TK-4935

Fantastic job on the armour dude. as a side note, having just spent the weekend here in Blighty at the National Space Centre StarWars weekend with Robert Watts and John Mollo i can tell you these guys are mightily impressed with the innovation and quality of the 501st costumes. On more than one occasion they both said that our costumes are far far better than what were used in the movies. Robert in particular was blown away. He couldnt get over the fact that bits just didnt drop off (as they did while filming the movies). As it was, the strapping was decided on at the last minute in Tunisia just before shooting began. obviously we've had 10 years odd of practice but i thought it was fantastic how these two truly appreciate the work that goes into it all. Well done again Curtis.

"you must do what you feel is right, of course"

Dude, there's a reason no one is (apparently) getting it right, you've banded about claims of this and that so much that it's all just a massive sh*tstorm but you can stop this flailing around in the dark in a matter of minutes, by showing evidence to the contrary (i do believe however that you want to keep people in the dark) Every post is dismissed out of hand yet you show nothing to back up your claims. It really is simple. Show what you've got or forever be painted as a flake and for crying out loud, how can you get all worked up about it if you have sincerely done nothing wrong or have nothing to hide? you're perpetuating the situation. The more you insist on poo pooing everyone without counter evidence the more you're making an a$$ of yourself. This isn't an attack mate just some advice. let the naysayers continue to bash you or silence them with real "cant argue with that" proof. i really do hope you see the light and show a glimpse if not to silence the critics to excite the fans.

*columbo style* "theres just one thing that bothers me" Maybe they're both running Stormtrooper sweat shops, only allowing Dave and Mike one small bag of potato chips a week and not allowing them out to dispell all myths. The future is uncertain, we shalll discover the truth. This is who we are!

I think ego is the issue here. Two people fighting over the right to call themselves 'experts'. While i dont deny that both you (Matt) and Gino are owed a debt of thanks for BOTH your work on accurate armour and to increase our awareness and keep us informed it seems that actually we arent getting any more aware of anything except that Gino hates you with a passion (probably due to living in your shadow as Trooper know-it-all) and you hate Gino because he's questioning your abilities/right to be T.E. and questioning your honesty (which you have reciprocated) To be honest you two can fight it over till the cows come home, i have far better things to do with my time but alas curiosity gets the better of me every time. What i cant stomach is Gino's inability stand the fact that there are as talented if not more talented people out there*cough*TM*cough*. Yes the little nuances may be overlooked, little bumps here, little measurements there but it cant be denied that someone has been able to capture the overall essence of a ANH suit. It's clear to me that whenever his crown is threatened he resorts to belittling comments and childish snipes. You Matt, come across as a volatile but passionate individual which is okay but must you bite every time you're goaded? We, the ignorant many here just seem to be caught up in a battle of ego, at the moment it's a "picture duel" but we're not getting any further (or pictures for that matter) Alas the truth may never surface but Neither of you come across as very honest, with us or yourselves, frankly i dont think i'd trust either of you but then, i dont need to as i'll never buy anything from either of you. I've had to mediate many arguments in my time to reach a satisfactory conclusion to an issue and almost everytime it's down to simple self centred stubborn ego and tempers normally flare when someone is caught in lie, it's a guilt reaction . so just consider the real reason why you should answer any more posts from Gino ( and vice versa Mr G) that simply perpetuates the cyclical nature of this thread. lets have some information only without ego. If you know your right, you have nothing to worry about and no need to defend yourself by replying. Lets consider also the crazy notion that there can be more than one "trooper expert" at any one time. C'mon guys, give it a try. lets get them pictures posted.

oh grow up!!

those that can, do. those that cant just keep telling people they have the photos to prove they can while besmirching everyone else. i think James Brown wrote a song once with the line "talking loud and saying nothing". Every thread that has involved either TE or Gino reminds me of it. if i here "i know something you dont know" *sung in a distinct 8 year old girl style* one more time..... sheesh. Gino, a question. why is it, in your mind so impossible a task for a human being to actually use their natural talent to sculpt a very very real looking set of ANH armour? As others have said, TM armour looks very convincing. it may not have lineage, but it has something your armour will never ever have. the fact it was skillfully pruduced by a real artist from scratch. without your precious molds could you fair any better? Another thing TM has that you may be very quickly losing and that is respect. if you ever finally decide to let your suit go public, you can keep it mate. i'm tired of this, someone give me a shout when Gino and TE have buggered off fancy a pint Paul?

i just resent being made to feel like a donkey chasing a carrot, and to add insult to injury, be made to pay for it.

good man, at last someone has seen the light and hit the nail on the head. nobody really cares about the deals or who lied to who, or who ripped off who. frankly it's just very dull so lets get down to brass taks. if Matt or Gino have any sense they'll see that they have one thing in common with each other and just about everybody else here and that is the obsession/love, whatever you wanna call it, with armour. take yourselves back to that first rush, the first time you glanced at screen used stuff, the first pulls of a kit, thought processes, working progress on re-working ROTJ to ANH etc and share it (i mean really share it, not talk in riddles and hints). TK-4510, by continualy forcing the thread back to relevant questions i think we may get somewhere. my hats off to ya.

He's got a fair point there

i see it went quiet there Paul, did you ever get proof?

sorry to go slightly off topic though i'm sure it'll be of interest but can i see a little detail on Ginos photo on the kidney plate that isn't present on any other armour out there save one, which happens to be an original sculpt? i know there are probably a number of little details on an ANH suit that are missing from all the armour kits available today, one such detail is the kidney plate. on my AP and AA kits the kidney plates are too shallow, they lack about an inch and a half of depth (when wearing it being the same height as the actors it's obvious where the belt should sit, above the kidney/butt join but the belt wants to sit over the join and the butt is really too high, this extra inch would allow it to sit perfectly) cant remember where i found this photo but notice something about the kidney plate thats not present in any kit except TM (cos he's done his research ) if i could remeber where i found this photo i would ask for permission to use it, but i cant so to whom this photo belongs- i will remove if deemed out of line. just wondering if Gino had adapted the kidney plate on his armour to reflect this oversight by other armourers. okay, back on topic. or has it finished for a bit

i think i'm having a deja-vu

they just dont know what they're missing It's totally fair to want to have the most accurate kit if your an obsessive (lord knows i'm an accuracy obsessed geek) but lifes too short for jealousy, mud slinging and grudge harbouring when all that is being questioned is a lump of plastic. if Kudos is what you want as an individual for an acheivement that you think someone is getting, belittling that persons product or credentials aint the way to do it. the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. i'll tell you if it tastes good but only if i tasted it. not because someone told me they thought it tasted good. savvy? Scott, good luck on that walk brother. hope the blisters dont bark too loud after i'd urge all non 501st troopers to join up and get out there. seriously. go on, hope to it.

if AA recast from all the 'Experts' then his kit cant be all that bad regardless of origin, my SDS kit still garners comments from many folks on how good it looks, 501st members included. At C4 my friend Dave with his TM and myself with my SDS were swamped all day every day and not once did anyone come up to us and say "pah! SDS, that stuff sucks an impolite person". lets put this in to perspective people - and just so we're clear, when i don the armour i dont do it for glory or kudos. i never take my lid off in public, nobody knows who i am nobody ever will.it's not a peacocking thing or a my 'kits better than yours'. i dont make money from someone elses intellectual property. whenever i do an event, i do it for donations for childrens charities. never once has anyone cared whether i'm wearing FX, GF, TE, TM, AP, SDS. It Doesnt matter to them. all that matters to them is that they've just had their photo taken with a stormtrooper. they walk away and they smile. bollocks to the he said this and he said that mentality. you can keep you're uber accurate piffle to be honest if this is what it keeps coming down to.

nobody cares anymore. Gino's products are for the select few and Matt has sold his molds all over town so anyone can get a TE lid form the bloke next door, lets ignore it and move on people.

Awesome stuff, its got a stink to it but it holds armour together very well. i wouldnt use it to glue anything into your lid though as the fumes last way after it's cured and may cause you to spew while trooping (i'm speaking from experience here)

personally i would go TM, it's robust, it has a very authentic movie accurate look about it considering it's an original sculpt and having seen it in action up close and personal it looks to be slightly larger than lineage suits (only a smidge mind you) both AP and TE2 should be applauded for their presence of mind to stay well clear of these slanging matches. to be honest both kits are awesome, AP being ABS may well be slightly more geared towards a heavy trooping schedule but adversly i havent heard anyone complaining about TE2 cracking from a trooping marathon. I think both these guys have earnt the respect of a lot of people in this community for their silence as much as anything else (T-Guns i'm sure has every right to be a little miffed about buying molds only to find he's in direct competition later on with the seller of said molds and yet we havent heard a peep). AP has been accused i'm sure on many occasions in the past of various things and yet he's kept schtum and let it go over his head. it saddens me that new members have to witness how infantile Gino and TE have to be about this. i for one find it a little embarassing, two grown men exposing their insecurities on a forum for all to read. i've been a member of many costuming forums for many years now on and off and it never ceases to amaze me how this can still be going on. both Gino and TE should be admired for their work but alas i fear they are both now subject to ridicule. and so i wonder how long it will be before certain members are once again banned from yet another forum? just for sh*ts and giggles, Mr movie/fx reckons everyone has recast parts of his actual ANH movie suit. go figure. mods: feel free to edit or remove this post as you see fit as i'm sure you'll agree it wont change anything

very nice work there. very neat and well thought out. i've put together three AP kits now and each one is an improvement but being this is your first it's awesome. one small thing i reckon you could change is the extra popper at the bottom of the shoulder bell for tthe bicep piece. you wont need it buddy. if the elastic/webbing is one strip with a popper at the top of the bell and one at the bottom for the bicep peice that should be fine. i only say this as i had done the very same thing and i found that the bicep when pushed up from holding the gun up for example it also pushed the shoulder bell up as well. looked funny in my clearence photos and i couldnt work out why until i re did all my strapping and realised what was happening. the bicep needs to be able to move up and down a wee bit. does that make sense?

it doesnt hold up well to trooping either. mine is suffering many cracks and will probably have to be resigned to the mannequin soon. which is GREAT cos then i can get a TM WOOT!

that was a cool shot, that was me and my sandy brothers and sister (the one with the mahoosive T-21 is a girl)

Hey Wyatt, got some goodies for ya buddy. CE was indeed a blast, very crowded, very hot but very good fun. that was indeed me in the photo, representing the MEPD with a little talk about tupperware and muck. It was all a little bit last minute but i think i pulled it off, there were the same amount of people sitting there when i'd finished as was when i started i'll try and find some stormtrooper related photos of the event. oh, Mr Danters space pack went down a storm. good work Wesh fella

you're a star. thanks mate

hey Paul, hows things? brass flat bar. you know all this time i wondered what they were on your armour. where can you get it and more importantly what is it?

i'm totally loving your ESB look matey. thats a work of art right there. of course you know you're gonna have to get a bit of cloud city muck on that there armour of yours to match the lid. Paul, tell him