Lair advice request RE:Predator 2 Cutting Disc replica

[Predian]

Hi everyone. I'm posting this in the hope of some quick expecrt advice. I am hesitating on a purchase of a Predator 2 cutting disc replica because the piece is not familiar to me. I know the Icons disc release and this one is also cast from original molds but (IMO) has a far superior paint job. The owner in the US is a bit vague about its origins but I have seen an identical piece shown against an original Predator leg prop. I thought I'd let you guys take a look and tell me what you think and if you recognise it...

 

[hez1]

Almost certainly a cast of an Icons disc. Nice paintjob though, how much is he asking for it?

 

[Predian]

Almost certainly a cast of an Icons disc. Nice paintjob though, how much is he asking for it?

Price seems pretty reasonable at $250 including postage to UK. I didn't think the other owner who has the leg was likely to have sold his disc which is why I can't understand the identical paint job unless they are the same one or were painted together.
Looking at this picture from the weapons poster the original props don't have indented lines on the inner circles while the icons disc I the one I've been offered do:

 

[hez1]

$250?

You're paying for the paintjob then. Not sure what you meant about the indented lines though.

 

[BOUNTY HAUNTER]

...and from an "original" mold? As in a "screen-used" mold?


Not unless it's shrunk by about 30%. That disc looks pretty small even in a human hand. The screen-used piece is much larger.

 

[hez1]

You're right Brian, I didn't even think about that. The Icons disc is 9.5" in diameter and you need fairly large hands to get a good grip on it. Opened, I wouldn't even be able to reach all the holes with my fingers. Ask the seller how large it is.

 

[Predian]

OK, I'm thinking this is one to avoid.
The details I was referring to are the two rings along the join, on the faces of these rings the Icons disc has an indented line while every shot I find of the movie prop shown no indents.

 

[hez1]

I see what you mean. It looks like the original has the indents, at least on one side of the disc, but they're hidden by the large ring on the back of the disc. That replica looks ok, but it's definitely expensive.

I'd check on the size, it looks a little small in the guys hands, but that can be subjective.

Here's the screen used one

The diameter on the open one looks to be around 12" or more.

 

[Robillicus]

I'd probably venture to guess that if it were infact a screen-used copy, it would've come from the stunt mold. For one, the majority of stunt pieces weren't even to scale with the primary Predator suit (big example - the P2 helmet that's been circulating forever). The stunt suit itself was drastically shorter than that of the one worn by Kevin Peter Hall. I think it was made for someone just over six-foot. Which is why that guys hand looks large next to that puppet/stunt leg.

In the P2 S.E. extra's menu, you can view the creatures weaponry. One scene in particular involves John Rosengrant holding the hero disc, and it's quite large - bigger than a dinner plate. He had to open, or activate it, with two hands because his hands were too small. Even the spear was too much for one arm to hold.

That paint-job looks pretty cool, and I'm sure it'd be nice prop to have as a suit piece. I'm weary of anyone who throws the terms "Screen-Used" and "Studio Molds" around without any hard factual evidence to back it up. Especially with what the going prices for screen-used pieces are.

Eh, just my $ .02.

 

[Predian]

I know the P2 disc very well and remember John Rosengrant having to use his other hand to help open the disc wide. I don't know the diameter of this piece and have just told the seller that if it isn't Icons it probably isn't worth me investing in.
Thanks for everyones' opinions, it was helpful to get it in perspective.

 

[roninpredator]

Contact Don jarr. He makes a nice P2 disc, he's a member here and he also has a site.

 

[Predian]

Contact Don jarr. He makes a nice P2 disc, he's a member here and he also has a site.

That's the one I'll buy if any. The seller was fine about it:

"No problem at all, Ian. And I appreciate and respect that you have done
some research. But your contacts' information is not altogether accurate.
Icons made several castings, and most people are only familiar with the
final version that made limited production. Mine is a DIRECT casting of the
original stunt prop formerly in the possession of James Latta of Icons, and
that's why it does not exactly match the publicly released Icons version.
As a prop collector/broker for well over 10 years, I am confident in its
value, which is in excess of the price I offered it to you for. I am also
relatively confident the "DH Studio" pieces are recasts of an Icons disc."

 

[Paul1]

It's an Icons and I know for one reason, the two squares on top of the disk were rebuilt by me using the original as reference.

The Icons piece was pulled from a hard rubber stunt and all of the nurneys inside the squares was either full of holes or gone.

I also rebuilt the leading edge as the rubber was all dinged up. If this were a pull from the master mold straight off the rubber the leading edge would be heavily worn. Also those rings on the bottom rotated when opened, so when it's in the open position the indentions are under the clear fan thingy. It was sculpted both ways and the picture of the disks on the table vary from each other in that one picture.
I made it nice and clean like the hero pieces and the size was accurate but I do have a theory. The rubber shrinks a little more than resin or other urethanes.

So you mold the original rubber and it has already shrunk. You cast a master, that shrinks a little and then I clean that up and mold it again. That's four generations away from what the original was at one time.

I would say it's at least 10% smaller than the original.

All of the originals except the stunts were copper plated and weathered at Winstons.

Paul

 

[Predian]

Well thanks for the insider info on that Paul, I didn't know any of the rings rotated. Incidently I own a set of three broken disc blades which came from Icons, the larger inner ring is also pictured:

 

[Paul1]

I would be interested in a set if you ever mold them up.

Paul