TKJustin

Twilight zone indeed!

I guess this all simply means, I haven't really researched enough. It's definitely a hobby that requires patience and practice. Thanks for the advice too. I've been see people use the xacto knife not just in this hobby, so I'm definitely getting that. I really appreciate the analysis on the helmet. I wasn't 100% sold on it anyway the moment he offered it, so I guess I'll simply ask him questions just to know more about how he came up with it, and perhaps you guys can post about him here and warn other buyers if ever he is really a recaster. Ultimately, I'll just get a kit abroad and go with the self-built armor route. Till next time.

Right now, it's just funny that I spent more time discussing(/arguing) about recasts and vetted kits than actually getting opinions about how good the helmet and blaster looks. ) The mood here is very tense. And I kind regret having touched on the topic of recasts. Looks like it's a big no no here. I think I'll just wait and see what happens after we talk over the phone. If it is definitely a recast, I'll drop my 501st plans for now and wait for a better chance to get armor kits from a vetted seller abroad. I think I'll be visiting the US next year October, so that may be a good time to pick up some stuff there. In the mean time, I'll do more research about building kits on my own..and maybe practice gluing and cutting stuff.

Nope. I did my own research a few months before I met the maker. I chanced upon some build threads and took note of the basic tools needed. After finding out that most need to be acquired from the US or UK, I gave up on the project. I then chanced upon the local outpost and sent emails to the officers. The GML (his name is actually Luis Cacho, you can check his email in the 501st database) then told me about this project. And now I'm here asking if his offerings are good enough Oh okay thanks. I'm particularly concerned about the outer outline of the eye frames. They don't seem to have enough definition? From my experience, customs taxes are extremely high, especially for obviously expensive items. And Star Wars stuff are widely known to be expensive around here. I only order abroad whenever I visit the country and get it locally. Plus, shipping time (two months) is too long and items tend to get lost. (Imagine trying to return a kit after discovering a flaw or a shipping-caused damage.) I can understand that a great portion of the hesitation to help me here is the wariness of the 501st community about recasts. How I see my situation so far is that I'm paying the maker for his costs (getting or making the armor kit) + labor (saving me the trouble of acquiring the right materials and the time to actually build the suit). Before I only thought recasts were condemned due to actually low quality. It's only now actually that I'm beginning to realize the real roots of the negativity towards recasts. From what I've researched so far (correct me if I'm wrong), it seems that the way recasters make their stuff is pretty much similar to how vetted armor makers make copies of theirs, or similar to how original prop owners make copies of theirs. But, i can see that recasters are viewed as people who are simply leeching on the hard work of others. In the end, I'd like to add in hindsight that one big selling point of this local maker is the extreme convenience of getting an assembled armor from him.

Actually, I'm still trying to figure out if he is actually a recaster. No one has given a definite answer to it yet. I'm spending not a small amount of cash on this so I'm trying to get as many opinions as possible. It's not that I'm trying to help the seller, it's more of knowing everything about what I'm actually spending money on. The moment I hear someone telling me it's not up to 501st standards, I'd easily drop doing business with this maker. I apologize if I overreacted, but I just hate it when people jump to conclusions. And perhaps, the way you put it just really caught my nerve. So it's a CAP. Thanks That's what I needed to know. EDIT: I'd also like someone to comment on the frame of the eyes. They seem more rounded (cross-section-wise) to me than other helmets I've seen. I'm not sure if it's just the lighting though. Most visible at this angle:

That was juvenile..and fyi, i haven't even assembled my own helmet yet.. I'm just really not giving up on this maker yet as he is my only option for now. Resources are very limited in my country that we don't have the luxury of having all the high quality glues, magnets cutters, dremels that you guys could so easily acquire at your local Lowe's or Walmart. It's not simple building a trooper armor here, and so I really have to rely on others who have networks that could allow them to get all the necessary materials from abroad. I'm really starting to think about leaving this community, thanks to you, troopermaster. I know it's so easy to speak like that when you don't even have your face displayed on your profile. People like you ruin the internet. I hope you start manning up and start treating people better. And if you still don't believe me, give me your email address and I could forward to you my whole conversation with the maker. Have a nice day. I hope you felt better about yourself after having figured out your "grand conspiracy." Haven't yet. I have exams until wednesday. I'll ring him up soon once I figure out everything I'll ask him, as I am still doing research in the threads here

Yeahp, I'm totally skeptical about the origin but I'd also like to know what you guys think about how it looks judging by the pictures. Mr. Nichols has mentioned earlier that it seems like a soft pull. Does it look really bad? or is the softness passable BTW, he's going to make the armor too, so plastic matching won't be an issue. Once again thanks for the feedback so far.

Any other people who could comment on the quality? The maker said that the gap was a mistake on his part, and he's making sure not to do it again on the final pieces he makes. He also told me I could give him a ring tomorrow to discuss the origins of the molds.

Alright! Thanks

Am I better off with or without them?

I would also like to ask what he meant by "-Mag Cylinders with wires are available upon request only"

Well said If it's definitely a recast I might just pass on it. Still waiting for a reply from him. just a side note, the CO and XO are CC'd in his emails to me.

Hmm, so this is most likely a recast of the armor he used for applying to the 501st. Is it not acceptable for 501st standards? (he claims it's acceptable for 501st standards, and he's the GML here)

Ohh there! Okay. Thanks for pointing it out.

Thanks! I'll alert him about it so he can avoid it for his first run. Could you help me specify which gap?