"Your Father's Lightsaber."
“I have something here for you... It's your father's lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster, but an elegant weapon for a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic.”
So does Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the last Jedi Masters, describe the legendary weapon known as a lightsaber.* The lightsaber; say the word to anyone in the civilized world and an image flashes into their mind.* To some, it calls to mind Darth Maul's double bladed weapon.* Others see Luke Skywalker's green bladed lightsaber from Return of the Jedi.* But many people see the same thing I do in their mind's eye - they see that famous scene in a Obi-Wan's little home on the edge of the Jundland Wastes.* They see Luke Skywalker as he takes his father's blade, and they see that first flash of light; as that brilliant blue beam shines forth.*
And rightly so.* The first lightsaber ever to appear on screen was Anakin Skywalker's second lightsaber.* Indeed, not only is this weapon the first lightsaber audiences glimpse in A New Hope, but it is one of, if not the last lightsaber extinguished in Revenge of the Sith.* From those few brief moments on film in 1977, a whole new culture has been created surrounding lightsabers.* The forum you're reading this thread in is proof of that.* But this particular lightsaber did not blaze it's last in The Empire Strikes Back; in Star Wars history, it went on to become the personal sidearm of one more famous Skywalker before it was removed from the stage of galactic history.* But first, let's see where this lightsaber begins.
After the outbreak of the Clone Wars, and the Battle of Geonosis, Anakin Skywalker was in need of another lightsaber, having lost his personal weapon in an accident in a droid assembly factory.* He hastily cobbled together another lightsaber by following the specifications of his first lightsaber, but soon abandoned it.* In 21 BBY, Skywalker constructed a new lightsaber in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, creating a new design which better suited his chosen lightsaber form of Djem So.* Since the fifth lightsaber form focused on strength and accuracy, Skywalker designed his new hilt with a solid, one piece casing which would stand up well to the rigors of Djem So.*
The first battle that this new lightsaber was present at was the Battle of Rendili.* However, the lightsaber would not be activated in anger until a duel with Asajj Ventress in the lower levels of Coruscant, where it would taste its first blood.* Shortly after, Skywalker was given command of the 501st Infantry Legion, and participated in multiple campaigns during the Clone Wars. His new lightsaber was used frequently in roles ranging from leading troops to dueling Sith Lords, and helped Skywalker to earn a hero's reputation in the Republic which he served.
During the Fifth Battle of Coruscant, in 19 BBY, Anakin Skywalker carried this lightsaber during his raid on the Separatist flagship, the Invisible Hand.* On the vessel, Skywalker and Kenobi fought their way to the bridge, where they were in the process of rescuing the Chancellor when Count Dooku, famous for his mastery of the Makashi Form of lightsaber combat, arrived.* Skywalker and Kenobi engaged briefly, until Kenobi was incapacitated.* Skywalker continued to duel Dooku until he captured the Sith Lord's weapon.* Skywalker's lightsaber was responsible for Dooku's death, and helped to remove the galaxy of a great enemy.
Shortly thereafter, Anakin Skywalker, manipulated by Chancellor Palpatine, fell to the Dark Side of the Force.* Skywalker's lightsaber, once heralded as a tool of the light, was now a weapon of an executioner.* The lightsaber was used to briefly engage Jedi Master Mace Windu, and only hours later was carried into the Jedi Temple where it had been created.* The lightsaber killed dozens of Jedi Knights, Padawans, and Younglings that evening, and even was used to engage and kill Jedi Master Cin Drallig, the Jedi Temple's resident Battlemaster.* Eventually, the lightsaber crossed the blade of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and after a furious duel between the former friends, Kenobi prevailed, leaving Skywalker mortally wounded on the sands of Mustafar.* Kenobi captured the already famous lightsaber, and it remained in his care for nearly twenty years.
Obi-Wan Kenobi lived for solitude on Tatooine for decades, watching Anakin's son, Luke, grow.* Once Kenobi had a chance, he invited Luke into his home, where he presented Luke with Anakin's lightsaber, which Kenobi had modified and maintained.* For some time, Kenobi trained Luke in the ways of the Force and in rudimentary lightsaber combat.* Luke's training was cut short when Kenobi gave his life in a lightsaber duel with his former Padawan, now called Darth Vader.*
For a time, Luke Skywalker carried the lightsaber with him, modifying it and restoring it.* After encountering Kenobi's Force Spirit on the ice world of Hoth, Skywalker went to a planet called Dagobah, in search of the last of the Jedi, the Grandmaster Yoda.* Eventually, Skywalker found the diminutive Jedi Master, who instructed Luke further in the ways of the Force. Skywalker trained with Yoda for several weeks, in which time he became much more attuned to the Force, as well as progressing in lightsaber usage.* After seeing a vision in the Force, Skywalker hurried off to Cloud City, on Bespin, where he was worried that his friends were in danger.* There, Skywalker met Darth Vader in combat, where the two dueled, and Luke's lightsaber fought its maker.* After a brief, one-sided duel, Skywalker lost his weapon hand to Darth Vader, who then revealed the truth about Luke's parents to Skywalker.* The lightsaber fell down into the depths of Cloud City, where it remained for several years, and passed out of all memory.
After lying in peace for several years, the lightsaber was found. A cleaning droid happened upon the lightsaber, and it once again passed into the possession of Darth Vader, who gifted it to the Emperor.* After Luke Skywalker captured it from the Emperor's minions in another duel, he gave it to Mara Jade, who wielded the weapon for several decades.
Eventually, Jade perished in a duel, and Skywalker regained possession of the lightsaber in about 40 ABY.* Finally, the weapon, now approaching sixty-five years of age, was retired.* The legendary lightsaber was displayed in a place of honor inside the Jedi Temple, only a few yards from where it was originally constructed.
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In terms of film history, the lightsaber also plays a significant role. In addition to being the first lightsaber ever to grace the screen, the Luke's lightsaber from A New Hope is considered by many to be one of the most ingenious props ever devised as a direct result of its varied construction.
In a manner which would define Star Wars prop construction for decades, Luke's lightsaber was constructed from multiple found parts. A 1940's 4x5 camera provided the main body of the saber; a Graflex 3-Cell Flash Gun. The company name, "GRAFLEX", was stamped into the clamp, though the prop designers covered it with a piece of silver mylar tape. The bubble strip on the face of the clamp was the magnification strip from a 1974 Exactra 20 Calculator, and the seven grips spaced around the bottom of the flash gun were either T-track from cabinet doors, or windshield wipers cut to at length of 3.6 inches. A small D-Ring was riveted to the end of the hilt in order to provide a place for the prop to anchor to Luke's belt. Interestingly, the Graflex Flash Gun used in A New Hope was approximately the same age as the in-universe counterpart - each was intended to be approximately thirty years old.
Throughout the years, many have replicated this project. All the parts are still available, and much to the chagrin of vintage electronics collectors, thousands of the Graflex 3-Cell Flash Gun units have been converted to exact replicas of what Mark Hamill used onscreen. The process is fairly simple, but labor intensive in order to get a pristine result. The process is getting steadily more difficult to complete; only a certain number of Graflex 3-Cells were built, and only a certain number of Exactra 20 or Exactra 19 calculators were built. Eventually, building a 100% screen-accurate replica will be impossible, as the necessary parts will all have been snatched up by Star Wars fans or collectors. In any case, now is the time.
I am proud to present my 100% Screen-Accurate All-Real Parts Replica of Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber from A New Hope!
This replica includes all original, vintage parts, including an original Graflex 3-Cell Flash Gun and Exactra 19 Bubble Strip.
Though never mentioned onscreen, it's a well known fact that all lightsabers are powered by lightsaber crystals, usually either natural crystals in blue or green, or a red, synthetic crystal, though natural red crystals were rumored to exist. Jedi consistently used the natural crystals, tying them in with the universe itself, while followers of the Sith used either natural or created red crystals, in following with their search for perfection and their willingness to bend the universe to their own will.
Following in this tradition, I began to develop my own crystal chamber. My first attempt, while not exactly a shining example of craftsmanship, was entered in a contest with a reasonable degree of success. This rather cobbled together crystal chamber was very small, a mere 3" long by 7/8" in diameter. The crystal was found outside, in a nature preserve by my home. Here's what my Crystal Chamber 1.0 looked like.
Well, that was reasonably successful, for my first time with metalwork. I, however, was not satisfied, and soon moved on to other projects. The first chamber I ever built for my Graflex was made out of wood, and painted gold and black, which contrasted hideously with the silver styling of the Graflex. I was so disgusted with it, I never completed it, nor did I photograph it before it was cannibalized for parts. Only one photograph of the Crystal Chamber 2.0 exists, which will be posted further down the thread.
My next chamber design, the Crystal Chamber 3.0, or more widely known as the Customizable Illuminated Crystal Chamber, is well known on these boards as a middle of the road chamber, but not up to the class of the masterpieces of Yoda or Gabywan, not to mention numerous other sabersmiths here. The 3.0 was a good design, and still is, because I learned a lot about building and working with metal and hand tools. It was an important step for me, because it was the first time that I worked with illuminating the chamber itself, in addition to the lightsaber. Here are some examples of the Customizable Illuminated Crystal Chamber design.
Well, the construction of such a successful design meant that I was finally ready to tackle the greatest crystal chamber project of all; the Graflex. After doing some truly Star-Wars style building, using found parts (including two different parts of a butane torch), and figuring out interesting solutions to difficult problems, I finally completed the Crystal Chamber 4.0, or as I've nicknamed it, the Graflex Chamber.
Thanks to cordaroyfrog for the wonderful Aqua Aura quartz crystal.
Here's my Crystal Chamber 4.0.
Here's a family portait, including all four designs, including my failed attempt at a Graflex chamber second from the left.
Left to right: Versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0
A nice pair of shots of the crystal, illuminated at right, and a shot of the chamber on a dark background..
So, I proudly present, my pride and joy, Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber from A New Hope with customized Crystal Chamber, lit up here for you for the very first time!
This lightsaber truly is the centerpiece of my collection. Gifted to me by my father, and with a crystal chamber by me, this truly is my father's lightsaber!
Thanks for looking, everyone.
The Force will be with you, always.
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Originally Posted by cannibal869
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