Drop boxes - why the confusion?

[ObiHahn[TK]]

Hi all,

 

I love to browse through these and other armor boards and just check out everybodys progress and efforts. You can never have enough TK input IMHO. But there's one thing that always made me wonder...when it comes to the topic of attaching the drop boxes - no matter what movie style you are after - there is some confusion about where to place the drop boxes exactly.

 

There seems to be a lot of talk about 1" away from the belt, with the straps visible. Where did that come from? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recollect any movie or any publicity still, not even any photo taken from any props&costumes exhibition where this originated. Did someone just come up with this inch and then spread the word?

 

It's just that after I amassed so many reference pics I start to ask myself "Did I really miss something?".

In all pics I've seen and collected, the drop boxes almost touch the belt, with 1-2 millimeter of strap showing at most.

 

Any thoughts?

[littledragon88[TK]]

Good point ObiHahn. I think the reason they added the drop boxes on the original costumes, was to cover up the black areas between the thighs and butt-piece. I've also noticed there being almost no gap between the belt and the drop boxes, and to achieve this can be rather problematic, because when the drop boxes touches the belt, it totally restricts further movement, which can make it harder to raise one's legs.

 

My personal view on this is that the drop boxes should hang as much close to the belt as possible, and that it should be able to cover up the black area between the thighs and the butt. If the drop boxes is attached closer to the sides, one also avoids the drop boxes being restrictive to one's leg movements (for instance when one climbs stairs). I've attached the drop box straps with industrial velcro, which makes it possible for me to do adjustments easily.

[troopermaster]

The one inch strap length is a total myth. There should be hardly any of the strap showing and ou need to get your drop boxes up close to the belt. Use 20mm wide white elastic, not black, and try and keep them so that they are flush with the end of the belt too. This is for ANH and ESB only.

 

ROTJ had the boxes hanging down about one inch, maybe more, and they were attached differently too.

[ObiHahn[TK]]

The one inch strap length is a total myth. There should be hardly any of the strap showing and ou need to get your drop boxes up close to the belt. Use 20mm wide white elastic, not black, and try and keep them so that they are flush with the end of the belt too. This is for ANH and ESB only.

 

ROTJ had the boxes hanging down about one inch, maybe more, and they were attached differently too.

 

 

Ah, thanks for pointing this out. ROTJ, that's where that came from. I never saw any pics from ROTJ troopers showing this though, but that seems like a possibility. Anyone have a movie reference pic?

 

You keep seeing people using the 1" distance for their ANH/ESB style armor. Maybe they really are going for greater flexibility, but I have mine installed almost flush with the belt and they still are flexible enough for all kinds of crazy movement.

[Sgt JB]

I had this issue, going back and looking at ANH, I saw that I did have my drop boxes hanging WAY too far down. I don't remember where I saw the 1" thing, but I remember thinking that 1" was correct.

[troopermaster]

Maybe they really are going for greater flexibility, but I have mine installed almost flush with the belt and they still are flexible enough for all kinds of crazy movement.

 

That's why I keep stressing for people to use elastic everywhere! There is no need to use webbing or canvas for straps, just elastic The drop boxs are just cosmetic add-ons and hang there doing nothing. Strap them up with elastic and forget about them.