Licensed Star Wars Costumes from Museum Replicas
- Thread starter Hedjii72
- Start date
Too Much Garlic
Master Member
Just an odd question... since they have bought the license... whose intellectual property rights are you talking about?
I am not in any way condoning or advocating recasting here... but they have the rights... other than LFL, who they bought the rights from... who else has any rights?
Honestly, I would think that with the rights they'll get access to the screen worn stuff and work with that instead of just taking fan made stuff. Since they have the access... anything else would just be stupid, imo. But they can basically do what they want, as long as LFL agrees with it.
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SmilingOtter
Master Member
As far as I can tell, the Conyers, Ga. setup is just a warehouse and store front. With maybe a few small exceptions, most stuff is made in India.
I've also seen some of the items they sell - mostly clothing - in other companies' catalogs, so I don't know if Windlass buys from a third party and puts their label on it, or sells to 3rd parties for them to resell.
Java
Sr Member
I think the referral is similar to what AA was accused of doing and what the slime at Star Fortress do.
Yes, they purchased the rights and what a great short cut and money saver to just take something that is already out there and use as their masters. Genius and crappy in one fell swoop. Plus given the tightly knit group that this merchandise targets, an excellent path to alienating the very group you want to appeal to.
Not saying any of that will happen, just taking a stab at explaining what may have been meant by "Darkheart Armoury"
I had the chance to work with the guys who did the GREAT 300 gear for D*con (Seeker, Got Maul, SWFreak, Dart Goat, ect.) About the only thing they chose to buy was the sandals, everything else they made from scratch. They had a chance to look at some of the stuff being made by Museum Replecas , and decided that it wasn't accurate enough to even consider to use for parts of their costume. One thing they looked at was the cod.... or the leather nut shell cup buldge thing :lol what a joke!
My point, swfreak and his lovely wife :love were able to make a MUCH MUCH BETTER more screen accurate version of the leather spardos just by looking at pictures, than a large company could, with all their access and resources.
I'm sure there will be costume parts that will suffice, but nothing that will be totally accurate.
My point, swfreak and his lovely wife :love were able to make a MUCH MUCH BETTER more screen accurate version of the leather spardos just by looking at pictures, than a large company could, with all their access and resources.
I'm sure there will be costume parts that will suffice, but nothing that will be totally accurate.
Phil Elmore
New Member
Windlass blades have always sucked. They are of very poor quality. I don't mean licensed reproductions, either, but just any sword or other weapon that comes from Windlass and is sold by Museum Replicas. They are simply utter crap.
I cannot imagine anything else they produce being any better.
I cannot imagine anything else they produce being any better.
Star Wars Helmets
Sr Member
This feedback on Mus Rep and Windlass does not fill me with much enthusiasm!
Manufacturing "quality" stormtrooper armour (a conflict in terms) on a large scale is always a tough ask - not least when you consider all the other baggage that goes with fully-licensed production - providing customer service for 40 odd parts and personal injury liability being a couple of potential stumbling blocks.
This is going to be an interesting few months!
Cheers
Jez
Manufacturing "quality" stormtrooper armour (a conflict in terms) on a large scale is always a tough ask - not least when you consider all the other baggage that goes with fully-licensed production - providing customer service for 40 odd parts and personal injury liability being a couple of potential stumbling blocks.
This is going to be an interesting few months!
Cheers
Jez
Too Much Garlic
Master Member
Yeah, they only have two options: do it right or go down burning. No matter how good the intentions were or how many excited speeches they make... the only thing that matters is whether they do it right... or not.
Qui-Gonzalez
Master Member
Wasn't Master Replicas supposed to have been offering the soft costumes at one time during the Ep III push?
Star Wars Helmets
Sr Member
Yeah, but IIRC they ditched it when they realised
1) How very difficult it is to make "screen-accurate" costumes
2) The sales just werent going to be there - there arent enough people who want a Padme Funeral Dress. Maybe Leia Slave :love
So does Mus Rep have any experience with the hard parts, or just leather and fabric?
Cheers
Jez
Davy Jones
Sr Member
I'm not talking to just people in this thread but I have seen the same thing on other forums.
Most people seem to be attacking the 300 items and their lack of accuracy. Please, come up with some informed complaints. 30 secs of reading would tell you that the 300 items are based on the GRAPHIC NOVEL, not what was seen on film.
Others of you have made some valid quality control issues so I am not contesting your knowledge.
I think the props look great myself and I am eagerly awaiting costumes from the star wars films.
At least give them a chance!
Most people seem to be attacking the 300 items and their lack of accuracy. Please, come up with some informed complaints. 30 secs of reading would tell you that the 300 items are based on the GRAPHIC NOVEL, not what was seen on film.
Others of you have made some valid quality control issues so I am not contesting your knowledge.
I think the props look great myself and I am eagerly awaiting costumes from the star wars films.
At least give them a chance!
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Phil Elmore
New Member
This doesn't excuse the generally poor quality of Windlass products in general.
DarkHeart Armoury
New Member
Museum Replicas was originally based in Georgia; the company was purchased by Windlass Steelcrafts in India over ten years ago.
Windlass might not go for that sort of thing, but the Museum Reps catalog in years past has featured lookalike clothing "inspired" by "The Matrix" and "Star Wars" costumes, which certainly skirts the issue.
That's kinda what I meant, yep. India is rife with smaller manufacturers who cheerfully copy from each other and anyone else they can. I made a fairly distinctive skull faced helmet once, and put a picture up on my website. I've since identified at least three versions of it that were produced in India; at least one of them seems to have been a copy of a copy, but still identifiable as my design.
Windlass might not go for that sort of thing, but the Museum Reps catalog in years past has featured lookalike clothing "inspired" by "The Matrix" and "Star Wars" costumes, which certainly skirts the issue.
SmilingOtter
Master Member
DarkHeart Armoury;519704Windlass might not go for [I said:
And their latest catalog includes a coat based on the Clerics from "Equilibrium."
darthgoat
Well-Known Member
One thing to note about their 300 stuff is it was NOT based on the movie but on the graphic novel. While the movie stuff looks a lot like the GN stuff, there are quite a few differences. Nowhere is this more apparent than in helmet. The helmet is much longer looking than in the movie and the prop reflects this.
As far as the Spartos go, yeah they are pretty awful IMO. The leather they used is too red in my opinion and the shape of the cup is rather ridiculous. SWFreak and Mrs SWFreak did a fantastic job on our Spartos AND our capes.
This reminds me. It is almost about time to get those abs back in shape.
ob1al
Sr Member
Am I right in thinking the Rubies version will be made from vinyl?
In terms of personal injury claims, I can't see how any TK armour could be mass-marketed without this being an issue. As eveyone who has suited up in white plastic knows, it's not the most comfortable thing to wear!
Not sure how they will get around that issue.
obi1kenny
Sr Member
I will wait and see what it looks like.
But either way it would have to be REALLY REALLY good for me to spend $1500 on it, which is out of my price range anyhow. And out of the range of a good number of SW fans so I really doubt the 501st Legion will swell from this. BUT the Rubbies stuff is a different matter all together and I am sure that will look like crap and I am sure most that buy it will want to join the Legion. So I really don't see the big problem with this stuff if it is good quality and if it is then great, we will have some new rich friends joining the 501st.
But either way it would have to be REALLY REALLY good for me to spend $1500 on it, which is out of my price range anyhow. And out of the range of a good number of SW fans so I really doubt the 501st Legion will swell from this. BUT the Rubbies stuff is a different matter all together and I am sure that will look like crap and I am sure most that buy it will want to join the Legion. So I really don't see the big problem with this stuff if it is good quality and if it is then great, we will have some new rich friends joining the 501st.
defyitall
Sr Member
I've owned some of MRL's Kingdom of Heaven and Aragorn stuff. The dumbing down of details and use of cheaper materials is one problem. The other is the sizing. They sell S/M and L/XL. Usually doesn't fit anyone in the world all too well.
The biggest problem I see, as a Costume Judge for the Rebel Legion, is if the costumes come out less than stellar and missing important details it's gonna be tough to tell someone that their expensive, LFL approved and licensed costume doesn't cut the mustard.
The only upside I can see is that it might give people some other avenues for costumes PARTS like belts, boots, holsters that maybe they are having trouble finding another way of buying. Take the Han Solo holster for example. Currently you can have one made custom for around $300 or buy a crap one from eBay for $40. If there was soemthing in between it would be a plus.
I'll be at Comicon and I'll be checking out the Han costume with great interest.
The biggest problem I see, as a Costume Judge for the Rebel Legion, is if the costumes come out less than stellar and missing important details it's gonna be tough to tell someone that their expensive, LFL approved and licensed costume doesn't cut the mustard.
The only upside I can see is that it might give people some other avenues for costumes PARTS like belts, boots, holsters that maybe they are having trouble finding another way of buying. Take the Han Solo holster for example. Currently you can have one made custom for around $300 or buy a crap one from eBay for $40. If there was soemthing in between it would be a plus.
I'll be at Comicon and I'll be checking out the Han costume with great interest.
Miana
Well-Known Member
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Mass production of costumes, especially intricate ones like the Fetts armor and even Padme gowns, is just asking for disaster. You can't have amazing quality costumes in mass production.
I'll be at Comic Con too and checking out their stuff. I have a feeling that while they may be a step up from Rubies, they're not going to be up to either 501st nor Rebel Legion standards for costumes.
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