Prop ANOVOS goes into Star Wars Costuming

[FlyAndFight]

I just got the "Empire" base stand in yesterday. Will be working on it over the weekend and using it for my eFX Stormtrooper helmet.

 

[tylerdurden]

just got my anovos darth vader "standard line" helmet at last. it sure took them a while to get this one out, after numerous (and inaccurate) ready-to-ship updates.

is it worth the wait? well, for the most part --- yes. it is a well-made piece for sure, and it has great presence as a standalone showcase collectible. i won't speak to the absolute accuracy because i'm sure many collectors here will be quick to point out its horrible inaccuracies. to me, it looks very much like the (ep v) vader i am familiar with, and the lack of perfect screen accuracy isn't something that bothers me. i won't begrudge anyone who seeks this, it's just that personally i think there's a significant difference between having an eye for detail and obsessive nitpicking. so overall, i think anovos did a pretty damn good job of recreating the vader helmet.

having said that, this is an expensive piece. so for that amount of money i demand a little more finesse in the quality. and where i am not fully satisfied is in the paint finishing. especially on the dome. it has a high-gloss finish, but it looks like they polished it after applying the clear top coat, and as a result there are fine spider-web lines on the clear coat. from about 3 feet away it's not noticeable, but up close and against any strong light source you can clearly see the pattern of lines. and it kind of spoils the look just a wee bit. mind you, i am not going for the screen-accurate ep iv brushed paintwork look. my preferred paint app is a more idealised flawless and shiny look, and in that regard anovos has let me down a little.

other than that, i have no real complaints. the bubble lens are fine, and the metal parts (mouth grille and tusks) are cleanly machined. this thing feels very solidly constructed, it's fairly heavy and even on the insides the paint is nice and even. the inside of the mask is lined with thick, high-quality padding and sturdy straps, since it's meant for cosplaying. i haven't tried wearing it but i can tell it should be quite comfortable to wear.

here are some quick pics i took on my smartphone cam. the proportions are slightly distorted due to the camera lens. i think it looks more like the screen vader in person. you can see the spider-web lines around the highlights in the last pic...

 

[Centurion]

Congrats TD!
I don't know what it is about ANOVOS allowing these helmets to get past QC.
My Tie Fighter pilot dome has the swirls and looks even worse than what you have.

The eFX ANH Vader helmet (PCR version) is so much cleaner.

Any chance of some pics of the mask without the dome? Thanks.

 

[DarthRusty]

Congrats on your new piece.... even though it took a while to arrive .
I am one of nit-pickers, but I must say, I still very much like mine. & you haven't put it on yet? Mine went from the box TO my head . You have better self control than I do.

 

[budafett]

Looks great! When did you order?

 

[tylerdurden]

Congrats TD!
I don't know what it is about ANOVOS allowing these helmets to get past QC.
My Tie Fighter pilot dome has the swirls and looks even worse than what you have.

The eFX ANH Vader helmet (PCR version) is so much cleaner.

Any chance of some pics of the mask without the dome? Thanks.

thanks centurion. you have efx's pcr helmet? was always curious about that piece. it's so much cheaper than the anovos. and yeah, i think they need to step up their quality control.

here's some pics of the helmet without the dome, and of the inside. the weird bit at the top is where the magnet secures the dome to the mask...

Congrats on your new piece.... even though it took a while to arrive .
I am one of nit-pickers, but I must say, I still very much like mine. & you haven't put it on yet? Mine went from the box TO my head . You have better self control than I do.

thanks. i think in my case it was more vanity than self-control. i didn't want to mess up my hair by putting on the helmet, as i was about to go out for dinner. how did it feel when you wore it? was it comfortable?

Looks great! When did you order?

thanks. i think i ordered it over a year ago, via my regular collectibles shop.

 

[DarthRusty]

thanks. i think in my case it was more vanity than self-control. i didn't want to mess up my hair by putting on the helmet, as i was about to go out for dinner. how did it feel when you wore it? was it comfortable?

Actually, yes. It is very comfortable to wear. I have, both, eFX Limited & PCR, & the MR ROTS Vader helmets, & the hard hat rig in the ANOVOS Vader really does make it comfortable. The other fiberglass helmets, after some time, they get a little heavy - especially the MR ROTS, it kinda gets painful on the top of your head. The eFX PCR, even though it is extremely light, still weighs down on the bridge of the nose - & there's no padding. With the hard hat rig in the ANOVOS Vader, the best way I can describe it is, it frees up your head & neck. The funny thing is, without the dome on the mask will want to tilt up. Once you get the dome on, however, it will tilt back down & balance out.

 

[tylerdurden]

ah, i see. good to know, thanks for the info. doubt i will spend much time wearing it though. i bought it as a display piece first and foremost.

 

[Shanester]

I submitted to the 501st this weekend. Took me a while to complete this.

 

[jkno]

Anovos armor, isn't it?

 

[Shanester]

Anovos armor, isn't it?

Yes, it is. The armor on the belt is Anovos, but the belt itself is not. The E-11 is Hyperfirm.

 

[budafett]

Hopefully my Vader will in fact ship in Q1 '17...

 

[Jaycepticon]

Yes, it is. The armor on the belt is Anovos, but the belt itself is not. The E-11 is Hyperfirm.

So the Anovos Stormtrooper is pretty much 501st worthy as-is?

 

[DarthRusty]

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Centurion]

TD thanks for sharing pics off the Anovos Vader without the dome.
The inside is lined much more than I thought it would be for their Standard line. Very cool.

 

[Shanester]

So the Anovos Stormtrooper is pretty much 501st worthy as-is?

Yes. If put together correctly, you can get basic approval. For higher approvals, there are some tweaks needed. The belt is one. The Anovos belt is very flimsy and (IMO) hard to use. I upgraded. Also, the kit hand guards are abs. For higher level approval, you need to swap them out for flexible hand guards.

I also bought a different undersuit. The supplied undersuit is poorly made (IMO) and has been known to bleed into the armor. I'm also replacing the neck seal as I find it just too flimsy and the zipper sticks badly on mine.

In this picture of me, the belt and undersuit are the only non-Anovos parts (minus boots and E-11) that you can see. I didn't use the supplied velcro either. I used Industrial Grade Velcro from Home Depot.

 

[Centurion]

Yes. If put together correctly, you can get basic approval. For higher approvals, there are some tweaks needed. The belt is one. The Anovos belt is very flimsy and (IMO) hard to use. I upgraded. Also, the kit hand guards are abs. For higher level approval, you need to swap them out for flexible hand guards.

I also bought a different undersuit. The supplied undersuit is poorly made (IMO) and has been known to bleed into the armor. I'm also replacing the neck seal as I find it just too flimsy and the zipper sticks badly on mine.

In this picture of me, the belt and undersuit are the only non-Anovos parts (minus boots and E-11) that you can see. I didn't use the supplied velcro either. I used Industrial Grade Velcro from Home Depot.

Looks good! Swap those few components and it'll pass their highest criteria.

 

[tylerdurden]

TD thanks for sharing pics off the Anovos Vader without the dome.
The inside is lined much more than I thought it would be for their Standard line. Very cool.

you're welcome.
yes, the padding is quite thick and the material seems to be of quite high quality. should withstand repeated wear for cosplaying.

 

[shenphong]

There have been plenty of folks in my garrison who got in with the 501st with anovos gear, I have 2 coworkers building theirs as well. I can't imagine any issues if built correctly. Here's my tie bucket that I got recently. Wife and I both used it and got approval for our Tie pilot build. Last photo is the helmet next to the BS shadow helmet for size comparison (I'm 5 foot 6 in the photos as well).

 

[DarthRusty]

Man, I wish ANOVOS didn't cancel their stand alone TIE torso! The helmet looks so much better with hoses in.