ANOVOS issues (ANOVOS ONLY discussion)

Is there anyone here in touch with Anovos? My fantasy is to ask someone if Kylo costumes will ship in order to use this Halloween season. They are close enough I think that they should know either way at this point. You can PM me.
 
I agree that Anovos has sharpened up some lines, but some of the difference could just be the lighting. In those two images the part above the nose looks sharper on the original. Most other parts look sharper on the Anovos. I doubt they sharpened most parts except one. Unless they can be photographed side by side in the same lighting, it is hard to really tell how much sharper one is. You can photograph the same object/person and get very different looking light/shadows depending on how the lighting is set up.

I would think multiple coats of paint would also soften sharp edges when compared to unpainted bare plastic.

I bet if someone wanted to put in the effort, they could get an Anovos helmet to look pretty close to an original. They might need one of the untrimmed kits to do it. The assembled versions may have too much already trimmed to get some of the rough edges.

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I agree that Anovos has sharpened up some lines, but some of the difference could just be the lighting. In those two images the part above the nose looks sharper on the original. Most other parts look sharper on the Anovos. I doubt they sharpened most parts except one. Unless they can be photographed side by side in the same lighting, it is hard to really tell how much sharper one is. You can photograph the same object/person and get very different looking light/shadows depending on how the lighting is set up.

I would think multiple coats of paint would also soften sharp edges when compared to unpainted bare plastic.

I bet if someone wanted to put in the effort, they could get an Anovos helmet to look pretty close to an original. They might need one of the untrimmed kits to do it. The assembled versions may have too much already trimmed to get some of the rough edges.

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I have to respectfully disagree. I've personally built a Gino V2 Bumpy and have routinely handle/see the anovos TK helmet (and armor) in person..it's not lighting. The initial plastic is incredibly thin and you can tell they were maximizing the details to be as crisp as possible.

Honestly the best a person can do is possibly repaint the entire helmet, but you're not going to be able to soften them unless you literally grind the edges and reshape them through extensive modification, which IMO would be a waste of time when you can easily acquire a helmet that derives from screen used helmets
 
Just open my Rey's X-wing helmet and was a little disappointed. The helmet is really light (made of plastic), the paint job (or print job) is decent with weathering, but the visor is fixed (not movable), and the interior paddings are cheap looking. For a $300 over helmet, I expected more. Overall, I am still happy with it as a display piece, but prefer my fan made X-wing helmet collections made with real APH helmet. Just my 2 cents.
 
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I'm very happy with my helmet. I built a Darth Hair version a few years back. After buying paints, tapes, rivet gun and other sundries needed to build the helmet, the final cost must have been US$200-$220. So US$300 for a fully finished, weathered and lined Rey helmet that is good straight out of the box, I feel, was value for money.

Granted, it's not fibreglass, but it doesn't need to be. And after seeing this in TFA, I wanted one -- and now I have one.

It's slightly smaller than my Luke helmet and the mohawk is not as tall, but that seems accurate to the screen-used helmet. Despite being smaller, it still fits my huge head, so that's a win. On a side note, I have a Hasbro Poe helmet and it's real tight unless the earpads are removed.
 
I'm not just talking about the forehead bumps. The original helmets are lumpy all over from multiple layers of thick paint, chipping, paint runs, abuse, etc. Molding the exact marks from one helmet into every copy is unrealistic if you compare a group of those helmets to a group of screen used helmets that all have unique lumps, chipping, paint runs, etc.

If you want an exact copy of a specific character, I can see the desire to have all the defects molded in. But even in that case there are usually multiple helmets that each have their own defects.

I just don't like helmets that represent a large group all having the same defects from only one helmet from the movies when the defects we're unique on each helmet in the movies.

Ideally there would be a helmet like the originals before they were painted. Then you can add as much abuse and defects as you want and each would be unique like the screen used helmets. I totally understand that there is no helmet available like that. I think Anovos attempted to go that route to a certain extent but may have cleaned up too much. The difficult part is some people want one that is even more idealized and others want one less idealized, so there is no way to make a helmet that is ideal for everyone.

As far as the Anovos standing out for being overly sharp, is that compared to the overly soft versions that have been made by different makers over the years or to original helmets? I can see where it is somewhat sharper than the originals, but I suspect that was intentional because the originals were hastily made due to limited budget and time and look pretty poor up close.

Don't forget that Anovos has a costume license not a high end replica license. They aren't trying to produce an exact copy of the original props.

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Like I already said it is not only about bumps, not even the chipping or paint runs, you can have a clean asymmetrical, but still idealized helmet, that resembles a lot the screen used buckets. The Anovos altered the mold making it way sharper than necessary. If you realize how an OT Stormtrooper screen used helmet looks like, then you see this issue instantly. It doesn't make it a bad helmet though, it's all about different strokes for different folks. For example personally I prefer my helmet to be as accurate as possible, but I also don't like finishes with paint chips like others do.


I have to respectfully disagree. I've personally built a Gino V2 Bumpy and have routinely handle/see the anovos TK helmet (and armor) in person..it's not lighting. The initial plastic is incredibly thin and you can tell they were maximizing the details to be as crisp as possible.

Honestly the best a person can do is possibly repaint the entire helmet, but you're not going to be able to soften them unless you literally grind the edges and reshape them through extensive modification, which IMO would be a waste of time when you can easily acquire a helmet that derives from screen used helmets

Exactly.
 
I have to respectfully disagree. I've personally built a Gino V2 Bumpy and have routinely handle/see the anovos TK helmet (and armor) in person..it's not lighting. The initial plastic is incredibly thin and you can tell they were maximizing the details to be as crisp as possible.

Honestly the best a person can do is possibly repaint the entire helmet, but you're not going to be able to soften them unless you literally grind the edges and reshape them through extensive modification, which IMO would be a waste of time when you can easily acquire a helmet that derives from screen used helmets
Wouldn't the helmets that derive from screen used helmets have the lumps that many people don't like? The customer needs to be aware of the traits of each helmet and choose one that fits best for what they want. Cleaned up, sharpened, and somewhat idealized/very idealized/all warts/complete fan sculpt. These have different goals and are intended for different audiences. For myself, I don't want a helmet where most people think there is something wrong with the helmet and they need to told that it is actually accurate. I prefer a clean look even if it is somewhat over sharpened over one that looks lumpy.

The teeth on the Anovos look a little odd to me. Apparently they realized people had concern with that and made changes for the latest version. Whether it is an improvement is debatable.

Another factor is cost. The Anovos is pretty reasonably priced compared to other completed helmets.

I don't disagree that the Anovos is very crisp and sharpened, but two photos with different lighting can be misleading. Photos in the same lighting or seeing them in person is much more reliable.

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I don't follow Anovos discussions because I generally don’t buy from them, mainly because I refuse to pre-order and then wait amongst ever changing release dates for my product. So, I’ll ask here, what’s the deal with these guys? I emailed them some time ago about buying the budget ($675) TFA Stormtrooper armor kit, it said they would ship in “September 2017”. I was told to pre-order and it would ship sometime in September, but I held off. So here we are in September and I wanted to follow-up and now it says “Fall 2017”. So for those who pre-ordered months ago, are their kits being shipped this month? Or is the entire production still pending? Didn't they produce limited armor kits for the 501st over a year ago? I am guessing they didn’t receive enough pre-orders? I was hoping to get some of this armor but it sure feels like it's been pending for a very long time.

Then I saw recently they were offering ESB Snowtrooper armor, and it peaked my interest. So I emailed them because it says “Interest List Available” but when you read the product description it says “Delivery Summer 2017”. As far as I’m concerned summer is over, despite the fact I live in Arizona and it’s still hotter than two hamsters farting in a wool sock. Is the interest list for a second run? Did anyone pre-order a first round and those were delivered in Summer 2017?

I haven’t heard back from them, but is this the norm when it comes to their armor kits? I know they are more expensive to produce and they sell far fewer than they do helmets and other accessories, which is why I understand they offer pre-orders to gauge interest. But is the misinformation / changing information in their product descriptions normal for them?
 
It's pretty much the norm for ANY product they put out, not trying to bust your.... but you really need to read all of the discussions about them


but is this the norm when it comes to their armor kits? I know they are more expensive to produce and they sell far fewer than they do helmets and other accessories, which is why I understand they offer pre-orders to gauge interest. But is the misinformation / changing information in their product descriptions normal for them?
 
The older stuff (which includes the trooper and snow kits) have been suffering delays. the new stuff has been coming pretty quick.

Their seasons, as far as shipping, literally correspond to the season of the year as in Summer is June 21 - Sep 20 (give or take a day or two) for example. I got an email last week on a FO trooper helmet saying it's still on schedule for Summer 2017 (which has like 11 days left), so we'll see how that turns out.

In the grand scheme, they're at the mercy of their vendors and their orders aren't close to be on the large side so they're more apt to being bumped around i'd imagine. Plus, you're at the mercy of those vender's abilities, and then the QC of LFL and Disney.
 
The older stuff (which includes the trooper and snow kits) have been suffering delays. the new stuff has been coming pretty quick.

Their seasons, as far as shipping, literally correspond to the season of the year as in Summer is June 21 - Sep 20 (give or take a day or two) for example. I got an email last week on a FO trooper helmet saying it's still on schedule for Summer 2017 (which has like 11 days left), so we'll see how that turns out.

In the grand scheme, they're at the mercy of their vendors and their orders aren't close to be on the large side so they're more apt to being bumped around i'd imagine. Plus, you're at the mercy of those vender's abilities, and then the QC of LFL and Disney.


Amazing. It says I'm supposed to get Kylo Ren Premiere by Sep. 21 and NO email that it is still on schedule. They are doing their best to keep us in the dark with that product.
 
The sad truth is that these companies will simply tell you what you want to hear when enquiring about future products and release dates. If it gets them pre-orders, they're happy.

I don't follow Anovos discussions because I generally don’t buy from them, mainly because I refuse to pre-order and then wait amongst ever changing release dates for my product. So, I’ll ask here, what’s the deal with these guys? I emailed them some time ago about buying the budget ($675) TFA Stormtrooper armor kit, it said they would ship in “September 2017”. I was told to pre-order and it would ship sometime in September, but I held off. So here we are in September and I wanted to follow-up and now it says “Fall 2017”. So for those who pre-ordered months ago, are their kits being shipped this month? Or is the entire production still pending? Didn't they produce limited armor kits for the 501st over a year ago? I am guessing they didn’t receive enough pre-orders? I was hoping to get some of this armor but it sure feels like it's been pending for a very long time.

Then I saw recently they were offering ESB Snowtrooper armor, and it peaked my interest. So I emailed them because it says “Interest List Available” but when you read the product description it says “Delivery Summer 2017”. As far as I’m concerned summer is over, despite the fact I live in Arizona and it’s still hotter than two hamsters farting in a wool sock. Is the interest list for a second run? Did anyone pre-order a first round and those were delivered in Summer 2017?

I haven’t heard back from them, but is this the norm when it comes to their armor kits? I know they are more expensive to produce and they sell far fewer than they do helmets and other accessories, which is why I understand they offer pre-orders to gauge interest. But is the misinformation / changing information in their product descriptions normal for them?
 
Amazing. It says I'm supposed to get Kylo Ren Premiere by Sep. 21 and NO email that it is still on schedule. They are doing their best to keep us in the dark with that product.

My Tie Pilot helmet didn't get the delay notice until 3ish days before the deadline back in June, so they've still got time to delay it :)
 
That's a nice Star wars collection, but why is there an outdoor speaker stuck in with the helmets? Does it play the theme song?
 
I don't follow Anovos discussions because I generally don’t buy from them, mainly because I refuse to pre-order and then wait amongst ever changing release dates for my product. So, I’ll ask here, what’s the deal with these guys? I emailed them some time ago about buying the budget ($675) TFA Stormtrooper armor kit, it said they would ship in “September 2017”. I was told to pre-order and it would ship sometime in September, but I held off. So here we are in September and I wanted to follow-up and now it says “Fall 2017”. So for those who pre-ordered months ago, are their kits being shipped this month? Or is the entire production still pending? Didn't they produce limited armor kits for the 501st over a year ago? I am guessing they didn’t receive enough pre-orders? I was hoping to get some of this armor but it sure feels like it's been pending for a very long time.

Then I saw recently they were offering ESB Snowtrooper armor, and it peaked my interest. So I emailed them because it says “Interest List Available” but when you read the product description it says “Delivery Summer 2017”. As far as I’m concerned summer is over, despite the fact I live in Arizona and it’s still hotter than two hamsters farting in a wool sock. Is the interest list for a second run? Did anyone pre-order a first round and those were delivered in Summer 2017?

I haven’t heard back from them, but is this the norm when it comes to their armor kits? I know they are more expensive to produce and they sell far fewer than they do helmets and other accessories, which is why I understand they offer pre-orders to gauge interest. But is the misinformation / changing information in their product descriptions normal for them?

There have been three ANOVOS First Order Stormtrooper kits. There was the early and very limited run they did for the 501st for the movie premiere. Following that, they've been developing the premiere line (fiberglass) and standard line (ABS) helmet and armor, to be available separately or together. Each of the three is distinct, in subtle ways.

I pre-ordered the standard line armor kit through the payment plan, with my final payment having just come out. All that remains is shipping when it's ready to go out. The last time I talked to someone, they said that everything was on track to have them in the warehouse before the end of the month. I'm more frustrated that the standard line helmet is still listed as "interest list", and no word/listing for the soft-good bundle (gloves, neckseal, bodysuit, gaskets), and the people I've talked to at ANOVOS don't have ETAs for those yet, and are frustrated about that.

This is the first/only thing I've ordered from them so far for Star Wars, but I've had good dealings with them in the past with their other properties. So I have no input on the other Star Wars items mentioned.

Also, I'm frustrated and astonished that they didn't do Rogue One Stormtrooper armor/helmets, at the very least for people who want idealized/symmetrical Stormie armor/buckets. Actually, as far as I've been able to find, no one is making the Rogue One version of Stormtrooper armor. Jimmi is working on his sculpt, last I saw, but nothing finished or for sale.

--Jonah
 
Yeah wished they did an R1 Stormtrooper. At the moment for now, for an R1 Stormtrooper, I have the Hasbro Black Series one on display.It's symmetrical but doubt it's accurate.
 
There probably is just not enough potential market for a costume or helmet that to the lay-person looks exactly the same as the Stormtroopers that have been on-screen for 40 years. Of course there are many differences, and those differences add up into increased tooling costs, assembly, and labor.


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Yeah wished they did an R1 Stormtrooper. At the moment for now, for an R1 Stormtrooper, I have the Hasbro Black Series one on display.It's symmetrical but doubt it's accurate.

From addressing myself to the HBS one, from both an R1 and OT standpoint, it's not 100% accurate to either. The stripes in the traps and tears need to be opened up to slits, the side tube slits need to be filled and repositioned to be accurate to R1 (and just filled to make an OT helmet). The tears are about right for R1, but way too big for OT, etc. But I love the symmetry and the fixes one way or another (or both, in the case of my first one) are easy enough, if a bit tedious.

There probably is just not enough potential market for a costume or helmet that to the lay-person looks exactly the same as the Stormtroopers that have been on-screen for 40 years. Of course there are many differences, and those differences add up into increased tooling costs, assembly, and labor.

That's actually why I wish they'd delayed the OT Stormtrooper til after they released an R1 version. They're doing high-end costumes, trying to find a balance between wearability and accuracy. And if that lay-person gets a warts-and-all Stormtrooper getup without knowing that's how sloppy the originals were, they're going to be miffed. Do the new, idealized R1 first, and then do an OT one for the "purists". None of it's relevant to me, though. I get my OT Stormie armor from RT-MOD, because I'm juuuust enough taller than the height range for the screen-accurate armor to have it look right on me, and he makes a slightly upscaled one that I won't have to fiddle with for fit. I'm hoping he eventually does an R1 version -- but I honestly also can't remember if they went with slightly taller basic Stormies in that film (not just the Death Troopers).

--Jonah
 

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