BLADE RUNNER BLASTER Replica by DAIKI KOGYO / ELFIN KNIGHTS (Japan)

Well, we live for the nuance sir.

The more I see of this the greater my irritation at the blatant sloppiness of the offering.

With all the information we now have about the original and the tremendous selection of other blasters that are now available its no excuse to produce such drivel.

This is a sad development that to me shows their utter disdain for even the most modest collector.

jedeyenight said:

My Son and I did a quick review/comparison of this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBh2nE_dCjY&feature=youtu.be if you're interested.

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i am not going to ask refund but i posted a bad review on the hobbysearch item page

I paid before seeing the initial pics and then emailed HLJ straight away, before it was sent. It was sent anyway. I've been told by HJL that the blaster in those pics was a particularly bad example. Fingers crossed.

I imagine the 'Made in Austria' faced some legalistic issue given that it's actually made in China.

Well, they may be right about that. I think mine was the worst I've seen yet, but all of the ones I've seen are lumpy at the very least so far. HLJ told me the ones they had left were better, but looking at mine through the box and vacuform clamshell packaging from a single angle it doesn't look too bad either. I do hope yours is the exception!

With luck I'll have my refund before Christmas. I'd love to hear what the Ryosuke Takagi and company has to say about how this project turned out.

Mark in Okinawa

I think the only honorable thing to do for Ryosuke Takagi San in to bow deeply in front of his customers:behave

WOW, just shows how deceiving pictures can be, they must have learnt this from sideshow collectibles.

i wouldn't even want a replacement, just my money back.

Hmmm... so if recipients would all write in unison as part of a coordinated effort, I think it would get their attention.

Mine is "Hopefully" on the way. It got shipped before I saw all of the comments here as part of a larger order. According to the postal service it has arrived in-country. Got to wait to see what happens with customs though (I'm in Oz). Fingers crossed on two counts!!
If I ever get it I'll be sure to add to the feedback here.
Cheers and Seasons Greetings to all!

I ordered mine from HobbySearch.
I wrote them requesting a return and refund.
They refused because
“as thereare no obvious defects on the product and it is
withinthe Manufacturer's acceptable level of defect,
we areunable to offer refund four your order.”

I am dumbfounded.

If you paid with a VISA card.... should be OK to process a chargeback via the Merchant Bank claim system?.....or a claim via Paypal maybe.
Hobbysearch sounds like they have some "standard responses" set up for complainant customers and hope they "go away".
They've been around for quite a long time...looks like they are in avoidance mode...insulting really.

I guess their definition of the word "obvious" is a lot different than ours - I would think that the difference between the advertising/promo pics and shots of what we are receiving is pretty "obvious." I don't think I'll be placing any orders with Hobbysearch - ever.

Mark in Okinawa

I'm also in Australia, my blaster has been sitting with customs since the 15/12, so there's a good chance they've confiscated it .

Haven't looked In this thread for awhile now. very glad I did. almost thought of ordering one of these last week. I will never order one now.....

Does Elfin Knights have a Facebook page?

cd1969 said:

I'm also in Australia, my blaster has been sitting with customs since the 15/12, so there's a good chance they've confiscated it .

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opcorn.....Sitting in Customs for a week is not too bad....could be busy time for them. Customs don't confiscate these types of blasters. They may send you a letter requesting a police permit (i.e. B709A permit) for it, or let it go straight through for delivery. Try contacting the Aussie Customs and Aust-Post people if you don't receive it within another week.:confused

cratercritter said:

opcorn.....Sitting in Customs for a week is not too bad....could be busy time for them. Customs don't confiscate these types of blasters. They may send you a letter requesting a police permit (i.e. B709A permit) for it, or let it go straight through for delivery. Try contacting the Aussie Customs and Aust-Post people if you don't receive it within another week.:confused

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Generally that's true but I had one confiscated recently and it was destroyed because they said it looked just like a Taser :/ (it had a pink plug and had been painted blue to convince them that it wasn't a threat).

It IS best to secure a B709A permit if possible.
I am still waiting though for mine - I applied for it in February.

KramStaar said:

Generally that's true but I had one confiscated recently and it was destroyed because they said it looked just like a Taser :/ (it had a pink plug and had been painted blue to convince them that it wasn't a threat).

It IS best to secure a B709A permit if possible.
I am still waiting though for mine - I applied for it in February.

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Sheesh.... Customs can be so stupid and/or ruthless sometimes. You waiting for a B709A since Feb??....huh. That's way too long for WA?. Mine, here in SA usually take on average 4 weeks to process at the SAFirearms Division. Each B709A I get are specific for what I want to import at the time and they are usually time limited with a two to three month expiry date which gives me ample time to order/ship the item....but if one of my B709A permits expires...they usually issue a new one within a week or so with an updated expiry date.
Since you are in WA (?)....I guess there will be some variation in administration procedures etc. but more than 6 weeks for a B709A is too long, unless you need a further special dispensation from the Chief of police or the Attorney etc.
Cheers...:ninja

Got mine today. Mine appears to be free from the warpage or issues that others have noted.

I have owned several versions of this replica over the years, including a COYLE, so I am pretty familiar with what is out there. I have also scrutinized the WorldCon photos with the rest of you.

So many on this thread have hated on this piece, and for reasons I can not refute. Despite all the negative reviews, upon preliminary handling and observation, I believe it makes for:

1) A nice display piece if you are looking for a reasonable facsimile of the gun under $200 and not one to nitpick details

2) A nice cosplay piece as it appears to be pretty solidly built and would withstand repeated holsterings and perhaps even a drop or two to a carpeted floor

Is it overpriced? Well, I paid $120 or so shipped, and yeah, I would have preferred that it was more in the $50 price range. Is it better to get an Off World or Coyle resin kit for $200+? If the nitpicky details are important to you, then by all means, you'll want a Coyle or one of the other replicas that range from $300 to $1,000+.

Compared to the SidKit, the size did not seem that drastic, but I trust others who have said it is considerably smaller than the actual prop.

I am not writing this to sway anybody who has posted negative reviews. If your replica was badly warped, seems a refund or at least an exchange is in order.

I am not writing this to sway someone on the fence to get one, as I obviously have no control over quality control issues and can't guarantee yours will arrive in the great condition mine did.

I am writing this simply to offset the ratio of negative reviews to positive reviews, which was about a 99% to 1% ratio.

As for the final product not matching what was shown in the prototype photos, that is indeed inexcusable -- just as it was when Art Asylum showed what appeared to be HMS versions of the tricorder and perhaps even comm and phaser, complete with metal parts and no screw holes, only to have final product feature painted silver plastic and holes a-plenty.

So, if your replica MUST have all the proper inscriptions on the barrel and MUST be the exact dimensions and MUST etc etc etc, this piece is not for you.

If you are looking for a knock-around piece and $150 is pocket change, then this is an excellent deal. If you are more like me (and $150 is NOT pocket change), but are not nitpicky about the details, then it may be best to wait and see if this replica comes down in price...because for $50 to $75, I think all the details collectors like us typically sweat would be overlooked.

Then again, you may best be served to simply put every penny towards the pricier replicas that have every detail exact.

I may post pics later, but they are not much different than what others have posted -- and like some of the other pictures shown, mine seems to be in great condition.

Would it be possible to post pics of yours? Have not seen any non warped ones yet.

Thanks