Help a "TK to be" out... which should I get and what is most accurate?

[darthvader]

Starting to shop around for a fall purchase of some TK (stormtrooper) armor and would like to get the opinion from you people who already own your suits. My question is, which one is more accurate? so far I have seen

 

TM Armor, AP armor, FX armor , TE armor, TE2 Armor and Mot armor.

 

What is confusing is all of these armor makers say they are the most accurate which is why I'm asking the public and people who know more than I do on this as I want to make one purchase and I want that to be the only purchase. I don't want to buy a set of armor and come to find out a week or so later I bought the wrong set.

 

I'm leaning towards a certain brand but want to hear what others say.

[darthvader]

When I say I want to make one purchase I'm meaning from one maker but I will more than likely get 3 sets from the same maker and I'm referring to ANH armor. I have 3 vader outfits all all 3 are screen accurate (ANH, ESB AND ROTJ Vaders) the ANH is displayed and I want to accommodate it with two ANH stormtroopers on each side. The 3rd suit will be for trooping at events and Halloween.

[firebladejedi[TK]]

The main difference is between fan sculpts and armour that can be traced to movie suits. The likes of fx and now am are fan sculpts so are not as accurate. Then you get te2 and ata which derive from a rotj movie suit so look more accurate. Then you have tm which is a fan sculpt but more accurate for anh than the te line..

 

Confused? You will be!

 

Read as much as you can before purchase and ask plenty of questions first as things such as body size cost and skills are also important too.

[darthvader]

The main difference is between fan sculpts and armour that can be traced to movie suits. The likes of fx and now am are fan sculpts so are not as accurate. Then you get te2 and ata which derive from a rotj movie suit so look more accurate. Then you have tm which is a fan sculpt but more accurate for anh than the te line..

 

Confused? You will be!

 

Read as much as you can before purchase and ask plenty of questions first as things such as body size cost and skills are also important too.

 

Thanks for the reply, but what about AP armor? I hear it was cast from a screen used ANH set, is this true?

[ELP]

Hi Mike - Welcome aboard.

 

I went through the same decision a few months ago. And from having just gone through it I've learned a few things:

 

- Decide what costume you want in the end: TK, TD, TX, etc. As the build and accessories costs may be different.

- Decide what your budget is.

- What body type are you? As this could be the determining factor in which type of armour you get?

- Are you going for a full kit (incl. helmet) or do you want a helmetless kit and pick up a separate helmet?

 

 

If you can post your answers to these people will be able to give you more personalized advice.

 

For what it's worth my wife has an Rt-Mod suit and I love it. Easy to build and a great looking kit. I've got an AM TX coming.

 

 

EDIT: Just read your follow up post - Looks like you don't really have a budget concern and you want as screen accurate as possible.

Edited August 6, 2010 by ELP

[tkrestonva[TK]]

Read the Getting Started sections

Edited January 28, 2021 by gmrhodes13
link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2021

[Darth Voorhees[501st]]

Looks to me like your searching for ANH armor, and the body type wouldnt matter for 2 of them since they would be on display with your ANH Vader, which BTW..sounds like an AWESOME display!

 

Well AP is a idealized version of accurate style armor. Similar to the TE/TE2/ ATA stuff. As far as i know, it is not cast off of ANH armor, but likely the same ROTJ suit as TE or GINO, and then brought back to the ANH style, (like TE/TE2/ GINO/ATA) but i dont think anyone is 100% on the AP kits origins but it was likely not cast off of an ANH suit. As far as we know, (or I know lol) no screen used ANH armor is publicly around for anyone to buy and cast. Though im no expert in origins, so i could be wrong. But this is a whole other topic! lol! The difference between the TE/TE2 and ATA kits compared to the AP is the AP helmet is cleaned up and made a little "neater" looking, not so much symmetrical though. the originals were far from symmetrical, just like Vader. Also some parts are "mirrored" so the left and right pieces are the same. So aside from the thighs, the arms (b-ceps and forearms) and calves are the same for left and right . You dont really notice it that much once together, unless you have a super ultra accurate eye like firebladejedi hehe. Also the AP is made of ABS and does not need painting.

 

My opinion, if money isnt too much of an issue, get 2 TM suits for the display at the very least. Like was said by FirebladeJedi, it is the most accurate for ANH armor. If you want your wearable suit just as accurate, and want it to be ANH, again, go with TM.

 

If you cant spend the cash due to the overseas shipping, Id suggest TE2 or ATA. Those however are HIPS and need to be painted. But they are probably the better ones out there accuracy wise.

 

I myself own an AP TK and a TE2 Sandy. I like both suits. Due to the size of my arms i like the AP biceps better becuase they mirror the larger bicep from the original. The TE2 and ATA(i think) have the more screen accurate a-symetrical pieces.

 

 

Asforbody type for your wearable suit, it doesnt matter as much as you may think. Im 5"8" and top off at 220lbs sometimes, with a 40" max belly, Sometimes i lose weight and am more like 205 with a 38" belly and i fit into the same AP and TE2 armor. Its all in the way you assemble it. I only have shims on the torso and back of the thighs, and if thats done right, you hardly notice it. If you are however a VERY large guy, RT-mod or AM (used to be FX) is your best bet. Both of those are ABS as wel.

 

On a side note, i would suggest not dealing with TE. If you need reasons, do a search on the forum and you will find lots on him. But my personal advice is to stay away from TE.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Darth Voorhees

[darthvader]

after reading the replies I think I will settle for a TE2 set, now just need to locate one or find out who the maker is and try to buy today if possible instead of waiting for fall but not sure if it's sold on a run basis or outright. But I do know I don't want to wait weeks on end. I waited some 3 months for a ESB Vader chest box and shins and drove me nuts waiting that long to get those items for my ESB vader.

 

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

Now on the hunt....

Edited August 6, 2010 by darthvader

[Darth Voorhees[501st]]

Pm sent

 

keep inmind though, this is a hobby, and people have "real life" to contend with. TK armor usually takes a little time to get depending on what the makers life is like at the time and if they have supplies etc. Patience in key in this hobby! All the above makers are great and come through with their awesome product, so you need not worry, especially if your going with TE2!

Edited August 6, 2010 by Darth Voorhees

[firebladejedi[TK]]

TE2 is a good choice I think he is making armour as and when at the moment so you won't hVe to wait for a run, but I guess only he will be able to tell you that

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

I would not get the type of armor that you need to paint. TM or AP is the best choice in my opinion for armor.

 

you should get TM for ANH/ESB, and AP for ROTJ

[firebladejedi[TK]]

I would not get the type of armor that you need to paint.

 

 

 

Why not please explain ???

[Darth Voorhees[501st]]

Why not please explain ???

 

ya, im curious as well. You can get an amazing finish on em if you know how to paint it. Plus the screen used suits were painted i believe.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Hi Mike,

 

My opinion after being in this hobby and DL here for four years is that anytime one asks for "best" and "most accurate" it's a bit of a moving target. Every year the offerings get more accurate and less expensive. Also, some of it is subjective.

 

TM is arguably the most accurate ANH/ESB armor out there now, though it's far more expensive than other options and is not always readily available. The question then becomes: "Is the difference in it's accuracy and the next lowest on the rung significant enough to warrant paying more & waiting longer?". For some, this is an easy "yes", but for others the difference is not worth it to them.

 

The same goes with helmets - TE2 is probably the closest you can get to a screen used helmet today. That said, it has a bumpy cap and back to preserve this closeness, though others will prefer a smooth cap and back which is what we see on screen. TM also makes a very good ANH/ESB helmet as well that gets more accurate every time he does a revision. Which is 'more accurate'? Well...that depends...

 

I wish it was simple to answer, but again as I state there is on one "best", and even if there the answer today would be obsolete next year.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

my 2 cents.

 

TM armor's finish is completely amazing- for example!

AP armor takes a bit of work.

 

nothing compared to the expense, time and work of painting.

[Tyran]

Is there any way to get in contact with TM prior to any postings on here? I've been confused up until this point thinking T/MC was TM. I'm curious if he has an availability coming up soon.

 

Edit: Sorry for the bump, I jumped too quickly without realizing I could just send him a PM here on the boards...

Edited September 5, 2010 by Tyran