TE2 vs AP Armor - Any clear winner?

[Daetrin[Admin]]

WRT to HIPS vs ABS...as most but not all know, this debate has played itself out on several forums.

 

I'll agree that it won't stand the abuse that a ABS does (e.g. playing football in it), but for regular trooping my TE2 has been great. I guess it really depends on what you plan to do in armor.

[Jumpin Jax]

My advice......

 

2) Buy from someone you KNOW will deliver in a timely manner. I've heard just too many stories from certain people who take months and months and months to deliver the full suit. Excuses like "I'm ill, I need to take time out, my dog ate my moulds"

...being sued, am telling fibs...

[Rolf[501st]]

In my time i had have FX, GF, AP.

Now i only have two TM suits.

We dont have the real anh moulds.

So they are all rotj modify stuff to anh.

To me the TM is the best suit ever made, the most screen accurate anh suit out there.

And very strong for trooping too, 2,5 mm thick milky white glossy hips.

Way thicker then my old GF and AP here

[TK8280]

Yeah, the TM's are very nice

[Star Wars Helmets]

...being sued, am telling fibs...

 

 

Maybe so, although being sued is not the same as being found guilty of anything. As far as "telling fibs" I think we could all accuse your master TE of that - following the "irregularities" with his numerous "retirements" from this hobby, selling of moulds and subsequent disputes etc. etc.

 

If people are looking for "buyer protection" - why not see if the vendor accepts credit cards - thats a sure way of playing safe

 

Cheers

 

Jez

[Guest T*E]

Maybe so, although being sued is not the same as being found guilty of anything. As far as "telling fibs" I think we could all accuse your master TE of that - following the "irregularities" with his numerous "retirements" from this hobby, selling of moulds and subsequent disputes etc. etc.

 

If people are looking for "buyer protection" - why not see if the vendor accepts credit cards - thats a sure way of playing safe

 

Cheers

 

Jez

 

 

I'm on the floor rolling with the giddiness inside of your double standards posts.

 

Let me tell you folks, after working with 7 ANH suits and spending 2 full weeks with them, NO ONE has them right. TE suits are the closest, TM is the closest interpretation, and the AA is the WORST recast of all time.

 

plain and simple.

 

TE

[Midnight Trooper]

Dude! 7 suits!

Thats awesome. Did you try any of them on and run around with glee?

 

Cause, that's what I'd do.

 

(Hurry up please!)

[Guest T*E]

Dude! 7 suits!

Thats awesome. Did you try any of them on and run around with glee?

 

Cause, that's what I'd do.

 

(Hurry up please!)

 

I got to wear some of the helmets, but some were so small it is a wonder anyone could have gotten them on their head. The Look sir roids helmet is one of them. SMALL.. built really weird and just tough to work with. The 'steve' helmet was the largest opening and it slid on just like the SFS helmet did.

 

No, didnt wear the armor. Arms, yes.. my legs are too muscular to wear the suits anyway.

 

Oh well, fun to look em over and take pics and measurements and all though.

 

TE

[TK-4935]

if AA recast from all the 'Experts' then his kit cant be all that bad

regardless of origin, my SDS kit still garners comments from many folks on how good it looks, 501st members included.

At C4 my friend Dave with his TM and myself with my SDS were swamped all day every day and not once did anyone come up to us and say "pah! SDS, that stuff sucks an impolite person".

lets put this in to perspective people

-

 

and just so we're clear, when i don the armour i dont do it for glory or kudos. i never take my lid off in public, nobody knows who i am nobody ever will.it's not a peacocking thing or a my 'kits better than yours'. i dont make money from someone elses intellectual property. whenever i do an event, i do it for donations for childrens charities. never once has anyone cared whether i'm wearing FX, GF, TE, TM, AP, SDS. It Doesnt matter to them. all that matters to them is that they've just had their photo taken with a stormtrooper. they walk away and they smile.

bollocks to the he said this and he said that mentality. you can keep you're uber accurate piffle to be honest if this is what it keeps coming down to.

Edited February 19, 2021 by gmrhodes13
link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2021

[Jumpin Jax]

Maybe so, although being sued is not the same as being found guilty of anything.

"False advertising."

[RBJ[501st]]

and just so we're clear, when i don the armour i dont do it for glory or kudos. i never take my lid off in public, nobody knows who i am nobody ever will.it's not a peacocking thing or a my 'kits better than yours'. i dont make money from someone elses intellectual property. whenever i do an event, i do it for donations for childrens charities. never once has anyone cared whether i'm wearing FX, GF, TE, TM, AP, SDS. It Doesnt matter to them. all that matters to them is that they've just had their photo taken with a stormtrooper. they walk away and they smile.

bollocks to the he said this and he said that mentality. you can keep you're uber accurate piffle to be honest if this is what it keeps coming down to.

 

 

..I've kept my big mouth shut for all of the armor maker wars...it does nothing but suck the fun out of TK costuming for me...no need to add fuel to the fire..but I could not have said it better...BRAVO!!!

[Scott M.[TK]]

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!

 

Never had a child complain that my FX was wrong, (although I have been told some know the difference, and would call me a moron for owning such a poor kit) and I doubt I ever will meet one. My kids love the armor, and it is more personal interest that would drive me to do any upgrades, which I have done as well.

 

On September 16th, I will be walking 2.5 miles to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in the hopes of helping to raise $1 million for diabetes research. I will let you all know how many of the thousands of kids I walk with point out all the inaccuracies of my armor.

 

Glad to see some perspective. I believe the debate is valid, but sometime we all need to take a reality check and see what are we really arguing about. If accuracy is the greatest reason for having armor, that is fine. If bringing a smile to a child's face is your reason, then NO ONE should ever come down on you for your armor not being the most accurate. What I am in it is not what someone else is in to armor for. I respect that, and others should as well.

 

Just my $.02, but kudos to TK-4935 and RBJ. You are now two of my favorite TK's!!!!

[Guest Bezerkus]

This is my first post here, and I'm admittedly new, but I have been following armor and helmets for the last few of years. I'd be happy to use my SDS suit and take multiple angle hi res pictures of each piece next to my newly aquired untrimmed AP. If someone wants to take the same angles of a TE2 kit prior to assembly. I would do this just to point out differences for those looking to purchase and not argue accuracy. In all the forums I've followed I've yet to see a full visual close-up comparison of all the available anh armor pieces before assembly. Just a thought of what I'd like to see before investing, or maybe I'm just Vick setting up a dogfight.

 

I also have to admit, since I'm a prop collector, I am turned on by uber accuracy. Completely understand the children argument and I, myself, still marvel at whatever the armor is used.

[TK8280]

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!

 

Never had a child complain that my FX was wrong, (although I have been told some know the difference, and would call me a moron for owning such a poor kit) and I doubt I ever will meet one. My kids love the armor, and it is more personal interest that would drive me to do any upgrades, which I have done as well.

 

On September 16th, I will be walking 2.5 miles to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in the hopes of helping to raise $1 million for diabetes research. I will let you all know how many of the thousands of kids I walk with point out all the inaccuracies of my armor.

 

Glad to see some perspective. I believe the debate is valid, but sometime we all need to take a reality check and see what are we really arguing about. If accuracy is the greatest reason for having armor, that is fine. If bringing a smile to a child's face is your reason, then NO ONE should ever come down on you for your armor not being the most accurate. What I am in it is not what someone else is in to armor for. I respect that, and others should as well.

 

Just my $.02, but kudos to TK-4935 and RBJ. You are now two of my favorite TK's!!!!

 

I guess we just have to remember that not all the individuals on this forum are in the 501st...they don't all don armor in public

[TK-4935]

I guess we just have to remember that not all the individuals on this forum are in the 501st...they don't all don armor in public

 

they just dont know what they're missing

 

It's totally fair to want to have the most accurate kit if your an obsessive (lord knows i'm an accuracy obsessed geek) but lifes too short for jealousy, mud slinging and grudge harbouring when all that is being questioned is a lump of plastic.

if Kudos is what you want as an individual for an acheivement that you think someone is getting, belittling that persons product or credentials aint the way to do it. the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. i'll tell you if it tastes good but only if i tasted it. not because someone told me they thought it tasted good. savvy?

Scott, good luck on that walk brother. hope the blisters dont bark too loud after

 

i'd urge all non 501st troopers to join up and get out there. seriously. go on, hope to it.

[Star Wars Helmets]

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!

 

Never had a child complain that my FX was wrong, (although I have been told some know the difference, and would call me a moron for owning such a poor kit) and I doubt I ever will meet one. My kids love the armor, and it is more personal interest that would drive me to do any upgrades, which I have done as well.

 

On September 16th, I will be walking 2.5 miles to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in the hopes of helping to raise $1 million for diabetes research. I will let you all know how many of the thousands of kids I walk with point out all the inaccuracies of my armor.

 

Glad to see some perspective. I believe the debate is valid, but sometime we all need to take a reality check and see what are we really arguing about. If accuracy is the greatest reason for having armor, that is fine. If bringing a smile to a child's face is your reason, then NO ONE should ever come down on you for your armor not being the most accurate. What I am in it is not what someone else is in to armor for. I respect that, and others should as well.

 

Just my $.02, but kudos to TK-4935 and RBJ. You are now two of my favorite TK's!!!!

 

Great attitude guys - the bottom line is we wear this stuff to have fun and hopefully at the same time raise a bit of cash for the various charities we support.

 

Like I said before, just make sure youre buying your armour from someone who's going to deliver it WHEN you're expecting it and that its going to be up to the rigours of trooping. If you think there's a doubt concerning the vendor you're interested in - dont use him! There are plenty of providers out there - chooose one that will be right for you.

 

Cheers

 

Jez

[Jumpin Jax]

Who asked about the person providing the armor, jeremy? NO ONE.

They asked about the armor. Which is better was the ONLY question. Armor, not your personal gripes against people you don't like.

Do...you...under...stand?

Skoll

JJ

Like I said before, just make sure youre buying your armour from someone who's going to deliver it WHEN you're expecting it and that its going to be up to the rigours of trooping. If you think there's a doubt concerning the vendor you're interested in - dont use him! There are plenty of providers out there - chooose one that will be right for you.

[GINO]

If I haven't stated my official opinion on the winner between these two (not including my stuff) here it is.

 

Firstly, there are different criteria for people in determining what is "best".

My criteria is in terms of accuracy, lineage, and how faithful it is to the film used armor.

 

This has nothing personal to do with the makers of the armor, just the armor itself.

 

For those who don't know, the AP armor is made from GF's old molds which were made from vac formed parts of my molds.

Both sets of armor (AP and TE2) have been heavily modified, cleaned up, and over idealized compared to the parts that come off my original molds taken from a real suit.

 

However, the AP is still closer in lineage because the TE2 is comprised of a recast AP/GF suit that has been further modified and supplemented with some tour suit pieces. The tour suits are not accurate to the film suits.

 

So if you want to know which is closer in terms of pedigree, AP is head and shoulders over TE2.

[Jumpin Jax]

I'm afraid your comment about TE2 being FROM a GF is inaccurate. GF came from TE1 molds and was changed drastically. Your molds were not part of the equation.

 

If I haven't stated my official opinion on the winner between these two (not including my stuff) here it is.

[Exodus[TK]]

GF came from TE1 molds and was changed drastically.

Joey you sure about that?

[GINO]

You must have been misled.

 

I have the original molds that touched the inside of the suit. No one else has this.

GF was given soft poorly vac formed pieces that came from my molds which was then cleaned up and modified by him and years later sold to AP.

 

The TE2 stuff was recast GF stuff that was further modified and supplemented with tour suit parts.

 

The SDS stuff is either recast GF/AP, or TE2. But since they are very similar and AA modified the pieces slightly yet again, it is difficult to tell which of the two he recast.

 

Regardless, any of the armor out there that comes from a real suit, derived from the original molds that I have now.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

This may be the case. However TE2 armor is readily available, which is why it's considered - for most people - to be the closest one can reasonably get to screen used. I think that was what was intended to be presumed on this thread.

[GINO]

I'm with you.

I'm only talking in terms of pedigree/accuracy. Not pricing, availability, durability, etc..

 

However AP is readily available as well and is more accurate with better pedigree than the TE2.

I guess that was the heart of what I was trying to say.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Thanks Gino.

 

One more: is that still the case with AP being closer than TE2 though? Last I heard AP has modified the thighs to make them larger, removing them even further from pedigree than TE2. And, I think there were some other changes as well, but can't recall all of what was involved.

 

[GINO]

I'm not aware of any recent changes to AP stuff so I honestly don't know. Do they still offer the regular thighs as well as the larger ones?

Either way, take it for what it's worth, the TE2 is a generation down from the AP not to mention the TE2's usage of tour suit pieces.