TFA Graflex Research (That's a Graflex, right? Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)

I think the Prop Shop made the Launch Bay sabers, and their new collectible will look exactly the same as the Launch Bay sabers, which do not exactly match up with the screen used sabers.

Made by a licensed prop company, and even the same company that made the original prop, and it isn't 100% accurate to the screen used and I didn't really think it would be. It never is.

On their site they say they are "the makers of the props from Star Wars: The Force Awakens." In the video it says that they are "the props company that worked on the film itself," and that they were "lucky enough to be invited to actually make props" for the film. So it would appear that they are indeed claiming to be the makers of the screen-used props, and not just a company licensed to produce replicas after filming was already completed.

That said, I agree with every one of your points. When you can see that these replicas have obvious differences to the screen-used props, it really devalues their use in identifying details of the screen-used sabers.

But hey, if they will at least confirm that either hex head screws vs. rivets were used on the grips, and whether the hero grips were hard plastic vs. rubber, that would at least be something.
 
That isn't a variant, that's a poor replica of the screen used prop.

Also, that's either the best weathered made-from-scratch Graflex replica ever, or a real Graflex.

On the video link from NeoRutty they say they made a copy of a Graflex, they must off done it with all the details since the kobold clip is in a vertical position instead of horizontal, which means it can be taken apart and have it in different positions just like a real one, also the screws on the grips are not black as in the webpage but silver. They advertise it as and exact copy so they would put every single scratch on it, I have seen this before on the wetashop with maps from Lord of the Rings being creased and folded by hand in the exact same manner of the screen used ones by the very same artist.

Still, I'm not buying something like that.
 
There's always the chance I might be wrong, but the metal plating/finish, button knurling, many of those little things, are way too "perfect" compared to the vintage flashes for it to be a replica.
 
That isn't a variant, that's a poor replica of the screen used prop.

Also, that's either the best weathered made-from-scratch Graflex replica ever, or a real Graflex.

It's a variant in the same way the Launch Bay props are. Not screen used but from the same source. The lack of attention to detail is disappointing considering they could easily have made them all identical but chose not to. Unless they intentionally made them all slightly different, but that would be a disappointment all the same.
 
A few pages back I talked about the kobold clip on the hero saber, and how I thought it was missing the little "step".
Well, I went back and took some additional screenshots. It turned out that I had missed something. When Kylo is trying to force-pull the saber out of the snow, there is a brief moment when we get to see the kobold clip flat from the side.
It seems to me that they somehow manipulated that clip in some way. There is some kind of "indentation" or other damage where the step should be. I tried to confirm my suspicion by comparing this shot with a shot of similar perspective when Rey meets Luke... I think I found the same kind of indentation on the clip.

I'm wondering if they deliberately removed the "step" by sanding it down, thereby causing the slight indentation. I don't know why anyone would do such a thing, but it would go hand in hand with the smoothed glass eye. However, I'm still confused what kind of clip the prop department used in the first place. Is it an original kobold? If so, did they re-plate the naked brass with nickel? Did they use rub n buff or something similar? Is the clip machined from aluminum? If so, why machine something that you have to modify later on? Is it a resin copy of an original clip that was cold-cast and then sanded down?

What do you guys think? It might just be a trick of the light...

kobold-step.jpg
 
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A few pages back I talked about the kobold clip on the hero saber, and how I thought it was missing the little "step".
Well, I went back and took some additional screenshots. It turned out that I had missed something. When Kylo is trying to force-pull the saber out of the snow, there is a brief moment when we get to see the kobold clip flat from the side.
It seems to me that they somehow manipulated that clip in some way. There is some kind of "indentation" or other damage where the step should be. I tried to confirm my suspicion by comparing this shot with a shot of similar perspective when Rey meets Luke... I think I found the same kind of indentation on the clip.

I'm wondering if they deliberately removed the "step" by sanding it down, thereby causing the slight indentation. I don't know why anyone would do such a thing, but it would go hand in hand with the smoothed glass eye. However, I'm still confused what kind of clip the prop department used in the first place. Is it an original kobold? If so, did they re-plate the naked brass with nickel? Did they use rub n buff or something similar? Is the clip machined from aluminum? If so, why machine something that you have to modify later on? Is it a resin copy of an original clip that was cold-cast and then sanded down?

What do you guys think? It might just be a trick of the light...

View attachment 631169

Most likely the camera was not able to pick up the detail on the kobold piece. These screencaps are already extremely zoomed in, so it is not unlikely that you are simply overanalyzing the pictures.
 
A few pages back I talked about the kobold clip on the hero saber, and how I thought it was missing the little "step".
Well, I went back and took some additional screenshots. It turned out that I had missed something. When Kylo is trying to force-pull the saber out of the snow, there is a brief moment when we get to see the kobold clip flat from the side.
It seems to me that they somehow manipulated that clip in some way. There is some kind of "indentation" or other damage where the step should be. I tried to confirm my suspicion by comparing this shot with a shot of similar perspective when Rey meets Luke... I think I found the same kind of indentation on the clip.

I'm wondering if they deliberately removed the "step" by sanding it down, thereby causing the slight indentation. I don't know why anyone would do such a thing, but it would go hand in hand with the smoothed glass eye. However, I'm still confused what kind of clip the prop department used in the first place. Is it an original kobold? If so, did they re-plate the naked brass with nickel? Did they use rub n buff or something similar? Is the clip machined from aluminum? If so, why machine something that you have to modify later on? Is it a resin copy of an original clip that was cold-cast and then sanded down?

What do you guys think? It might just be a trick of the light...

View attachment 631169

From the side views, the fact that those 2 separate shots match each other exactly tells me there is definitely something going on there. It almost looks normal from the side. Maybe the straight on shot just isnt picking up the step? Its certainly there from the side.
 
There is one more thing that I noticed about the clip, and then I will stop... Apparently there are no additional holes on the bottom side. Just holes for the D-ring. :)

Bildschirmfoto 2016-06-02 um 11.00.34.png

From the side views, the fact that those 2 separate shots match each other exactly tells me there is definitely something going on there. It almost looks normal from the side. Maybe the straight on shot just isnt picking up the step? Its certainly there from the side.

You know what? I think you are right, the "step" is there. The reason it's not visible is probably the flat lighting. Case closed for now.
 
There is one more thing that I noticed about the clip, and then I will stop... Apparently there are no additional holes on the bottom side. Just holes for the D-ring. :)

View attachment 631238



You know what? I think you are right, the "step" is there. The reason it's not visible is probably the flat lighting. Case closed for now.

Sigh... That is rather disappointing
 
Did I hear wrong?

This guy is saying the movie ones were all replicas?

https://youtu.be/Zqnb4ATvwWs?t=5m47s

5:47 into the vid.

There is one more thing that I noticed about the clip, and then I will stop... Apparently there are no additional holes on the bottom side. Just holes for the D-ring. :)

View attachment 631238



You know what? I think you are right, the "step" is there. The reason it's not visible is probably the flat lighting. Case closed for now.

Towel keeper have you seen the video? Is it me or do we see the correct holes in the kobold dring in the video?
 
Oh, that's interesting!
Actually, I think it is pretty clear that they are missing on the propshop replica as well!

View attachment 631240

ah! I didn't catch that side, when he spins it around it like like there is a hole on the opposite end of the dring, I chave you be seeing things, I have horrible choppy can't next ion right now. When I get home I can watch it in HD
 
https://collectibles.starwars.com/prop-replicas/rey-lightsaber-hilt/

I don't think I would be paying more than one grand for a GRAFLEX replica, looks more like an ESB with those screws on the grips.

considering the MR/efx replicas were selling for $300-$400 not that long ago, even taking inflation into account, that is still a massive jump in price

not to mention that you can get a real Graflex for less money, but I guess the COA alone would be enough to convince some people part with their money..........
 
I do think there is something for owning a prop made by the same prop house that made them from the movie, even if it's different, but in this case it's not for me.

Did you also notice that he acknowledged that the clamp is a darker color from the rest of the saber.
 
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meant to add this to my last post... but it sounds like he's saying...


"So in the movie we actually made them from scratch...."

Which could be just him nervously blabbing on to the camera...

It sounds more like he's dissembling about what was actually used in the movie versus what they are selling. In the blu-ray "Armory" special feature another PropShop employee very clearly states they used vintage Graflexes (or rather, Grappleflexes :p) for the movie, which of course is just official confirmation of what we already knew unofficially.

It's funny that the grip screws are so different between the Rey saber pictured on their website gallery and what is visible in the video. Is it possible the video shows their replica Graflex versus what seems to be a vintage piece in the gallery?
 
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