen caps might have looked like new 'in real life'.

But it all depends on how it's done. I'm looking for something which looks like it's real, so it needs to be not too pretty, not shiney, not all the same texture. It needs to look utilitarian and durable and like it means business.

 

[SnDMaN]

I have to say, I love the artform involved in all this (AFBB, weathering, etc). It's all so relative/personalized and depends on the collector's taste and capabilities. This is much more gratifying than simply collecting MR/Code3/eFx/etc!

This is a very well-stated point (my gf and I were arguing about your version of AFBB and a shiney/MR version of AFBB):

But it all depends on how it's done. I'm looking for something which looks like it's real, so it needs to be not too pretty, not shiney, not all the same texture. It needs to look utilitarian and durable and like it means business.