ESB and ROTJ stunt light saber blade source

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saberMaN

Well-Known Member
Hey guys does anybody know the source of the carbon stunt blades that were used for the stunt sabers in Empire and Jedi? I'm attempting to work a project to make Vaders and one of Luke's stunt sabers from Empire and all I can find online are carbon FIBER blades or rods I cannot find any type of rods that are just carbon. And are we exactly sure that the blades were just pure carbon no fiber or anything added? Another question that I have is does anybody know if these blades were hollow or solid and how were they attached? I'm assuming that they were solid because a lot of the blades I see pictures were tapered but that's just a guess My goal on these replicas is to try to be as close to as 100% accurate as I can does anybody know a good source to find rods like that ? Any help would be awesome I've been pulling my hair out trying to find something that's remotely similar to the blade material(s) that were used. Thanks guys. Saberman
 
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See I thought that too but watching behind the scenes footage some are real thick and clearly very light weight and all the ones seen in ESB were tapered by the way Hamill practiced and even people involved with the production and nick gillard when he was researching for materials to use in episode one have said that they were carbon rods and that he did not want to use them because when they hit in they broke shattered and sent shrapnel everywhere but maybe they used alum rods in Jedi because none of those seemed to be all that tapered someone on this board has to have seen held or known someone who has knowledge of these blades was carbon fiber not a thing yet? Was it just carbon?
 
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I doubt they were carbon. It was a young and expensive material back then (still is expensive!) used almost exclusively in aerospace and Motorsport, where it was initially seen as a gimmick. Aluminium is light and strong enough to have been certainly the preferred material filming for ESB and ROTJ.
 
Can you taper aluminum like those seen in ESB? Everyone I've talked to and all the research I've done is saying they're carbon rods and there were reports of them shattering once they snapped.. Nick Gillard said he tested the rods they used and opted for the aluminum tubes for TPM because when he tested the carbon blades used in the original trilogy when they broke they shattered sending shrapnel everywhere which he thought it was too dangerous also you never see them bend in the rehearsal footage but they do flex you can even see the flexing in the film even after the rotoscoping I've never seen aluminum flex like that and if so were they tubes or rods
 
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saberMaN said:
Can you taper aluminum like those seen in ESB? Everyone I've talked to and all the research I've done is saying they're carbon rods and there were reports of them shattering once they snapped.. Nick Gillard said he tested the rods they used and opted for the aluminum tubes for TPM because when he tested the carbon blades used in the original trilogy when they broke they shattered sending shrapnel everywhere which he thought it was too dangerous also you never see them bend in the rehearsal footage but they do flex you can even see the flexing in the film even after the rotoscoping I've never seen aluminum flex like that and if so were they tubes or rods
Click to expand...

Fiberglass shatters, splinters and flexes......
 
This is true fiberglass does but they said carbon was a material they used is anybody ever heard of just a carbon rod without the fiber?
 
There is behind-the-scenes footage on the DVD box-set (the lightsaber documentary) where Luke and Vader are fighting in ROTJ and the blade comes loose and falls on the ground. You can hear hollow-metal-tube-hitting-ground sound.

Plus the behind-the-scenes of the Sail Barge shows an aluminum stunt blade.

Nick G was the prequel stunt coordinator but in the OT it was Peter Diamond and Bob Anderson for dueling.
 
James kenobi do you think that they were metal tubes used in ROTJ or a solid aluminum rod? Vaters ROTJ stunt Saber we all know and love has a metal rod sticking out of the emitter it looks like it's been cut off and it is solid could that have of been the blade itself or something holding the blade into the handle
 
Somere on this board someone said one of the stunt blades were a tank antenna which along with all the research I've and others have done they keep saying after the wooden blades on ANH constantly broke they say they found and started using carbon rods which were a lot stronger but did break a lot and when they did they snapped in half now looking at the photos and what James kenobi said ROTJ could have been metal but if u look at bth footage for empire they look and sound too light to be metal on my project I'm trying to get empire right. Does anyone know where I can get carbon rods?
 
The lightsaber blades in ESB and ROTJ were tapered aluminum, probably extruded metal. They were not carbon fiber.

They were originally covered in a reflective material but obviously rotoscoped after filming.

empire02-vi.jpg

empire03-vi.jpg

empire04-vi.jpg

empire04b-vi.jpg

empire05-vi.jpg

empire08-vi.jpg

empire09-vi.jpg

empire09b-vi.jpg

empire09c-vi.jpg

empire07b-vi.jpg

empire07c-vi.jpg
 
james kenobi im curious where have you gotten your information from. Im not doubitng you man im just real confused because in all my research including finding interviews with people who were working on the films and people who have held the old bladed props themselves in the lucasfilm archives (it was a vader one) everyone said they were VERY lightweight and carbon. i dont know which one is right or wrong. have you ever seen em or talked to people who have handeled them?

see my plan is to make 4 stunt sabers... lukes ESB stunt (the one with NO bunny ears aka the reused ANH stunt) a bunny eared one and two vader stunts (barbican and MPP) ive already got most of the parts for lukes ANH reused stunt

anyone else care to chime in on the blades?
 
I'll chime in--just on the tech of carbon fiber.
It was around back then...but in the early stages--and even more expensive than now.
Carbon fiber is also a carcinogenic material--the fibers are.
I spent 23 years in the USAF working with fighter aircraft. One was the F-117. It utilized some carbon fiber elements.
My knowledge of that technology tells me that it would NOT have been used for two reasons:
1. Major health hazard when splintering
2. Cost

Easter egg--check out Luke's clamp coming off and busting that grip!!!!!
 
Any OT sabers in the archives have been sitting for 35 years and could have had blades replaced.

As of now, no OT sabers have been seen since ROTJ with a dueling blade still attached except for one from a Christies auction (I have a photo of it)

I have a photo of the 'ROTJ' Vader saber (which actually was not used in ROTJ) with the same Alu blade attached (before it was removed) with the same reflective material attached.

I know someone I can message for confirmation, but if you want to keep believing they are carbon fiber be my guest.
 
James can you send me some more pics of the auction photos? I'm trying to get these stunts as accurate as I can were the luke blades hollow or solid ? I was talking about plane carbon rods they do not have the carbon fiber they are just solid kinda like a graphite rod to fabric or fibers of any kind. But I'm starting to see what you were talking about them being aluminum ...is there anyway you can send me those auction pics or any pics of the blades also does anybody know where I can buy aluminum tapered rods or tubes like that
 
I can post them here in just a little bit.

I think the blades in TPM were metal also and they switched to carbon fiber for AOTC and ROTS.
 
It this TPM doc you can see they are using Alu tubes for blades, but straight open-ended ones not tapered closed blades like ESB.

Sometimes the blades are wrapped in tape and other times the blades are bare metal.

When they hit taped blades you hear a 'clack' sound, almost like wood. Naked metal blades make a 'twang' sound.


- - - Updated - - -

In this video when they get to the ROTJ duel you can hear the 'clack' noise and when the blade comes loose a metalic sound as it's free and able to resonate.

 
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[Cool thanks for the vids James kenobi. In in your opinion the blades used in Empire strikes back especially the thicker ones that taper out like on Luke's saber during the bespin duel you think they are hollow or solid rods? also where can I get aluminum tubing like that I live in Dallas Texas and I'm not sure what's around here
In terms of metal shops



on JediQUOTE=James Kenobi 1138;3143997]It this TPM doc you can see they are using Alu tubes for blades, but straight open-ended ones not tapered closed blades like ESB.

Sometimes the blades are wrapped in tape and other times the blades are bare metal.

When they hit taped blades you hear a 'clack' sound, almost like wood. Naked metal blades make a 'twang' sound.

Sword-Fighting in Star Wars Ep. I - YouTube

- - - Updated - - -

In this video when they get to the ROTJ duel you can hear the 'clack' noise and when the blade comes loose a metalic sound as it's free and able to resonate.

Star Wars The Birth Of The Lightsaber Featurette Part 1 - YouTube[/QUOTE]
 
I'm in Dallas also.

I have no idea about the blades, but I suspect they were partially hollow to allow the mounting. I have no idea where you would get them, I guess they were made specifically for LFL back in the day.

Here is the photo from the prop auction catalog:
sabers1-vi.jpg


This is a photo taken at the LFL Archives in the early 1990's. You can see this is the 'ROTJ Vader' saber with the blade attached. The camera flash is reflecting the light back as it is covered in reflective material. Despite being packaged with almost every ROTJ Darth Vader action figure and toy, it has never been identified on screen or in any production photo or behind-the-scene picture.

Most people suspect it was made by the prop dept as the screen used hero sabers were given to LFL and it was needed for media and promotion.

archive30_lg-vi.jpg
 
Thanks for the pics James how can you tell by looking at them that they are aluminum ? Am I missing something my eye just can't see and they seem to have a rounded tip could that be that they were solid and grounded down or did they just tape over the end if the tip ?


Also does anyone know who the guy is in that pic maybe he remembers some details



James Kenobi 1138 said:
I'm in Dallas also.

I have no idea about the blades, but I suspect they were partially hollow to allow the mounting. I have no idea where you would get them, I guess they were made specifically for LFL back in the day.

Here is the photo from the prop auction catalog:
http://images53.fotki.com/v1465/photos/9/976173/4001324/sabers1-vi.jpg

This is a photo taken at the LFL Archives in the early 1990's. You can see this is the 'ROTJ Vader' saber with the blade attached. The camera flash is reflecting the light back as it is covered in reflective material. Despite being packaged with almost every ROTJ Darth Vader action figure and toy, it has never been identified on screen or in any production photo or behind-the-scene picture.

Most people suspect it was made by the prop dept as the screen used hero sabers were given to LFL and it was needed for media and promotion.

http://images107.fotki.com/v71/photos/9/976173/4001324/archive30_lg-vi.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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