ANOVOS Darth Vader

So here is my point of view on the Anovos with my years and experience with Vader.

Starting with the price. It is very over priced because the Fan made suit exist. What they are charging from a company with a license stand point is fair but you can get a nicer more screen accurate suit with a cheaper price tag.

The suit itself is not all that fantastic but that might be because I have exposed myself to the really high end stuff for too long. It is mostly Empire but the ROTJ influence comes in with the dome. The thumb print is absent and the Mohawk is soft for ROTJ. The rest of it is really close to ESB like the belt and chest box.

The helmet is nice for a license piece but compared to others it is garbage. The dome flair on the sides is actually swapped. The left hand side should flair out more then the right hand side. Anovos has it the other way around. There are also some sculptural issues around the mouth vent and the top of the eye lids as well. The mesh in the vents and the tusks are
garbage as well, even for what Anovos is offering. For the same price better fan made helmets are out there.

The gloves look like total junk, They look like Rubies made them. And the armor takes after the old classic GT armor as the ends of the breast plate flair outwards. The cape is only offered in one length of 60" and the material is not even close to what it should be. It looks very cheap. The material is actually a very thick heavy Gabardine wool. The suit, cod and shins look ok.

Over all it is nicer then Rubies but at the same time a poor attempt at a high end Vader costume.

Doh2 said:

Today I got an email from them stating that they're back in stock and shipping. Hopefully, you'll get yours soon.

Here's the weird thing: the email contains a photo of the prototype with the flat lenses. You'd think they would use a production model with the correct bubble lenses from now on...

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Thats very good news, thanks, hopefully i'll get mine shortly í will make a statue with the rubies costume..

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Does anyone know if there are still pending orders to be delivered?, í havent received mine...

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jerrybatacas said:

Does anyone know if there are still pending orders to be delivered?, í havent received mine...

Enviado desde mi SM-G955U mediante Tapatalk

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They are waiting for the stock to begin shipping again.

vader45 I have to disagree with you. Yeah the cape may be a bit short for most people that are over 6.5 ( it falls to about ankle length up to 6.4) it's the best cape available in terms of its pattern. (for ESB and ANH it is )The material does not look cheap at all. I've owned a rubies and that is cheap! . Is it flawless? Nope. But one of the most accurate capes available out there.


The helmet however is a clusterf**k. I can't believe how off that still is for a licensed product.

If someone would copy the pattern in a better material like premium wool it would be a winner

Darctic said:

They are waiting for the stock to begin shipping again.

@vader45 I have to disagree with you. Yeah the cape may be a bit short for most people that are over 6.5 ( it falls to about ankle length up to 6.4) it's the best cape available in terms of its pattern. (for ESB and ANH it is )The material does not look cheap at all. I've owned a rubies and that is cheap! . Is it flawless? Nope. But one of the most accurate capes available out there.


The helmet however is a clusterf**k. I can't believe how off that still is for a licensed product.

If someone would copy the pattern in a better material like premium wool it would be a winner

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There is really not much in the change of the cape pattern between ANH/ESB and ROTJ. The basis of the pattern is half circle with 4 panels.

The material used in the OT is THICK and HEAVY wool. I never seen the premium version of their cape but what was shown on display at Disney was cheapo material. Even for their price range.

Edit: I just did a fast look up. Anovos uses wool crepe on the premium set. That stuff has a visible weave when seen up close. The type of wool should be Gabardine or of something similar as it has no visible weave.

vader45 said:

There is really not much in the change of the cape pattern between ANH/ESB and ROTJ. The basis of the pattern is half circle with 4 panels.

The material used in the OT is THICK and HEAVY wool. I never seen the premium version of their cape but what was shown on display at Disney was cheapo material. Even for their price range.

Edit: I just did a fast look up. Anovos uses wool crepe on the premium set. That stuff has a visible weave when seen up close. The type of wool should be Gabardine or of something similar as it has no visible weave.

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You're right! But the pattern in the original movies ( the collar construction is a bit different for ROTJ ) isn't made by any other replica maker besides KevVader. His are basically unattainable at this point. All others make a 3/4 circle 6 panel cape that just won't look right off the bat.

While I agree about the material: the cape should be a felty wool type. These are pics of my cape and a close up of the material.


cheers.

Darctic said:

You're right! But the pattern in the original movies ( the collar construction is a bit different for ROTJ ) isn't made by any other replica maker besides KevVader. His are basically unattainable at this point. All others make a 3/4 circle 6 panel cape that just won't look right off the bat.

While I agree about the material: the cape should be a felty wool type. These are pics of my cape and a close up of the material.

View attachment 767659View attachment 767660View attachment 767666
cheers.

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You do have a nice looking Vader there. But yeah the material is almost a felt type wool and much nicer then what ANOVOS uses.

The 3/4th design for some odd reason became the proper(wrongly may I add) way to do Vader's cape. For the longest time I thought that's how the OT capes were made till I did some research when I received KevVader's capes. I looked more into it when I laid it on the floor and surprised me. When I was on the SLD forum everyone was touting 3/4th and that made most of the cape makers do 3/4th. I even said 3/4th! Lol but I learned that was wrong. KevVader's cape look so much better at 1/2 with only 4 panels. Is that the pattern Anovos is using?

vader45 said:

You do have a nice looking Vader there. But yeah the material is almost a felt type wool and much nicer then what ANOVOS uses.

The 3/4th design for some odd reason became the proper(wrongly may I add) way to do Vader's cape. For the longest time I thought that's how the OT capes were made till I did some research when I received KevVader's capes. I looked more into it when I laid it on the floor and surprised me. When I was on the SLD forum everyone was touting 3/4th and that made most of the cape makers do 3/4th. I even said 3/4th! Lol but I learned that was wrong. KevVader's cape look so much better at 1/2 with only 4 panels. Is that the pattern Anovos is using?

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Yes, and it was recently discovered that ROTJ also has that pattern but is only 3 panels. Thanks Yeah and at 3/4 circle you can't do 4 panels.


Btw pictured is the anovos standard cape (polyester not the crepe wool )

Darctic said:

Yes, and it was recently discovered that ROTJ also has that pattern but is only 3 panels. Thanks Yeah and at 3/4 circle you can't do 4 panels.


Btw pictured is the anovos standard cape (polyester not the crepe wool )

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Yeah I seen that! KevVader's cape is worth the wait. Im glad I did.


So the ROTJ is only 3? I didn't know that. Kev does 4 on his as I am ROTJ.

The Hero ROTJ cape is 3 panels, and about 200-220 degrees. Which comes down to just over half a circle.

But in the end the people will long for a 3/4 circle cape as that is what's written on the SLD and most people take that as a fact.


But I replied to your initial posts because I too was in the I think the anovos looks like crap ( going by promo images etc) camp for the longest time... until I saw thatit would hang just like it did in both ANH and ESB.

Cheers man!

Darctic said:

The Hero ROTJ cape is 3 panels, and about 200-220 degrees. Which comes down to just over half a circle.

But in the end the people will long for a 3/4 circle cape as that is what's written on the SLD and most people take that as a fact.


But I replied to your initial posts because I too was in the I think the anovos looks like crap ( going by promo images etc) camp for the longest time... until I saw thatit would hang just like it did in both ANH and ESB.

Cheers man!

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I usually only referred to the material....What was seen at Disney was pure garbage in terms of the material. But it is a good pattern.

People do take the CRL as fact when all it is, is fan researched material...None of it comes from official sources or LFL. I always tell people to do their own research when creating anything screen accurate. There is some other false info too in the CRL such as the ROTJ buckle slots being rounded.

I had a request to take a video of the Chest Box to show the lighting of the coin slot's pattern. So here it is, in both EBS and RTJ modes.
https://vimeo.com/242471065/5b886e4a31

Hi. I am a long time reader of the forums. This is the first time I am posting for advice because I am a conflicted collector and was hoping for some solid advice. I am not trying to start any flame wars or bashing of anyone's work. I'm only hoping to get some opinions. A lot of the members of this forum are much more knowledgeable about these things than I am.

So I am in the market for a good Vader replica helmet. I am not a large man so I probably won't be trooping around in the helmet. I want a good display piece. My price range is around $600-$700 or so. I am torn between getting the efx PCR Vader helmet and the Anovos Vader helmet. Ideally I would like a helmet that is closest to ESB. I know a little about both helmets.

The efx helmet has sort of a direct lineage to the original ANH helmet as the master pattern was taken from molds from the archives believed to have been made by someone at Rick Bakers shop to make the helmets for promotional appearances to promote the film. They no longer offer them in fiberglass, only ABS plastic. There is a standard version with a more idealized paint scheme and a special edition with hand painted details. The helmets have the red bubble lenses like the original ANH helmet. It is made as more of a display replica than an actual wearable costume piece.

The Anovos helmet was created using scans of helmets from the archive and though originally marketed as an ESB helmet it is now being marketed as floating somewhere between ESB and ROTJ. It is made of fiberglass, super glossy dome and some greeblies thrown in under the dome for show. It is more padded on the inside and made more for wearing and trooping around in. The original prototype pictures show it with flat black lenses. It these have been changed in production to the correct bubble style lenses. I know there has been a lot of controversy about this helmet and its accuracy to the original helmets.

To me both helmets look beautiful and would make an awesome addition to any Vader fans collection. But I'm not a super wealthy person and am looking to get the best bang for my buck. Screen accuracy is important to me however there doesn't seem to be anyone offering a truly screen accurate ESB helmet replica. So I am turning to you guys who know a lot more about these things than I do. I know both helmets have pros and cons. I was wondering if there is anyone on the forum who has both helmets and has compared them side by side. Is the efx helmet closer in acreen accuracy to the ANH helmet than the Anovos is to the ESB/ ROTJ helmets ? I like that the Anovos is fiberglass and seems to have been beautifully finished but seems more like an idealized version of Vaders helmet than one accurate to any of the screen used helmets. I like that the efx helmet has tried to stay as true to the original as possible but am kind of turned off now by the fact that they are now injection molded ABS plastic.

I know both helmets fill different niches. But this would be my first real higher end Vader helmet replica and want the best replica for my price range. If there is anyone here who owns both helmets and could give me their insight that would be awesome. Or anyone who is more knowledgeable about how these replicas were made and which ones are more screen accurate or which are just nicer display pieces.
As a Vader helmet collecting newbie I am turning to the experts on this forum for advice. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

I'm going to throw a wrench in your search by suggesting neither. Consider the Bookface/Quasimodo helmet. They make it in ANH, ESB or Jedi. For my money, its the most screen accurate too.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=211017

If you do decide to stick to the eFX or Anovos, I'dgo eFX. The Anovos dome is just too far off for my tastes.

Good luck!
Ron

it also depends if you are in US or in Europe, but I would also suggest the Quasimodo helmet (and chest armour too if you are interested). Now for your price range, I guess it all depends on your location

Hey, thank you for the advice. I have drooled over and definitely considered a Quasimodo helmet. But it seems like you have to be a member of a a secret society to even be considered worthy to own one. All of the helmets they offer are beautifully done works of art but I also know very little about them and how they were created. What is the pedigree of these helmets ? Were they based off original castings and then resculpted to match the changes made to the helmets or are they all based on entirely new sculptures. The reason the efx and Anovos appeal to me is they have some direct lineage to original helmets from the films. Though seems like efx has a more direct lineage to the helmet as it was taken from this mysterious mold believed to have been made by one of Rick Bakers shop workers for the promotional appearances for the first film. Anovos says theirs is based off scans. It obviously they tweaked it from there where as efx looks like they haven't messed with it as much, maybe just touched up a few of the glaring flaws in the original mold. And the Quasi helmets are just a little bit out of my price range. Maybe if someone could shed more light on these helmets for me. I know there are many who know way more about this stuff than I do. Maybe if I knew more of the story behind the Bookface helmets I might be more inclined to save up and spend a little extra on one.

Search for "sculpting Vader facebook". This should return CSMacLaren's Facebook page about the helmets.

From what I understand it isn't hard to get these helmets compared to others. Send a pm to Bookface. He handles the manufacturing and sales.

Bookcase also makes the Darth Ugly helmets which cost a little less.

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I wouldn't get the Anovos one because of how inaccurate it is. It's supposed to be an ESB helmet but they incorporated some, not even all, of the forehead greeblies from the ROTJ reveal scene. Not only that but the inside of the dome should not be glossy like the Anovos dome is. It should be a matte fiberglass texture. I think the eyes look weird on the Anovos but I can't explain why. Maybe it's just me.

The Quasi is top of the line if you go the custom route. Can't go wrong with more budget friendly Darth Ugly and Darth Stone helmets either.

When it comes to licensed helmets, the Limited and Legend edition EFX is my personal favorite. It's like the current EFX PCR helmet in appearance but made of fiberglass and much better quality. You can only find them rarely on ebay now. I was close to getting one a couple times but have been narrowly outbid beyond price range.

Anovos looks good to the untrained eye but I would go with a quasi or Darth ugly. All you have to do is join the Sith Lord Detachment forum. No need to join any secret societies. Btw, the Vader efx looks amazing in person. If it's just for display, I highly recommend it!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my posts and give me their advice. I am inclined to agree that the Anovos helmet is more for costumers than replica collectors and that they have compromised on accuracy for a more idealized look for the Helmet and armor. I am definitely more interested in screen accuracy and since there has yet to be a commercially available screen accurate ESB helmet ( for some mysterious unknown reason ) and that my best bet going that route is the efx helmet. As I said before I do think the Darth Ugly and Quasi helmets look gorgeous and I would love to have one. I did join up with the Sith Lord detachment and I sent Bookface a PM but I haven't heard anything back. I know they are probably very busy but also fear they may not be willing to work with me because I'm new to the forums and have no one to vouch for me. On their page they have a list of criteria one must meet before they can order a helmet and I unfortunately fall short of those criteria. I would certainly be willing to shell out the extra $ for the extra mile of quality and accuracy. Does anyone know the main differences between the Darth Uglies and the Quasi versions ? And do they still offer do it yourself lots of the Darth Ugly helmets ? If they get back to me soon I would very happy. In pictures and from what everyone is saying these helmets are amazing. But I still haven't been able to learn more about the pedigree of these helmets. If they were clay sculptures manipulated from copies of an actual helmet then it has some lineage to the original sculpture. But if it's sculpted entirely from scratch, though beautifully done, they will still be a little off. Even the best sculptors in the world couldn't match everything exactly to the originals. They look amazing and when comparing them to pictures of the originals they do look extremely accurate. It's tax refund season and I have this $ burning a hole in my pocket. If I don't place an order soon with somebody my wife will blow through my entire budget.