Graflex Variations: Facts and vs. Replica

[Serenity]

Sure ... so do I from that point of view ... not from my picture though :wacko However I do have a better picture of that darker pin the lever :

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz258/Sym-Cha/Luke ESB-01_zpsb2zl9hyz.jpg

Chaim

My old Folmer Graflex! I have one identical to it now too that has the shiny plated lever handle and darker lever pin.

I also have a deeper set glass eye frame; it came from a corded attachment rather than a regular glass eye. In comparing it with a standard glass eye frame, it has a thicker "lip" at the bottom around the glass eye, which forces it to sit further down.

 

[l33tLX]

Sure ... so do I from that point of view ... not from my picture though :wacko However I do have a better picture of that darker pin the lever :


Chaim

Even in the pic you posted of the Ranch saber those are definitely straight pins, the trs are very noticeable. I'm pretty sure what might be throwing you off are tool marks from removing and reinstalling the pins. I used to get the same marks on my pins before i bought the pin tool from the graflex shop. Those pins on the Ranch saber had to have been taken off and put back in AT LEAST once as the conecting strip that would normally be present underneath the top pins is missing. Also connecting and removing a flash synchronizer a few times will cause wear right where the recessed portion of the trs pins is

Also great catch on the bevel at the bottom of the red button, can't believe i never noticed that

 

[l33tLX]

Pic from my MoM book, again I'm seeing straight pins all the way around

 

[adiemilio]

And here's a link to another thread in which I posted my theory on Luke's Hero saber being the same hilt used for both ANH and ESB and where the parts from said saber are currently residing. About halfway down page 2 starting at post #41
http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=232217&page=2&highlight=luke+saber+story

By what I have seen and that there is no trace of the original Graflex from ANH my conclusion is that is the same hilt.

They went from the shiny plated clamp lever and non-machined pin to the matte lever and a much nicer looking machined pin with a larger head.

This New lever was the one replicated by Parks as can be seen in this picture, old graflex on top, Parks at bottom. I just purchased another Graflex that I noticed has this same kind of pin.





I was thinking of getting my old graflex a new version set of pins and glass eye but pictures of the original are confusing, I guess Master Replicas has much of the fault because their version has the newer parts.

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

I just read through post #41 in the other thread and wanted to add one detail to this discussion.

This saber

is painted in silver paint. It said so in the auction description.
They do this when they need to reduce reflection from shiny metal

 

[thd9791]

That would absolutely explain the weird dark scrapes all over this prop. Thanks Dan! Allen bolts and now silver paint, this thing gets uglier and uglier :lol

I just read through post #41 in the other thread and wanted to add one detail to this discussion.

This saber
http://www.therpf.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=491664&d=1429567536
is painted in silver paint. It said so in the auction description.
They do this when they need to reduce reflection from shiny metal

 

[mugatu]

I just read through post #41 in the other thread and wanted to add one detail to this discussion.

This saber
http://www.therpf.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=491664&d=1429567536
is painted in silver paint. It said so in the auction description.
They do this when they need to reduce reflection from shiny metal

The outer rim on the back tube end appears to be the thicker rolled edge and not the thin one.

 

[l33tLX]

I just read through post #41 in the other thread and wanted to add one detail to this discussion.

This saber
http://www.therpf.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=491664&d=1429567536
is painted in silver paint. It said so in the auction description.
They do this when they need to reduce reflection from shiny metal

Interesting about the auction listing saying it was painted silver, cool info, never heard that before. Maybe they just thought it was painted silver? That'd be a pretty impressive masking job to get just the tube painted and not any of the hardware attached, tab, post, etc.
To me it looks like the normal finish, Manufactured by Graflex with pat no 3-cell. Thicker edge bottom which looks as though the plating has worn away a bit revealing the brass underneath, shiny plated post on the beer tab, matte clamp lever. Pretty sure those are all the same size rivets as used on the bottom of the hero.
And then I have always thought that the black marks are residue left over from the gaffers tape that was wrapped around the clamp for the Bespin duel

 

[Sym-Cha]

Okay ... so I had another look at all my bottom 3cells ... 2 are 'Made by the Folmer Graflex Corp.' with patent # and 3 are 'Manufactured by Graflex, Inc.' ... and low and behold ... all my 'Made by the Folmer ...' have a thinner edge than the 'Manufactured by Graflex,...' ... and here's the evidence :





Also the 'Made by the Folmer Graflex Corp.' flashguns have indeed less of a shine or chromed appearance than the 'Manufactured by Graflex, Inc.'

Chaim

 

[scottjua]

I noticed too that most or all of the early Folmers with thin knurled buttons had a more shiny chrome look compared with later modes' obvious grain

 

[OdiWan72]

Here are my unconverted flashguns:



Only two of them are Folmer, the rest is Graflex INC NY with Pat.No.


The Folmer have thin edges, BUT two of the more modern ones have these as well.
Have stepped brass pins, straight pins, hell even a combination of BOTH IN ONE PORT.
Glass eyes, buttons, clamps, tubes, levers...all vary slighty reg. their luster and finish :wacko

And YES...the Ranch saber definately has straight pins in one port and another straight pin in the second port. But this is too dusty and my ref. pics don´t show clearly if the second pin in this port is straight or stepped.

Markus

 

[Sym-Cha]

Markus ... are your 'Made by the Folmer Graflex Corp.' less or more shiny than the more modern ones? I seem to have seen a picture where it's even more chromed looking as scottjua said instead of less :wacko

Chaim

 

[mortifactor]

I spotted the thin/thick edge on my two

Both the same stamp

 

[mugatu]

My Folmer New York is definitely brighter and more solid-chromey than my Graflex Inc. It also has the thin edge whereas my Graflex Inc. has the thicker edge.

 

[scottjua]

Don't forget there's also at LEAST two variations of FOLMERS too: with Patent # and without.

I've had both, and Markus it seems all your Folmers have the patent # The shiny ones seem to be the earlier no patent variation.

 

[adiemilio]

Here are my unconverted flashguns:

http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/OdiWan72/DSCF7495_zpsnteavmqx.jpg

OdiWan is your 4 cell Stamped Graflex on the bottom?? I just got myself a 4 cell and the bottom is smooth.

 

[OdiWan72]

Markus ... are your 'Made by the Folmer Graflex Corp.' less or more shiny than the more modern ones? I seem to have seen a picture where it's even more chromed looking as scottjua said instead of less :wacko

Chaim

MORE shiny, but at least one of the others has a shiny -more brushed chrome- like finish as well

Markus

- - - Updated - - -

OdiWan is your 4 cell Stamped Graflex on the bottom?? I just got myself a 4 cell and the bottom is smooth.

Neither the 4 cell, nor the 5 cell is stamped!

Markus

 

[l33tLX]

here's a shot of four Manufactured by Graflex, and my one Made by Folmer no pat no. showing the plating difference




Also I want everyone to notice how on a Folmer no pat no the "Made by Folmer Graflex Corp" line of text has more space between the words than a folmer with pat no. On a Folmer no pat no. The T in the TRADE MARK line of text across the middle is next to the M in MADE, and the F in OFF is next to the P in CORP. On the Folmer's with pat no and the Manufactured by Graflex models the T is next to the R in ROCHESTER and the F is next to the 5 at the end of the pat no.
Bottom of the Ranch saber is T next to R, so NOT a Folmer no pat no, and its hard to tell but i think I can make out made and not manufactured, pretty sure the Ranch saber bottom is a Folmer with pat no

 

[slothfurnace]

I just scored another early "telegraph" style graflex, same kind as the one in the middle left of the photo. Similar to the top half I snagged off ebay to make Derelict with... I'll post more pics when it arrives.

 

[Sym-Cha]

With the going rates for G R A F L E X stuff ... that's a small fortune on that greenish cloth :wacko

Chaim