Re: PIH Production Vader Helmet Up for Auction
*sigh*
Let's step back a moment.
The auction description states it as being "Original production made Darth Vader helmet from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope."
Nothing is production about this helmet. Why would Shepperton Design Studios have a promo helmet or copy thereof from Don Post who was in the USA?
It has more in common with a Fyberdyne than the original. I'm not saying it is a Fyberdyne but maybe a step up, but it isn't anywhere close to being an original ANH. Cheek angles are identical to the Fyberdyne. The nail marks are not original, as mentioned the undercut on the tubes is filled in, the whole thing is sanded down to the same extent as a Fyberdyne, teeth thickness is the same but the lower edges are more accurate in terms of being more level than the Fyberdyne. Chin vent is the same as a Fyberdyne, and look at the tubes on the left (Vader's right)...pretty good match. Necks are the same length just slightly different curvature in the rear but close enough. Lower eye edges the same, same curvature same amount of smoothness. There's no notch on Vader's right side lower front edge of the nosebridge like on the original. Noseslots reworked on the left (Vader's right)...they just don't line up correctly at first glance.
The tubes are actually similar to the masks from the Baker ILM mold...at least as far as apparent thickness goes. I've been looking at the filled undercut. It almost seems like it is the same as a Baker ILM pull in the undercut fill, but I would need better images to be absolutely sure. If this is the case, then it almost would seem that Don Post used a copy from that mold rather than the original to make their softened template helmet. Maybe they just had the original suit for reference. Curious.
It is important to keep in mind that the filled tubes on masks from the Baker ILM mold would have been done to the original ANH mask when the mold was made, then the undercut removed as it is only temporary fill. Otherwise DP would have filled the tube undercut on the original mask then molded it. So it would have been filled twice. With better detailed photos of the tubes I would be able to tell if the undercut is identical to the Baker masks or not, and therefore if it was added by Don Post or not prior to him making his own mold for the tour/toy helmets.
An obvious thing is that the dome is not original, and it might have been reworked on the center ridge but I'd have to see more detail. The widow's peak is hard to make out. The dome is GH/Jeff-sized and so is smaller than an original, but this auction dome seems even smaller still in relation to the mask than a GH/Jeff dome.
Who is the consigner? SDS?
So to me this seems most like a transitional helmet or link between the original ANH and the Fyberdyne. But it definitely isn't a production ANH helmet.
Didn't get a shot of the Vader at all.
