Daetrin[Admin] Posted June 15, 2010 Report Posted June 15, 2010 (edited) First and foremost... There is no one 'best' armor. There is a 'best' armor for *you* depending on a few factors: 1) Your budget 2) What your body size is (yes, different armors lend themselves for different body types) * 3) How experienced are you at building armor 4) It's not the kit, it's how it's fitted to the wearer that counts * While FISD does not endorse any particular armor maker, below are sellers who have proven themselves time and again in terms of customer service, honesty, and quality. All makes below can be made to be both 501st and FISD acceptable. MATERIALS Armor is made from either HIPS or ABS. HIPS --- Pros: generally less expensive, easier to trim. --- Cons: needs painting or serious polishing to look shiny. Most HIPS will not be as durable as ABS or take the stress of ABS --- Suitability: will hold up fine for regular trooping ABS --- Pros: no need to paint, high durability --- Cons: may lack the detail of HIPS, usually harder to trim --- Suitability: will hold up fine for regular trooping plus take a lot of abuse OTHER TERMS Untrimmed: means the kit comes untrimmed and you'll have to trim the parts before starting assembly. Trimmed: parts are pre-trimmed and you can start assembling right away ANH Derived: traces back to a screen used helmet. Armor came from an incomplete ROTJ suit that was supplemented with parts from a tour suit, with this base being modified to be more ANH accurate in detailing. Parts will need to be butt joined with a finishing strip glued on top. * ON SIZING ANH Derived armor (TE2, AP) was sculpted for a typical UK actor circa 1976, e.g. 5'10" and 165lbs. While good for smaller body types, it has been successfully made to fit people as large as 6'4" 235lbs though requires a bit of shimming to pull this off. 1. If you are taller or larger in frame/girth, you may want to consider AM, RT, or TM armor makes for easier fitting. 2. If you are shorter, while ANH derived armor may lend itself to your size, even FX armor has been made to fit and look good on people as small as 5'6" and 115lbs (and smaller!). 3. RT has upsized his helmet by 4-5% which makes it equivalent to the size of the old FX but is more accurate in appearance. So, while it's true that every kit has a certain ideal body type, every make has been made to fit every body type and still look good. WHO TO AVOID 1. Be aware that this site - http://www.stormtroo...s.com/home.html - is not considered commercially available. It is run by a person selling recast parts, and at a healthy premium over what you can buy direct from vetted sources. You've been warned... 2. Do not buy from e-bay - kits are over-priced, the quality is often dubious, and always recast. 3. Also see this thread: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/19329-where-what-and-whom-to-avoid-when-buying/ COMMISSION BUILDS Please be aware before purchasing a "commission build" (assembled by any of our vetted sellers listed below) or a completed costume sold by reputable members, does not mean an automatic pass at our higher levels of approval. As with all costumes, the armor will be under the same level of scrutiny as one you assemble yourself. It must fit well and follow correctly the requirements as set out in the current CRL. Please also bare in mind, you could be requested to make modifications and corrections when applying for Expert Infantry and Centurion levels where additional reference materials are used over and above what is written in said CRL's. Some example are sniper plate positioning, rivet placement and the finer details scrutinized at Centurion. VETTED MAKERS While there are many other sources for armor, the list below only contains those who have proven track records of honest business dealings, quality craftsmanship, and that are free from recast debates. You are certainly free to buy where you will, but if you vary this list we strongly encourage that you at least do your due diligence inquiring about the seller's quality and reputation before parting with your money. === ANH DERIVED ARMOR === Type: ATA (Affordable Trooper Armor) Sadly Unavailable until further notice Country: USA Contact: Kit: ABS (HIPS by request), untrimmed, ANH derived Availability Assembly: Armor needs to be trimmed, parts butt joined with finishing strips, HIPS needs to be painted. Comments: The quality of HIPS material is such that it is the most durable of all HIPS armor makes. ABS is a custom made ABS for color, gloss, and durability, so you can order it either way and feel confident. Type: Authenticprops (AP) Country: Canada Contact: authenticprops@hotmail.com Kit: .080 gloss white ABS, ANH derived can be ordered Untrimmed, Fully trimmed (ready for assembly) or Fully built Ready to Wear out of the box. All kits include ANH Leather holster, rubber gloves, rubber hand guards, canvas belt, TD metal clips and all correct hardware to build your armor to centurion specs. Helmet is screen derived but cleaned up with a smooth cap and back, The AP helmet includes hovi mic tip replicas, Centurion approved painted look vinyl decals, green acetate lens, rubber brow/neck trim, frown mesh, all correct hardware to assemble helmet. Availability: No known problems obtaining this, usual wait time 4 to 8 weeks Options: UNTRIMMED KIT all parts require trimming/sanding FULLY TRIMMED KIT all parts come perfectly trimmed ready for assembly FULLY BUILT READY TO WEAR out of the box (Custom built to your size) HELMET ONLY (untrimmed, trimmed, fully built) ARMOR ONLY (untrimmed, trimmed, fully built) Assembly: requires cover-strip and butt-joining for assembly like the movie original Comment: AB and Kidney plates have 3" inch extensions to the sides to fit larger waist sizes without the need of shimming, can be easily trimmed down to perfectly fit your waist size or left to original movie size. All kits include ANH style Leather holster, rubber gloves, rubber flexible hand guards, canvas belt, TD metal clips and all correct hardware to build your armor to centurion specs! Type: RS Prop Masters Country: UK Contact: studio@rspropmasters.com or http://www.rspropmasters.com/ Kit: 1.5mm ABS or 1.5mm PVC, untrimmed or ready-to-wear, only 1st Generation cast of an original ANH armor. Comes with all accessories needed for Expert Infantry level build and Centurion ready with very little extra parts needed. Note again, commission builds from RS are not always up to our EI and Centurion level and may require additional work to be approved. Availability: 3-5 days Assembly: Parts are untrimmed and requires cover-strip and butt-joining for assembly. Can be ordered pre-assembled for an additional fee. Options: 1. Helmet + Armour - Kit 2. Armor only - Kit 3. Helmet - Kit 4. Helmet - Fully finished and hand painted 5. Armor + Helmet - Armor trimmed to your specification but not assembled + Fully finished helmet. 6. "Fully loaded" - Accessory package, when bought together with armor. Contains strapping kit, latex handguards, rubber gloves, canvas belt, etc.. All prices are excluding shipping. Comments: The only 1st Generation cast of an original ANH armor. Comes unaltered with all the good and bad that brings. May require more skill to assemble than other kits. Extremely accurate when assembled with care. Armour is more generous than SDS or AP, but not as large as RT-Mod or AM. Type: RWA (RWA Creations) Country: Isle of Wight, UK Contact: Email to rwacreations@gmail.com .. Facebook: RWA Creations Availability: 6 weeks Kit: ANH, ESB untrimmed kit in 1.5mm ABS, 2mm ABS, 2mm Acrylic capped. Black or White. Options: Helmet assembly service or fully finished (excluding padding). Neck seals, Canvas Belts, Aluminium Thermal detonator clips. 2" longer shins available on request. XL parts for taller troopers: See: XL Thighs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLyH1nb4fPQ, XL Shoulder bells - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qySuQk4DI-Q, XL Torso parts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4W5GQZ-opQ, XL Kidney Section - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOo-aTzPJhY Type: T/MC Country: USA Contact: Allabouttray@gmail.com or PM Tray on the FISD boards @Tray Kit: .090 ABS, untrimmed, ANH Derived. Helmet is screen derived. Armor similar to TE2 and AP but with some parts being different and others being modified. The left inner shin is a duplicate of the right outer shin. The arms (Bicep, forearm and shoulders) are the same, there is no unique left and right arm. The helmet comes with resin cast hovi mic tips, which are acceptable for EIB use, and all assembly material excluding paint. Comes with your choice of Smoked gray bubble lenses or flat dark green lenses. This is most comparable to AP with some slight changes. Availability: 3-4 months for delivery and sometimes sooner than that. Assembly: Seams are overlapping joints making it a reasonably easy build, though one can use finishing strips instead. Comments: The armor is ABS, not bright white and glossy like FX. Due to material thickness lines are a little softer than some other makers. Should shine well with Mr Sheen. NOTE: available in black too! Type: WTF (Walt) Country: USA Contact: Walt on FISD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/612005498911674/user/1145629985/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/612005498911674 Kit: ABS, untrimmed, ANH derived Availability Current wait times are 6-8 weeks. Assembly: Armor needs to be trimmed, parts butt joined with finishing strips. Comments: No issues with quality or service reported to date. === ANH FAN SCULPT === Type: RT-Mod (RT) / RT-Panda Country: Canada Contact: rtmodpanda@gmail.com Kit: ABS, close trimmed, fan sculpt. Updated bucks for the majority of the armor and helmet in 2018 to meet Centurion level standards (separate ab button plate, kidney notches, etc). Availability: Currently about 8 month wait. Assembly: Parts are "close trimmed" (a thicker return edge is left on all parts for those seeking more accuracy for strapping brackets etc. Final trimming is far less work than "untrimmed off the buck" armor. Designed to be easy to put together (regarded as one of the easiest kits to assemble as all "halves of lumbs etc. line up to one another without problems). Designed for butt joined limbs with a formed ridge with cover strips. Some parts can be formed without ridges present. Helmet comes as a kit as of 2019. Options: ANH stunt, ESB hand armor Comments: Designed especially for taller/larger body types and has more capacity to fit these troopers (without shims) than most makes of armor. There are 2 sizes of back armor, 3 sizes of thighs, 2 sizes of shins / calves, and the ab / kidney will accommodate approx 40" waist without shims. The thighs are wider and can accomodate a wide range of sizes. Female troopers often order thighs / shins to accommodate wider hips etc. The armor and helmet are sculpted at 4% larger than an original kit. The difference is subtle but makes fitting/sizing much easier for taller/larger troopers (has been worn very easily by troopers from 6' to 6'5"). Type: AM (Armor Master) - Dave’s Darkside Depot Country: USA Contact: davesdarksidedepot@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/Daves-Darkside-Depot-1188080927989611 Kit: ABS. All body armor components including face piece and ear pieces are .090 ABS. The one piece dome/back is formed using .125 ABS, as this piece is formed over a rather deep mold and anything thinner can cause thin regions which can eventually crack or fracture. White .060 ABS blanks included to cut as cover-strips. TD clips, rubber gloves and black Nomex flight gloves, flexible hand guards and all Centurion level hardware included. Availability: Normally 4-6 weeks or less. Assembly: Comes trimmed out of the box, but you will still be required to adjust for proper fit to your body size. Good choice for large troopers, but can be cut down. Can be ordered completely pre-assembled for an additional fee. Comments: Chest and back molds have been updated to address past concerns, and are now acceptable to Centurion level. They are now including a custom, die-cut Imperial cog themed helmet liner for the helmets, mounting Velcro included. Hovi tips are professionally cast aluminum. Hero helmets are now available. Type: MTK (NOW SOLD by Imperial Surplus) Country: USA Contact: https://imperialsurplus.com/contact-us/ Website: https://imperialsurplus.com/product-category/armor/original-trilogy-armor/ Armor is made of .70 gauge (1.778 mm) satin gloss white ABS and will withstand the rigors of trooping. Kit comes trimmed for shipping and requires final trimming/fitting. Kit comes with: All ABS plastic required for assembly to include helmet, body parts and joining/cover strips. Helmet accessories include lens material, rubber S trim, Hovi tips, helmet decals (choose between ANH, ANH Sandy & ESB versions) screws, rivets, washers and screen mesh for the frown. Gloves This kit does not include: Blaster, under-suit, holster, boots, Velcro or any instructions but many of these items are available at trooperbay.com Kits can be built to Centurion level when following the correct CRL Availability: Kits generally available on request, spare parts also available and on hand. === ROTJ ARMOR === Type: CFO - note this is for ROTJ armor only (ideal for ROTJ, TK Commander, or Incinerator Troopers). Country: UK Contact: PM Sskunky on FISD Kit: ABS or HIPS untrimmed. Kits can come in lite, full, assembled and weathered please inquire for prices and custom orders. ABS is standard and screen accurate. We can make the armour in any colour HIPS with a 25% deposit. Kits come complete with all plastic parts. Helmets come with resin mic tips cast from an original, black rubber trims, decals and lenses all subject to availability and stock. Availability: Kits available at all times with approx 4 week turnaround time. We have a US distributor who will be able to ship kits within the USA. Assembly: Parts are trimmed and designed to be easy to put together - along with RT is the easiest kit to build. Comments: These suits are cast from original therefore there will be warps, lumps, bumps etc. present on the plastic. The original suits were made to fit actors in the region of 5'10" and 180lb.... there is some flexibility as with all armour which is down to assembly. This armour is no way sanitised or idealised, it is a true representation of what is seen on screen in STAR WARS "The Return Of The Jedi". Other Notes: Hand guards O2 canister/detonator detail and end caps, belt, knee belt and shoulder straps are own sculpt. Necessary/minimal sharpening was done to the moulds to attain the correct level of sharpness lost from the original fibreglass moulds obtained from Cameron Oakley. The original shape and contours are intact and the details and edges have been sharpened as documented in various threads on the FISD and other prop forums. === ROGUE ONE (Mandalorian / Obi Wan / Ahsoka / Enoch / Night Trooper) ARMOR === Type: Jimmiroquai Country: PI Contact: email jimmiroquai@yahoo.com Kit: Kits are lightweight flexible fiberglass. Availability: PM to ask, varies Assembly: Fully trimmed and partially assembled, e.g. if it fits out of the box one can go straight to rigging and painting. Comments: No issues with quality or service reported to date. Type: 850 Armor Works Country: USA Contact: FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/205514516516535/ website: https://850armorworks.com/ email: 850armorworks@gmail.com Kit: ABS plastic Availability: PM to ask, varies Assembly: No Comments: No issues with quality or service reported to date. === FIRST ORDER TFA / TLJ / TROS === Type: Jimmiroquai Country: PI Contact: email jimmiroquai@yahoo.com Kit: Kits are lightweight flexible fiberglass. Can come with both TFA or TLJ details. Availability: PM to ask, varies Assembly: Untrimmed. Comments: No issues with quality or service reported to date. Type: 850 Armor Works Country: USA Contact: FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/205514516516535/ website: https://850armorworks.com/ email: 850armorworks@gmail.com Kit: ABS plastic Availability: PM to ask, varies Assembly: No Comments: No issues with quality or service reported to date. Type: Denuo Novo Country: USA Contact: FB: https://www.facebook.com/Denuo_Novo website: https://www.denuonovo.com/collections/new-star-wars email: customerservice@denuonovo.com Kit: ABS plastic Availability: PM to ask, varies Pre orders, pre built, spare parts and kit form available. Assembly: YES Comments: No issues with quality or service reported to date. First Order TK armor full vendors list available. HERE === NO LONGER MADE === Type: TE2 Country: USA Contact: HDPblues on FISD Kit: HIPS, untrimmed, ANH derived Availability: None, since a long time. Best to look elsewhere. Assembly: Armor needs to be trimmed, parts butt joined with finishing strips, then painted. Comments: Helmet is considered very screen accurate. While he rarely makes armor anymore, he's a solid buy if you find any. Type: FX Availability: No longer made. Do not buy this armor - we list it only for posterity in case you pick up a suit second hand from a current Legion member. Kit: ABS, trimmed, fan sculpt. Comments: The armor can be made to be FISD EI acceptable for about $50 and an afternoon of work. The helmet is not acceptable by any Detachment's program, and many GML's are no longer allowing it to be accepted at the Legion level. Type: Older/Original AM (1.0) NE Country: USA Contact: troopergear@gmail.com Kit: .090 gauge ABS - trimmed - Fan sculpt Availability: N/A Assembly: Butt joining required for the legs. Arms can be overlapped but trimming those overlaps off and butt joining is recommended. Comes trimmed out of the box, but you will still be required to trim for proper fit to your body size. Comments: An updated version of the older AM kits with a more accurate helmet and some other accessories. Best suited for the larger troopers who can have problems fitting into screen-sized kits. Comes in full or "lite" kits. Lite kits come without helmet, ABS cement or polish. Edited 4 hours ago by gmrhodes13 updated text 48 Quote
ajax407[TK] Posted June 15, 2010 Report Posted June 15, 2010 Wow, you are making it way too easy for the newbie-newbies. This newbie did a lot of digging and cloak & dagger research to learn all this. 4 Quote
sskunky Posted June 16, 2010 Report Posted June 16, 2010 Very informative. Can I just add that you really shouldn't use Mr Sheen on your armor as it does contain amonia which will in time yellow AbS. Best to find a polish without this in it. 4 Quote
Stormsurge Posted June 17, 2010 Report Posted June 17, 2010 Great great great, this is the thread i've always been waiting for, amazingly informative, thank you so much for putting this up! 1 Quote
TK bondservnt[501st] Posted June 19, 2010 Report Posted June 19, 2010 (edited) novus polish is the best! Edited November 19, 2011 by TK Bondservnt 2392 5 Quote
TK-7980 Posted June 20, 2010 Report Posted June 20, 2010 (edited) Wouldn't all the armor except for TM be ROTJ derived? I was under the impression that all the suits that were available right (with obvious exceptions) now were cast from the suit that TE's cohort pulled from a trash can at Elstree Studios, which was a beaten up ROTJ suit. Edited June 20, 2010 by TK-7980 2 Quote
TKDUEUNO Posted June 20, 2010 Report Posted June 20, 2010 Wouldn't all the armor except for TM be ROTJ derived? I was under the impression that all the suits that were available right (with obvious exceptions) now were cast from the suit that TE's cohort pulled from a trash can at Elstree Studios, which was a beaten up ROTJ suit. I was thinking the same thing. Plus I wouldn't say that TM is tricky to assemble, since the pieces line up perfectly, the only thing that might be "tricky" is the absence of trimming lines. AP is much more tricky since the pieces don't line up properly and some heavy tweaking is required for a perfect build. 1 Quote
Rich330[TK] Posted June 20, 2010 Report Posted June 20, 2010 I was thinking the same thing. Plus I wouldn't say that TM is tricky to assemble, since the pieces line up perfectly, the only thing that might be "tricky" is the absence of trimming lines. AP is much more tricky since the pieces don't line up properly and some heavy tweaking is required for a perfect build. I found the lack of trimming lines on the TM to be an advantage. It gives you quite a lot of leeway for trimming to size. There's quite a lot of allowance to trim outside the natural (invisible) line of the parts (for extra girth). Equally you can trim quite a way inside that same natural line to make slimmer-fitting parts. I found it a joy to work with. 1 Quote
BobbyFromBUF Posted June 20, 2010 Report Posted June 20, 2010 Wow! Super helpful! Thanks Daetrin! Truely a Trooper helping WannaBeTroopers! 3 Quote
TK bondservnt[501st] Posted June 22, 2010 Report Posted June 22, 2010 (edited) from the shadows of the past, into the light of day goes the 501st only armor listing! woo hoo... open forum! yeah baby yeah! parts line up just fine on the AP kit. "a perfect build" does not exist. Edited August 7, 2010 by TK Bondservnt 2392 Quote
John G. Posted July 6, 2010 Report Posted July 6, 2010 Hey newbie troop here, how can I get in contact with HDPblues? Quote
TK4999[TK] Posted July 7, 2010 Report Posted July 7, 2010 Great thread Boss! You can say that again! Thanks, Paul Quote
Ogait-Nas Posted July 8, 2010 Report Posted July 8, 2010 Thank you so much! I knew some of the makers but not all of them. Butt... what about SDS? Quote
Daetrin[Admin] Posted July 8, 2010 Author Report Posted July 8, 2010 Thank you so much! I knew some of the makers but not all of them. Butt... what about SDS? SDS is not considered reputable as there have been many issues with regards to shipping and order fulfillment, and thus we do not include him on the list. Quote
JoeR Posted July 8, 2010 Report Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) Paul The quote above is incorrect: Armor came from an ROTJ tour suit that was modified to be more ANH accurate. Parts will need to be butt joined with a finishing strip glued on top. The donor armour was an original JEDi set not tour but was made up with a a few tour pieces. Please delete this post... Joe Edited July 8, 2010 by JoeR Quote
Daetrin[Admin] Posted July 8, 2010 Author Report Posted July 8, 2010 Paul The quote above is incorrect: The donor armour was an original JEDi set not tour but was made up with a a few tour pieces. Please delete this post... Joe So noted - why delete if the content is accurate? Quote
John G. Posted July 24, 2010 Report Posted July 24, 2010 Nevermind, but you have a typo up there, it's HPDblues, got the P and D switched. I went AP anyway though, but just thought I'd note that for any other n00bs like me. 1 Quote
Moot Posted July 25, 2010 Report Posted July 25, 2010 (edited) Wow, you are making it way too easy for the newbie-newbies. This newbie did a lot of digging and cloak & dagger research to learn all this. Well this newbie-newbie is happy that he no longer has to sift through piles of acronyms that mean near to nothing. I spent a few months just trying to figure the places to not go (very clear on that btw) but never really gave a breakdown of where and how to go about doing this stuff. It does warm my heart to not see 'well, newbie, go find it out for yourself' has lessened. When I first hopped on and browsed around, figuring stuff out, I got a lot of go to link X but it had already expired and there were no more repeats of that vital information. Edited July 25, 2010 by Moot 4 Quote
Midnyt17 Posted July 26, 2010 Report Posted July 26, 2010 Yeah I agree with Moot. I tried looking around the other detachment forums in the legion and after at least a couple of hours of browsing through each I still have no idea how to go about getting a kit for the character the detachment represented. But here it only takes 5 minutes or less to familiarize yourself with that info. In short. The FISD. Best detachment. 2 Quote
JoeR Posted August 7, 2010 Report Posted August 7, 2010 I meant delete my post Paul didn't want to clog up the thread. Quote
JimCem99[501st] Posted August 16, 2010 Report Posted August 16, 2010 Wow, this thread is awesome and will probably come handy for this newbie. Thank you! Quote
Voltin Posted August 18, 2010 Report Posted August 18, 2010 Thank you for posting this. I am putting together a Shadow Stormtrooper currently and someday a ANH Stormtrooper so this helps a bunch. Quote
jabbathewhat Posted August 26, 2010 Report Posted August 26, 2010 Coming from a newborn, this is an incredible post!! Keep up the great work, FISD rox! Quote
felgercarb Posted August 27, 2010 Report Posted August 27, 2010 An excellent thread, lot's of helpful info for us newbies.... Quote
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