Kit Rae Design Studio Projects Scrapbook
Below are photos of some projects we are working on or have completed at Kit Rae Design Studio.
Contact: nasnandos@kitrae.net
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SWORD OF ISILDUR - Mate to Narsil/Anduril (2008/2009) - Prop replica for United Cutlery's Lord of the Rings Weapons and Armor line. I supervised the prop replicas for over fifty items for UC's LOTR line, replicated directly from the Weta Workshop props. This one was Isildur's sword, one of Elendil's sons. It is seen in the prologue to Peter Jackson's film adaptation of Tolkien's book, The Fellowship of the Ring. It is very similar in design to Narsil, but shorter, and includes the Tree of Gondor motif on the Narsil-like pommel. If you are a fan of the Narsil/Anduril sword, this is the mate of that sword. We made a few changes to the design as the prop was a bit rough and non symmetrical in places. One major change that does not correspond with the prop was the addition of three stars to the blade engraving. Overall, the replica was OK, not great. The decision was made to injection mold the grip for cost reasons. Finish tests on the protytpes produced a leather-looking wrap similar to the painted Urethane grip on the prop, but in production it simply looked like rubber.
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The Fellowship of the Ring on set photos and screen grabs (©New Line Cinema)
Photos of the Isildur sword prop, made by Weta Workshop in New Zealand around 1998-99. This is a rough painted urethane rubber and aluminum bladed copy of the hero prop and it shows sign of use. The color has darkened over time, and the urethane has warped and shrunk in places since it was made. The pommel “tree” is also missing. These photos were shot in 2008 but a set of control drawings were made before shrinkage occurred. I tried to make the replica as accurate as possible to what the filming prop originally looked like.
3D Model Snapshots based on the control drawings - Used to create electrodes for molds - August 2008
Photos of the first Isildur sword protoype and test handle parts made from molds. Note the three stars on the blade engraving, not on our version of the prop - December 2008
Photos of the second Isildur sword and display prototype. Blade finish is not final as the fuller grooves are not defined enough. I patterned the display silk screen design and display shape after one of the Gondorian banners seen in the film. - December 2008
Photos of the final hilt with mold texturing details added, final finish for handle grip, and final blade finish - January 2009