This lightsaber is an original prop used in the film and was auctioned on Propstore.com. We use the original auction text and photos with kind permission from propstore.com.
Description
An Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) first-cast aluminium lightsaber from George Lucas‘ Star Wars: A New Hope.
The lightsaber, conceptualised by George Lucas and constructed by John Stears and Roger Christian, was originally made from camera flash handles, battery packs and other hardware. This design was altered for various characters, with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber utilising plumbing equipment and a World War I British grenade in its construction. This style of lightsaber went on to become Guiness‘ „dueling“ lightsaber, with a motor to spin its rod, used to create the glowing effect that would ultimately be brought to life through rotoscoping. Such lightsabers would later be re-used by Mark Hamill in Return of the Jedi.
To make the lightsaber easy to reproduce in large quantities, a master was shaped from wood on a lathe. The wooden prototype was then used to create a mould, allowing the crew to cast metal iterations which could be altered and used throughout the production.
This first-cast lightsaber is made of aluminium, cast from the first moulds taken from the production’s initial wooden prototype. Unfinished, the lightsaber shows wear from production use, with the side displaying grind marks from where the pore entrance was cast and subsequently removed. Dimensions: 26.5 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm (10 1/2″ x 2″ x 2″)
£10,000 – 15,000
