Thought on these mold pics?

[wannab]

Found this web page with pics of a tour of SDS studio.
Your thoughts on the stormtrooper helmet molds (moulds)?

http://www.whatsdandone.com/sds/

Doug

 

[Jumpin Jax]

Found this web page with pics of a tour of SDS studio.
Your thoughts on the stormtrooper helmet molds (moulds)?

http://www.whatsdandone.com/sds/

Doug

Very nice. And not original. There's a specific detail added for vac-forming, missing from that mold, that is seen on every ANH stormtrooper helmet. Even a direct copy of an original mold would have the detail, but these molds do not.
Fire away, everyone, but that's some very excellent proof.

JJ

 

[AnsonJames]

The reference pictures of Trooper helmets on the wall are quite strange considering AA has the 'original' moulds.
You wouldn't think you would need any kind of reference...

I can't believe these are the original moulds in fact I don't believe these are the original moulds.

 

[IRONMAN]

 

[defstartrooper]

The reference pictures of Trooper helmets on the wall are quite strange considering AA has the 'original' moulds.
You wouldn't think you would need any kind of reference...

I can't believe these are the original moulds in fact I don't believe these are the original moulds.

Not going to comment on the molds as i have no idea if they are original but it's quite believable that he would have reference photo's to work from when assembling the pieces.
I mean as far as anyone knows he hadn't built one for 20 odd years before he started producing them for sale so pictures would certainly be a help when it comes to position of the ears and face etc

 

[rickrickrick]

Very nice. And not original. There's a specific detail added for vac-forming, missing from that mold, that is seen on every ANH stormtrooper helmet. Even a direct copy of an original mold would have the detail, but these molds do not.
JJ

OK, you're obviously fishing for someone to ask, so since I have no pride, I'll bite - what's missing?

Rick

PS - I also do not believe that the molds are original.

 

[Jumpin Jax]

Not really fishing, no. Just stating what I can see. It's been mentioned many times before that ALL ANH replicas lack a certain detail that TE removed from his helmets, but would have been seen on the real molds or production pulls. That makes me wonder just a bit if these molds are even from an unused piece, because that is mighty strange.

Though I'm sure it will also open another aforementioned can, I am going to remain mum about the detail in question. NOT to start a fight, and not to brag or play the secrets game.
I don't want to see it magically "reappear" on the mold with a new tale to match(magical dust filled it in, puttied up by the Masons, etc) and contribute false credence to the story behind it. I also don't own a screen used costume helmet so that decision is an owner's to make.
Any owners, please feel free :thumbsup
Just know that the mold does NOT match a screen used helmet for this reason, despite the claim that they were formed with it.

OK, you're obviously fishing for someone to ask, so since I have no pride, I'll bite - what's missing?

Rick

PS - I also do not believe that the molds are original.

 

[Davy Jones]

I have heard this removed detail thing many times. What I want to know is, how big are we talking? If Matt removed a bump from somewhere to make sure no copies were sold as originals; I can see that. But if he removed something big then why?

I think someone should cast another helmet already. Its been too long going off just one.:unsure

 

[Jumpin Jax]

Nothing signifigant, even people that have examined the real deals several times don't know it's there.

Sounds like a good idea.
JJ

I have heard this removed detail thing many times. What I want to know is, how big are we talking? If Matt removed a bump from somewhere to make sure no copies were sold as originals; I can see that. But if he removed something big, like the curves on the back of the face and back pieces where they join (something which is missing from all replicas to date) then why?

I think someone should cast another helmet already. Its been too long going off just one.:unsure

 

[Star Wars Helmets]

Having now seen these pics (although it seems that this morning the page has been removed), I'd say that these cant be the original moulds, and not the moulds AA could have used to make his Stunt helmets.

Reason?

Looking at the face the following things stand out....

1) Left eyes (as youre looking at it) doesnt have the bump, so NOT the stunt
2) Teeth appear to suggest the Stunt helmet, ie there are more than the 3 teeth we'd expect on the Hero

So (1) and (2) conflict.

3) Area above brow does not extend anywhere near high, forward enough to allow for the bulbous section found on the top of AA's Stunt lids

Therefore IMO this is more likely to be the buck for SDS's Battle Spec helmet. I would certainly agree that if AA maintained that these were what he referrs to as "the original moulds" then they're clearly NOT the moulds made for the 1976 helmets. However as per my points above I dont believe theyre the moulds used for the Stunt/Hero helmets either.

Jumpin Jax, as far as your comment...

Nothing signifigant, even people that have examined the real deals several times don't know it's there.

This "tell" that you (well in fact Matt) referr to is nothing new and pretty darn obvious to anyone who has access to some decent pics of one of the original TK helmets, and a number of us here know exactly what he's talking about. There are in fact a number of "tells" between an original and ANY replica - but there are also some very good reasons why they dont appear (although the reason varies between the replicas from say Brian's helmet and AA's). Most of these tells are not in the public domain and its probably right that it stays that way - but for goodness sake it really isn't rocket science to see what they are :rolleyes

Cheers

Jez

 

[SgtFang]

The link now says the page is gone- Did anyone save the pics?

-Sarge

 

[HAL9000]

The link now says the page is gone- Did anyone save the pics?

-Sarge

What? are you you suggesting that there are obsessive right-clicker's on this
board?

 

[AnsonJames]

Didn't the battle spec helmet have something different going on with the 'ears'?

 

[Star Wars Helmets]

Possibly - I notice the ears in the front on pic were of a Hero (missing middle screw hole). Not sure if the ears are fastened to the wooden backing plate - I think they are. Certainly from the way the lines match up it seem the face mould is affixed

If anyone has the images and can host them then that would be useful

Cheers

Jez

 

[AnsonJames]

Here you go Jez

I'll remove these if asked

 

[CustomCreations]

I'll dig around in my inbox as , because of my work, I wrote to him about his use of plastics- at the time he was/is pretty cutting edge- which is why he won the contract to build the Costumes in the first place.
http://www.rebelscum.com/stormtrooperhelmets.asp

shows the story. Anyway, I am pretty sure he is using a different material than originally- (which was the abs/sandy colour you see on the screen used helmets) as ABS was used by him originally . This is notorious for absorbing moisture, so when heated for the vacforming process it goes all 'funny'.
It needs to be stored VERY carefully.

Now, I would imagine that when these first moulds were made I doubt they were even considered to have much worth- takes up great space etc etc, so I would be surprised if the originals were in anything like a condition usable for one or a hundred pulls off a vacform table.
ANyway- I doubt that you would get more original than one of the helmets he sells, and the fact that he has handled both the helmets in the 70's and yours- priceless.
Thats my pennies worth anyhow !!!
:rolleyes

 

[GINO]

My thoughts:

Firstly, are we even sure that those are the molds AA is saying were the original molds, or are we assuming? That should be established.

Secondly, IF he is saying those are the original molds, then he is not being honest as they very clearly are not.

Thirdly, if that is NOT the battle spec helmet molds, that also proves AA to not being honest.

 

[DB73]

I know nothing about the whole AA issue but i know that if i owned a set of origional molds at the most id restore them but i certainly wouldnt start making pulls from it would you?

such an item would priceless, he may very well own molds but its probably more likely he had an origional pull from the origional molds and remade the form for the sale of helmets.

Would it really be a lie that a helmet you buy from him has came from the origional molds in that case?

its probably not the case and probably been said before

i dont know the tells and have never really looked for them but like gino says its better to have confirmation on what the pics are claimed to be.

Should he really have to divulge the true origins in the same way some folk on here dont need to tell us where their 1st/2nd/3rd gen stuff has come from.

 

[wannab]

Firstly, are we even sure that those are the molds AA is saying were the original molds, or are we assuming? That should be established.

This is why I originally posted this thread, as I have no idea what an original mold/buck would look like or what material would have been used. The mold seemed to new to me and lacked the fine details of what I would have thought an original to have. Perhaps wanting to save the originals he pulled one helmet then made a production mold off of that pull (totally guessing here)?

Doug

 

[GINO]

he may very well own molds but its probably more likely he had an origional pull from the origional molds and remade the form for the sale of helmets.

Would it really be a lie that a helmet you buy from him has came from the origional molds in that case?

That's what I used to think. Maybe he meant 'original' from "a certain point of view".
However it has been made clear to me that AA's stance is that he still has the actual original mold that made the helmets in 76 which also is the exact same mold that produced the new run.

If that is the case, then that mold would have gone through a TON of alterations and in this order.
Original stunt>original hero>post filming modified version (with serrated back and no undercut chin, etc..)>reworked back to stunt version for the current run of helmets.

So again, if that helmet mold being pictured is not the battle spec mold, then AA is not being truthful.