Just starting out - help and advice

[TrickyT81[TK]]

Hi all,

I hope you’re safe and well wherever you are. 
 

I’ve had a lifelong fascination with the stormtrooper. I have models, keyrings, lego and even a tattoo...but I’ve always wanted the real thing. 
 

To start, I want to get the helmet and my initial search took me to originalstormtrooper.com. Owning a helmet from the original mould, complete with its own acrylic display box is really appealing to me, albeit at a hefty cost. Further research has cast some doubt and Andrew Ainsworth’s name seems to be mud from what I’ve read on other forums. RS Props has been another site I’ve looked at and seems to be strongly recommended. 
 

Does anyone have any experience, recommendations or advice on this?

 

I’m not DIY savvy, so will never be capable of building my own. I’m also under no illusion that this is an expensive hobby. I just want to make sure I’m getting bang for my buck. 
 

Any help would be appreciated. 
 

Thanks,

T

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Hello and welcome aboard SDS (original stormtrooper) does need quite a bit of work as they are not as accurate as other suppliers (although some have made it all the way to L3), the Getting Started area is full of some great info, head to this thread for recommended suppliers 

 

Here's another great thread full of helpful info

 

[That one guy]

On 2/2/2021 at 4:55 PM, TrickyT81 said:

Hi all,

I hope you’re safe and well wherever you are. 
 

I’ve had a lifelong fascination with the stormtrooper. I have models, keyrings, lego and even a tattoo...but I’ve always wanted the real thing. 
 

To start, I want to get the helmet and my initial search took me to originalstormtrooper.com. Owning a helmet from the original mould, complete with its own acrylic display box is really appealing to me, albeit at a hefty cost. Further research has cast some doubt and Andrew Ainsworth’s name seems to be mud from what I’ve read on other forums. RS Props has been another site I’ve looked at and seems to be strongly recommended. 
 

Does anyone have any experience, recommendations or advice on this?

 

I’m not DIY savvy, so will never be capable of building my own. I’m also under no illusion that this is an expensive hobby. I just want to make sure I’m getting bang for my buck. 
 

Any help would be appreciated. 
 

Thanks,

T

If your interested in just having a helmet for display then I would go with a black series helmet but if you want the full kit RS prop masters makes a fully finished kit and from what I have heard it’s pretty awesome. I hope this helps.

[TrickyT81[TK]]

1 hour ago, That one guy said:

If your interested in just having a helmet for display then I would go with a black series helmet but if you want the full kit RS prop masters makes a fully finished kit and from what I have heard it’s pretty awesome. I hope this helps.

Thanks One Guy. I’ve actually ordered the hero helmet from RS with a view to getting a fully commissioned suit in the future.

[That one guy]

25 minutes ago, TrickyT81 said:

Thanks One Guy. I’ve actually ordered the hero helmet from RS with a view to getting a fully commissioned suit in the future.

Sweet! Welcome to the trooper costuming community. Good luck

[TrickyT81[TK]]

Thanks for all your help guys. 
 

I just have a couple of follow-up questions:

 

1. In terms of entry to the 501st, I’m looking to get the RS armour later this year (once they’ve had chance to recover from the fire this week...and I have the money). From what I can see there are different entry levels and I’m struggling to find information of what qualifies for these different bands. Can anyone point me in the right direction where I can find out more?

 

2. is it possible to get a TK number before submitting your armour for approval? I’ve requested access to the UK Garrison forum but I’m still waiting for my registration to be approved so may get a quicker answer here. 
 

thanks again for your help,

Tim

Edited February 6, 2021 by TrickyT81

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Hi Tim!  When you mention "entry levels", I think you may mean approval levels.  Each costume in the 501st Legion has "Basic" requirements for approval, and all the various TK related costumes can be found here.  That reference shows the different requirements for each level.

 

In the FISD, we have 3...  Basic, Expert Infantry and Centurion.  Here is a thread which will help explain a few things.

 

In order to receive your official 501st TK number, you must have your armor approved at Basic level through your local Garrison/Squad.

 

A great guide to getting started on your journey can be found here, but we encourage you to ask as many questions as you want to.  We are here to assist you every step of the way!

 

There are some useful tutorials and information links under my avatar below.

[TrickyT81[TK]]

3 hours ago, justjoseph63 said:

Hi Tim!  When you mention "entry levels", I think you may mean approval levels.  Each costume in the 501st Legion has "Basic" requirements for approval, and all the various TK related costumes can be found here.  That reference shows the different requirements for each level.

 

In the FISD, we have 3...  Basic, Expert Infantry and Centurion.  Here is a thread which will help explain a few things.

 

In order to receive your official 501st TK number, you must have your armor approved at Basic level through your local Garrison/Squad.

 

A great guide to getting started on your journey can be found here, but we encourage you to ask as many questions as you want to.  We are here to assist you every step of the way!

 

There are some useful tutorials and information links under my avatar below.

Brilliant Joseph. Thanks for the clarification and pointing me in the right direction. I’ll take a look.