Dart

I'm also interested. My biggest question related to the above quote is: Is the drop box webbing the same as the webbing connecting the bottom of the chest/back pieces? To me, it looks exactly the same, but I know the question's been raised before without a really solid answer. Thanks again for posting this info up. To say that the past week's worth of information hasn't changed things is an understatement.

That separation is probably a shadow instead of black costume. My only little niggle is the shape of the cod. In the full-sized and the image above, the cod isn't triangular, but (geometrically) 2 different shapes with a corner at the boomerang seam. If you look at screen caps (blu-ray or otherwise), this isn't present. Also, the image above is of the pre-production (straps on the boot are a dead give away). Seeing as I'm re-doing them anyway, I'm really looking forward to re-designing my bund/vest!

So far, so good. If you're unsure where the line to cut is, cut less and use a larger round file or sandpaper to get the edge down to where it should be.

I think it's a real helmet. However, I think maybe it wasn't finished when it was originally sold and whoever bought it added the snout piece. I wish I had the cash. This is only the 2nd helmet, that we know of, that has made it out of the archives.

I dig the life-sized scout! As for found parts, the only ones that are not known are some of the parts on the tank topper, some of the bigger thermal detonator greeblie, and the lower (square) part of the bicep T-bit. Any original shots of those from a primary source with good lighting and a scale of reference would be so sweet.

These really aren't the best type of boot, in that the shape is kinda hard to work with. Ideally, you want a boot that's flatter on the top of the foot, with the laces farther back from the toes. Also, you don't really need laces for the bottom part. You can always just stitch the eyelets together where it's comfy for your foot. The thing you want to avoid when you're building your own boots is to have a HUGE barrel. Even if you taper it at the top to fit your leg, it just looks weird. Ideally, you wanna have the barrel of the boot pretty straight and fitting over the boot just in front of your ankle.

Definitely interested in the end quality of these things. My boots are going on 4 years and I really liked the idea of making them from leather instead of vinyl. Joe, please take lots of photos. For that price, and some do-it-yourself sole cutting, these could be really nice.

So how does the weight of this stack up to the Hyperfirm? Is the composition similar or totally different?

Mike, I don't think anyone knows for sure what the original material was. To me, they look like they're leather because of they way they crease and hang, but vinyl's so much easier and cheaper to work with. That said, I think I'm gonna try to make my next pair out of leather. I'll see how that goes, ha!

At one time, you could order direct from Mardon (MLC), but I don't know if that's still the case. Can't hurt to ask...

For those who are experiencing the velcro falling off, be sure you clean the area first with rubbing alcohol. You'd be surprised how much crap is on the plastic when you first get it. I use some foam knee pad inserts with velcro stuck to those. The fit nicely and the velcro mostly doesn't peel off, but that's just part of the maintenance routine.

I know there was a discussion earlier this year about amending that width. I thought it had been changed.

Technically, the drop box straps are 1.5". I thought the requirement was made smaller than 45mm for the chest/back junction?

The LW bucket is a bit of a "Great White Buffalo". I think he kinda burnt himself out a bit when he initially did them. You can always try contacting him and see what he says.

Yeah, Mike always seems to have a ton of stuff on his plate, ha! Good to see you joining the true elite troopers. Y'know, the guys and gals who actually hit what they're aiming for (not including trees).

Is it just me, or does the visor of the NI have a weird taper? Also, it looks like the top front edge of the visor is actually more concave than straight. Maybe it's just the angle or the photo...

Aker amp in my left pouch. Scouts didn't have any voice processing, so there's no need/precedence for it. That said, go nuts.

Matt, if you haven't purchased anything else yet, I'd put the money towards the rest of the suit. There's plenty of people who make trooping helmets for a third of the price, that are widely accepted for 501st clearance AND Lancer. Of course, if you can afford it all, go for it. Just my buck oh-five...

The difference there is that both of those are "stunt" helmets. You can tell because the bottom edge of the visor is flared out much more than the other 4 in the, and we know the visor was cut out a bit more to fit the stuntmen's goggles and increase vision. I wouldn't use those two for any reference regarding the visor or lens size/shape.

Same! Looking forward to Sept/Oct! I'm very curious how it actually compares to whatever's out there. Sure, we have the photos, but to see a helmet derived from the original molds/existing helmets is very exciting!

Yup, I wear glasses under my KS with no problems at all.

I remember when I got my gloves. They were the first part I received. It only gets better, my friend.

Interesting. Just to play the Devil's Advocate, here's a few of my nit-picky things (please don't take these personally - the helmet isn't terrible at all, but there's a few spots that stick out to me.) The snout piece shouldn't have the two small holes drilled out, the nose and the hook decals don't quite look right (arc is too thick at the ends, hook looks a bit stretched horizontally), the snout plate seems a bit too long, and the edge of the visor where it meets the helmet doesn't seem to line up very flush (could just be how it's sitting on the stand). Overall, it doesn't seem too bad, but for the price, it's a lot. Let us know how it troops!

You might reconsider just flying with velcro alone (industrial or otherwise). Having some metal clips makes a big difference if someone tries to pull it off or if you get stuck in a crowd and it gets bumped hard.

The only thing I could suggest, is if you're getting KS to build your bucket, maybe ask them not to put the stickers and greeblies on, if you plan on getting better ones. The snout is far from accurate and the stickers leave a few things to be desired. They're all still approvable, but they're noticibly different.