Is This The "Ranch" GRAFLEX Saber?

We know the sandstorm scene was filmed first and we have shots of Hamill with both the V2 and the Graflex so I really think they made the change there. No way of knowing if Mark is pointing out the problem in that pic, but it's fun to think so!

ALLEY said:

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.

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That's a good point, I could see that. It sure doesn't look "spruced up" does it? In fact it's a mess. :lol

If we could confirm an ROTJ bts Graflex with texture tape, I'd totally but another Romanflex to make it.

Going a different direction here (and looking back at it, I was a bit off when I initially made this suggestion. It was back in January. God, time flies by fast), I had a different idea behind the creation of this. Basically it went like this (quoting myself here)

Now just picture this: They're starting doing the props for ROTJ. Went looking for the regular Luke Graflex... but couldn't find it. Thus they had to once again put together a new version. Then after a brief use, it was replaced with what's now known as Luke's iconic green lightsaber.

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It would explain how the Kobold got flipped. Or maybe they had to redo it due to prop damage during Empire, which would lean towards the theory that the Skywalker Ranch lightsaber is also the Dagobah lightsaber. As to WHY they couldn't find any of the Graflexes from TESB in my above theory? I heard somewhere before that during the making of the films, props had a habit of 'vanishing' if you get my meaning. I have no idea if that's true or not but I do recall hearing that.

halliwax said:

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

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There is an easy explanation for that....

If the "Ranch" GRAFLEX was actually PLANNED to be the "NEW ROTJ SKYWALKER SABER!!" they would have had the time to try to clean it up from how it may have been left post "Empire", apply new textured tape to the clamp, etc.

In contrast, the V2 was most likely grabbed out of the "box o' lightsabers" in a panicked "we screwed up! Get us another lightsaber" atmosphere on day one of filming. At best, they had time to grab the V2 out of the box, remove the blade, and attach it Luke's belt. They simply did not have the time to clean up the chipped black paint, scrapes, dents, and naked clamp, on the V2 (thank God ) I am sure Lucas said something to the effect of "we can fix this in post production by inserting shots of a truly brand-new saber that looks like this one....no one will notice the difference...", thus, the creation of the V1, "insert shot" ROTJ hero hilt after the fact...

It's really kind of funny that we may have gotten the V2 as the basis for the "Skywalker ROTJ Lightsaber" as the result of bad planning and a failure to mind details in the prop and design department. Otherwise, Luke would most likely have shown up for "ROTJ" with an entirely NEW saber design looking very much like the prequel sabers.

Why would it have been like a PT saber? They could have grabbed a canon or peak camera flash! (Contest idea!)

SethS said:

Why would it have been like a PT saber? They could have grabbed a canon or peak camera flash! (Contest idea!)

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Well, I say that as evidenced by the 100% machined "ROTJ" "insert shot hero"....had Lucas not been tied to having that saber look like the V2, it is likely that a totally "new" lightsaber design would have been utilized, similar to what we later saw in the prequels.

If Lucas loved the camera flash sabers, we would not have seen them substituted for machined versions in later iterations of the series (even Anakin's "skinnyflex"). I think he likely regarded the camera flash sabers as a low budget necessity vs. a genius design to take forward.

Anyway, I have taken the thread off-topic in this digression...

The machined sabers in the OT were only stunt versions. Obi-Wan's saber wasn't a flash, but it was built with the OT aesthetic. The PT era production team had a different aesthetic. Things were designed and not cobbled together.

CHalcyon82 said:

Going a different direction here (and looking back at it, I was a bit off when I initially made this suggestion. It was back in January. God, time flies by fast), I had a different idea behind the creation of this. Basically it went like this (quoting myself here)



It would explain how the Kobold got flipped. Or maybe they had to redo it due to prop damage during Empire, which would lean towards the theory that the Skywalker Ranch lightsaber is also the Dagobah lightsaber. As to WHY they couldn't find any of the Graflexes from TESB in my above theory? I heard somewhere before that during the making of the films, props had a habit of 'vanishing' if you get my meaning. I have no idea if that's true or not but I do recall hearing that.

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i defiantly believe this happened. and this is how some important props are alive today. ....if this only happened to the Obiwan saber

halliwax said:

i defiantly believe this happened. and this is how some important props are alive today. ....if this only happened to the Obiwan saber

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I'll be brutally honest here: I not only expect that a number of those props ended up as five-finger discounts (and I morbidly assume that some might eventually show back up when their current owners pass away), I also think that frankly a number of them were misplaced or thrown away. The infamous story behind what happened to the first Death Star model comes to mind. This is one of those reasons why I really admire the dedication and adherence to detail that you guys around here demonstrate when you build your props. You guys really care.

I could also go on a tangent regarding Lucasfilms here but I better not. :lol