I'm a simple man. I'm putting together a Dread Pirate Roberts (The Princess Bride). I found a boot maker who wanted $900, so I got a nice "close enough" pair for $250. The shirt is typical of the period, but has unique shoulder stitching. I am having one made by a seamstress. The sash and skull-cap were fairly easy. I got a good deal on the official replica sword, but the frog (that holds the scabbard to the belt) is not standard. I have tried a few and returned them. The one I have ordered now is very close in design, I don't think the average viewer would see a difference.
The mask was difficult. There are a lot of black Victorian style masks out there. None had the right cut. Usually the eye holes were large, designed for stage acting or partys. I finally found a craftsman to make one in leather just like the original.
The pants are tough, too. I can't tell the material from the movie, It seems like velvet or something like it. It is shiny and black. It is tight, but not leggings or tights because there is a zipper flap in front. I finally found a pair of stretch corduroy pants, then had them taken in in the leg to be tighter, and had the pockets sewn shut so they dont show. I think it works very well.
Now I'm stuck on the belt that holds the sword. The buckle is some sort of silver colored (possible pewter) quadrafoil and there is a matching belt tip> I haven't found this anywhere and I can't get a good enough picture to even try to make one.
Oh, and I purchased real, quality fencing gloves rather than use the old motorcycle gloves I was going to go with.
I would love to be directed to someone or somewhere that could help flesh out the details. This has got to look right.
Sounds absolutely wonderful. I spent a long time on my own Dread Pirate Roberts build (
thread in my signature) but I didn't go for screen accuracy the way you are heading. Very excited to see how yours turns out.
I use a
Windlass Steelcrafts 3-pronged Rapier belt to carry my sword, but it's not accurate in the buckle details you're looking for. I wear it because I got it for next to nothing due to a giftcard, normally I prefer belts and baldrics made by Ravenswood Leather. Someone like The Inner Bailey is more practiced with raised metal details on their baldrics, but I don't know if they do custom pieces.
Funny thing about Wesley's belt is that it's not actually a proper rapier hanger, just a belt with a kind of integrated simple frog. If you have leather crafting skills, you could make your own and search around
Raymond's Quiet Press for the right kind of buckle and belt tip to add.
Also, my friend Christian Fletcher has recently started designing and casting his own fittings for belts. If you have the scratch and patience for time on the waitlist, he's a tremendously experienced and well-regarded
custom scabbard and belt maker, I'm sure he could make the perfect belt for the project. You can also check him out
here on Facebook, where he updates more regularly and has examples of current projects.
Another option for a smaller budget and shorter timeline would be my friend J.E. Sarge at
Crusader Monk, who does custom scabbards and belts for a more modest commission. His work is great, but his options for fittings will be more limited. You could contact him to discuss options of how to complete the belt project properly. Here, as well, is
his facebook page for pictures and examples.
I used to have a whole folder of screenshots from the film for reference, but I've gotten rid of most of the ones that featured the belt, my apologies. If you have the dvd or blu-ray, one of the best look at the belt happens just before his fight with Fezzik, shown below in terrible quality. Another good point would be his exit from the fire swamp right around "Now, was that so terrible?"
As I'm sure you know, he doesn't wear the belt during his duel with Inigo and simply has it slung over his shoulder as he climbs the Cliffs of Insanity like a baldric, so there are few useable shots of it during that entire sequence. But you can at least see the simple straps that make up the frog when he sits down to hear Inigo's story of the six-fingered man.
Best of luck on your project, I hope some of that was useful. I really would love to see how it all comes together for you. Who did you get to make your mask? I might be tempted to replace mine. Cheers.