ESB Cape Information

Originally posted by TK1028:

Here is a refeence pic from the Action Figure Archive book that shows the texture and color of the cape Fett wore in the Empire Strikes Back:



Chris Skidmore
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Originally posted by DL 44 Blaster1:

Looks EXACTLY like the one I had custom made for my costume <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=""> Only drag is that I don't have pics of it on my PC yet.Although when I do I'll get someone to post pics of it,and if someone likes it I have extra fabric I bought to make another one <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT="">


Steve

Originally posted by Lord of all that is Fett:

I just bought some White Canvas Duck material to make mine. I am still looking into fabric paint for the coloring of the cape itself. The ROTJ cape has alot of stitching zig-zagging on it. Has anyone ever seen a photo of ESB cape stitching? I was thinking of hemming the edges then maybe adding a couple of stitch lines across the cape along side the "center" stripe. A little extra detail to improve the overall look. And of course the measured amount of weathering, beating, and tearing for effect. -Mark

~He's worth a lot to me.~

[/center]

Originally posted by DL 44 Blaster1:

Max,that was the pic that convinced me that the ESB cape was actually more of a tannish color ,and a rusty/goldish stripe.It also was the reason I had finally decided to stop looking,and just make it.


Steve

[B]Originally posted by MaxPlague:

DL,

Yeah, I just made mine too, but I did a faded green instead of the tan. In the movie, sometimes his cape looks tan or grey and somtimes a dirty green too, but that movie had some weird lighting, or he might have had 2 different capes.

Originally posted by MaxPlague:

Here are the instructions for Version 3:

1. Find some tan or warm grey flannel, buy about 1 yard to make one cape. My flannel was found on sale for about &#36;2 a yard.

2. Buy some Rit fabric dye, colors are Dark Green, Tangerine (Orange), Tan and Black. Try to get the kind that comes in a bottle, I've had the best experience with that. I think Rit is typically 2 or 3 dollars a bottle. Get a bottle with a spray tip too (like a hairspray bottle). Or, you might be able to find an Orange dye that comes in a spray bottle.

3. Cut your flannel to the dimensions of 29.25" wide by 36" high. You'll notice that one or two edges of the flannel you bought is frayed, use one of those edges for the bottom of the cape.

4. Fold and iron a .25" or .5" seam around the left, top and right edges. Pin the seam down.

5. Sew the seams closed and remove the pins.

6. I used about 1/2 the bottle of Dark Green dye, 1/4 bottle of Tan dye and 1/4 bottle of Black dye in a stainless steel sink filled with HOT water. Mix it all up.

7. Because I wanted a faded, used look, I only left the cape in the dye bath for 15 minutes. Rit recommends 30 to 60 minutes. Use your best judgement.

8. After the cape is dyed to your liking (remember, it will look a lot darker when it's wet and lighter when it's dry), remove from dye and rinse it thoroughly and let it dry (I used a clothes dryer to speed it up).

9. The stripe is simply Tangerine/Orange dye that I sprayed on using a spray bottle. Mask off the first 11" or so of one side of the cape (you can use a piece of leftover flannel). Place another 11" mask across from the first, leaving a 6" or 7" stripe in between. Spray the dye on the unmasked area. Don't saturate it too much, just enough to give it a light coat.

10. Let the dye dry for about 2 hours or until it feels dry. You can then flip it over and do the same stripe to the other side if you like.

11. Once it's dry, start hacking at it with a sharp knife. Exacto and utility knives work well here. Try to be random about it, but group some cuts together. Try to imagine what would have made the holes in his cape and cut accordingly.

12. Wash it in the washing machine, then plop it in the dryer. That'll give your cuts a nice used, Fett-frayed look.

That's it, your done!

Feel free to make your own modifications to the directions, substitute colors, etc.

Fett had what appeared to be 2 different capes in ESB. One was a warm (tan), bluey grey with a rust stripe. The other was a dirty faded green with a rust or maroon stripe. It's hard to tell for sure because the lighting in that movie was really strange and did funny things to colors, leaving options open for us proppers.

I'm too tired to proof read this post right now, so let me know if I've made any glaring errors.


"There is no emoticon for what I feel right now."

"DEATH TO POP-UP WINDOW ADVERTISEMENTS!"

Hey all. I've got this blanket that kinda has me wondering if it or something like it might have been used for the ESB cape.

Here's a shot of the stripe laid next to my unfinished aluminum armor for size reference:


Things that bug me about it are the fabric texture and color. But then again, the ESB cape looks different in the movie and every promo pic I see...

I don't know, I'll probably just go back to dying the stripe on flannel again...

...but what do you all think?

It actually looks pretty good to me.The lighter areas could be a bit more lighter,but it's not too bad,and it's near impossible to tell the texture of the ESB cape so some creative liberties are certainly expected I'd use it if I were you.

Steve

Hey, that does look good, and if it's not 100% ESB accurate, it would still work for Jodo. Where'd ya get that MaxPlague?

Oh, forgot to mention...it's a vintage Hudson's Bay blanket. Got it on Ebay awhile back.

I think I saw that auction, or one extremely similar. The one I saw wasn't too long ago, though.

I have seen pictures of old Swiss army blankets that look like Boba's. I've never seen one in person, though.

Looks good to me. How long is it??

The blanket itself is 72"x90". If I were to cut it to cape size it'd be about 27.25"x35".

Just my two cents, but if it is indeed a vintage Hudson's Bay, it is worth more "as is". This, of course, depends on how "vintage" and it's condition.

Ok guys I know this have been discussed many times but I would really like to try and do this project..I already looked through the fett ref. V.1 cd....but there were only like a handful of pics of the esb "striped" cape in there. Is there anymore that you guys know of, im planning on taking some more accurate pics to a seamstress and seeing if they can pull this one off....I remember some one said they found a vintage blinket or something that matched the cape, if they have any pictures of closeups or anything that can help me out, that would be great.....thanks

Well one decent place to start is the marmit Fett figure. That cape looks pretty **** close to me to the actual thing...

Here is MaxPlague's tutorial.
http://tdh.prop-planet.com/viewtopic...c=1436&forum=3

yeh i already looked at the tutorial, the actually size and such isnt a problem its just finding the correct color and so forth. WPK is there any pictures of that figure that you can post or link me too???

BobaFettish wrote:
Here is MaxPlague's tutorial.
http://tdh.prop-planet.com/viewtopic...c=1436&forum=3

Oh, ick, that thing Hey, just remember to make the stripe along the vertical axis...NOT the horizontal. For some dumb reason I made mine horizontally across the cape. Live and learn.

Max....do you have any pics of your cape???? Need all the info i can get....Im gonna try to get a seamstress to make up one and if it turns out well maybe we can get a batch going

Yeah, here's the ****** thing I made with the stripe going the wrong direction This was based off his cape looking rather greenish in the movie, not tannish like in the publicity shots. (the jury is still out on the exact color)

Bravo Tim for taking on this mission! We await your results with barely concealed passion!


(how's that?)

haha, sounds good to me......Im gonna hit up the fabric store later on and see what I can find.....

hey guys...I lost a link to this ref page...I cant remember the name, but i remember that this page had some ref shot that were "uncut" pics of fett from ESB and and i think ROTJ...they might have some cape pics on there, if any of you have a clue as to what im talking about, please post the link thanks.... - Tim Allen

I think just about every pic of the ESB cape was on the REF CD. And there aren't that many. The best is probably the large profile shot of Fett on the Executor. I'll see if I can post the pics of the cape tonight.

Yeh i thought so tyler...well if you have an "cleaner" pics that you guys have touched up with photoshop or anything that might work....if not, ill do with what I have so far.....

I personally went with the tannish color,and weathered it heavily with overspray black satin spray paint,.....it turned out fantastic IMHO. I've also been using a new reference source for ESB that I've been spreading around,and might be in a few of your basements/closets/storage boxes.Its the book that came with the Aurra Sing 12" action figure Masterpiece Edition.The book is called "Aurra Sing 'Dawn of the Bounty Hunters'".It has some better shots than we are used to seeing of publicity stills,and a few new ones,...these are all ESB that I am referring to.The cape pic is the one that is on the MOM CD-rom NOT "our" ref. CD,...of course it's ON "our" CD.You know the one I mean,where Fett is in the foreground ,and the two Bespin gaurds are in the background.That has good lighting and shows the cape in a tannish giving me the impression that it is indeed 'tannish'.

Steve

Yeh i saw that pic...im think im gonna use the "besin gaurd" pic as one ref. and theres another one on the CD where hes posing at an angle with the cape drawn over his shoulder...That pic I think shows the tannish color the best....To bad theres no close-ups on the fabric...It does look kinda Flannalish like Maxplangue said..But it almost looks thicker like the ROTJ cape.. Like a blinket or something...Might have to stich 2 flannal pieces together to get a better feel.....w'll see. If possiable DL, can you post those picture???

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrow...elected=149822 heres the best ref pic ive seen so far.......

hey man....... yeh i know i saw that one, just didnt post it! thanks

Max i found a hudson bay blinket like yours....tell me if its close http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...category=13945

Yeah, Tim. Good find. I remember telling you when we first chatted on AIM about there being blankets out there with that pattern. Hudson's Bay was my first search, followed by Whitney. Hudson's Bay Company (HBC)is well known to our Canadian brethren, and is still making blankets to this day. Unfortunately, I was unable to find these particular colors in the current models. As your post on the auction states, a vintage style would have to be used. I am not altogether keen on taking a perfectly good collectible and cutting it up when possible alternatives are available.

If there is any confusion in anyone's search for a blanket when the term "point blanket" is used, I will explain. When blankets were used as a form of trade item during the fur trade in North America, different sizes of blanket were available. This was noted by the amount of "points",and therefore value, displayed on the blanket. In your auction Tim, the three longer and one shorter lines appearing above the large stripe denote this as being a 3 1/2 point blanket (kinda on the small side). Common sizes are 4, 6, and 8 point blankets. Your looking at hundreds of dollars US for a new Hudson's Bay blanket.

Hope this helps. I haven't exhausted all my resources yet.

Well, the colours on it seem to be pretty good if you ask me . . . the only thing that "concerns" me is the placement of the stripe. It looks WAY too close to the edge of the blanket . . . especially when you compare it to the picture you posted over on village photos.

Jer

Tim Allen wrote:
Max i found a hudson bay blinket like yours....tell me if its close http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...category=13945

Yep, that's pretty much the same as mine.

As for the stripe seeming too close to the edge, I actually think that might be ok. I have a theory that Boba's ESB cape has the stripe closer to the edge that connects to his shoulder.

It sure does look mighty close!!

Max . . . is that a wool blanket that you have?

Reason I ask is . . . one of the guys here in the office actually worked at a fashion design house . . specializing in fabrics.

I've just showed him all the pics of fett, fett with the cape, and the pics of the blanket and he said he's virtually positive that that blanket isn't the cape. He's saying that knowing how certain fabrics drape and fold and things like that, he's almost positive that the cape is not that blanket - even if the colours are just about bang on.

His educated guess was a fleece. I suggest flannel . . he said that it could be, but his best guess is a fleece.

Just his 2 cents anyway . . thought I'd throw it in.

Jer

Very good points. Yep, the Hudson's Bay blanket is wool. Oddly enough, looking at the ref pics I kinda guessed it might be something different for exactly that reason...it just doesn't seem to drape like a wool blanket (that's why my blanket is still uncut and intact ).

Some pics make me guess flannel, while some pics look more rigid like a stiffer fabric, and yet some look like a thinner material...AAAARGH!

Good find EGO....Yeh didnt know to much about the fabric, buw i think im gonna try to use the flannel, dont know how well the fleese dyes..so im gonna try the flannel for the 1st run.

Not wanting to come off as a self-proclaimed expert here, but I have been using, and been exposed to, nearly every type, weave, thickness and quality of woolen blanket that is readily available. Aside from animal hides, wool blankets are the only historically acceptable bedding for my other hobby.

Because of this, I am here to say that the thickness of blankets runs the gamut from hand-woven and very thick, to military surplus from warmer countries and hence very thin. The drape and hang evident in the pics is very much possible with the thinner blankets. Although totally wrong color-wise, an old US surplus blanket would provide that EXACT same drape/hang/crease.

I am STILL on the case, and confident I can find a suitable answer to the cape mystery. I just need to wait until Spring, when the gatherings start again.

MMM,the fabrics I used to have my custom blaket made were chosen for the reasons of thickness as you mentioned.I too thought it looked thin since the way it hung,and the creases it made from merely draping over the shoulder.

Tim,the pic you posted is the one in the Action Figure Archive,and is part of about 5 taken in the Bespin hallway for production stills.I unfortunately don't have the ability to scan/post pics due to me not having a scanner,or digital camera Maybe someday I'll move into the 21st century.

Bespin being a lit,and white background it would have cast some nice lighting thus the pics there showing the "tannish" of the blanket being it's true color.

Steve

Ok, I am pretty confused.
I was looking back at some tutorials on ESB capes, one by MaxPlague, and I am confused which way the stripe goes.
Here are some diagrams:

A)
B)


The little O is to represent the attatchment to the collar armour.

So, is A) or B) correct? That's what I'm trying to figure out. Also, if I am not correct with the attachment spot, could anyone correct me on that too?

Version "A" looks right to me.

The cape stripe appears to go vertical so I was thinking "A".

Steve

I think it's A:

http://200.72.134.171/cdref/0001_0100/Boba_Fett_013.jpg

Only I think the attachment is on the other side of the stripe. So kind of like B rotated 90 degrees. If that makes sense.

Cheers!
TJ

Looking at the picture in the previous link
I would say that B looks right to me.

See, I was thinking it was A), but MaxPlague (sorry if I am mistaken) said that he did it that way in his tutorial, but he realized he did it wrong. That's what's confusing me.

I think B) is almost correct, in that, according to the pic in the aforementioned link, the stripe is running horizontally, but the cape is hanging longer in the vertical over the horizontal length. I also think the grommet attachment would be moved closer to a corner as it is in Brak's cape tutorial. Granted that tutorial is for the RotJ cape, but, regardless if the cape is the RotJ or ESB style, it still should look like it's hanging the same way.
Just my two cents worth, but I know Jango's kid might also be able to shed some light on this thread since quite a few of the board members thought his personal ESB cape was one of the best-looking ones to ever be praised on the board.

I'm clearly terrible with wurds so perhaps this will better explain what I think is correct:



Cheers!
TJ

Thank you "jeezcrazy" as I too,am terrible explaining things,and I lack sufficient pic posting abilities to do anything usefull about it .You got the nail right on the head with the overlay pic.The stripe will still be vertical,but the attachment is in the corner.

Steve

Stripe goes vertical, "A." My initial attempt was wrong when I made the thing horizontal...I'll have to edit that old post

Awesome, thanks Max.

Am I correct about the spot that attaches to the collar?

Thanks JC for the pic! That helps tremendously for the attachment!

Now though, is the consensus that it should hang that particular way, but with pattern "A" ?

I would say so, according to the pic above posted by JeezyCreepy.

Let us know what happens...



Jodo

Jeezycrazy and jeezycreepy?

LOL!

I'm not exactly feeling the love here guys.

Cheers!
TJ

Aaah don't listen to them jeepycheesy...

Jango_Fett_Jr wrote:
Aaah don't listen to them jeepycheesy...

Jeezy..





Sorry about the name thing....



Jodo

well folks , i got the blanket in the mail today . it was way off . the stripe is way to thin and the material is way to heavy and the color is off , but just a little.

but hey , i got a really warm blanky now.

NICE Score!!



So, going to use ALL of that blanket?



take care,

-Rex

WOW!
Great Find!!

i may be able to get 4 capes out of the fett blanky . and i only need one .

Ummmm... 4 huh?? #3 right here kid!!

Waqsn't there a discussion about this some time ago where people said the material seemed too different?
Either way, good eye.

Great find!... i checked the bid history,some creative double identity bidding there too!

BH2372 wrote:
i may be able to get 4 capes out of the fett blanky . and i only need one .

Wooo-Hoooo!!

Sweet pick-up

awesome find Cory!

Please believe that I truly hope and wish that this is, indeed, a working piece for the cape. I don't want to seem negative in any way.

But, I would advise that you measure the width of the stripe before cutting and verify that this corresponds to Fett's. I know this particular style of blanket, and the ones that I've seen have narrower stripes than Boba's.

I just wanted to give a heads-up before you cut a blanket up that is worth more as a blanket if I'm right.

I really hope I'm wrong, though.

Awesome got your mail today, can't wait to get the cape, looks great by the way

Yep, I bought one of these exact blankets last year and sold it a few months later. While it is close to the ESB cape, the fabric and color doesn't seem quite right. However, this has not been proven one way or the other.

This was my Hudson's Bay blanket that I sold:


Close, but just not quite right.

MMM is right though too...these are pretty rare and old blankets, be sure it's what you want before you cut it up. (insert graflex comments here )

While it is a nice blanket I really don't ever think we'll find the exact blanket that was used.The screens caps and production photos lighting that DOES show the ESB cape's colors isn't good enough to be difinitive by any means.Personally I just think it all boils down to individual tastes for this particular cape.

Steve

DL44 Blaster wrote:
While it is a nice blanket I really don't ever think we'll find the exact blanket that was used.The screens caps and production photos lighting that DOES show the ESB cape's colors isn't good enough to be difinitive by any means.Personally I just think it all boils down to individual tastes for this particular cape.

Steve

As much as I hate to admit it, I think you are exactly right! It’s the one item among many that changes color and texture from pic to pic. Very frustrating considering I have already gone through 3 of them with no avail! The one I have on the way looks nice and may work pretty good as well (from another board member). But, always gotta leave the options open I guess…

Ah well, that's the way it goes in ESB Fett land. You score some bounties some times, and...

I almost bid really high on that hudson blanket, even asked the seller the stripe measurements ..
Heres another potential..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=4078

It ended too high for me.
If anyone finds another one of these and its right, cut me some slack on buying 2nds for finding the info.



B

Hey, kid. No harm in trying. I think that's what makes this board so cool. The fact that we are always ready to explore, attempt, then take a chance on scoring an item that will ultimately benefit ALL of us. Thanks for trying and sharing. Don't give up the quest.

I wish I could have done more to help you save a little money, but, you've got yourself a nice piece of history there. Don't chop that "binky" up.

**Worthless piece of trivia** The HBC is the oldest incorporated entity in the Western Hemisphere, and are still going. They continue to operate outposts in the Canadian outback.

Yup!!! It was well worth the effort, & thanx for sharing your info, but like MMM said, probably shouldn't cut that thing up if you arent totally happy with it as a cape. It would be a cool blanket to have for the historical significance!

MR BARLOW wrote:
I almost bid really high on that hudson blanket, even asked the seller the stripe measurements ..
Heres another potential..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=4078

That cape definitely has some potential. I wouldn't want to spend that much without knowing for sure though.

I actually do like these German WWII wool blankets alot and think they make the BEST ESB capes actually . The prices they can fetch is what made me do a custom and also considering I really never saw a color that looked "right" to me.I would lean on the fact of the ESB cape probably being of a WWII origin for the obvious reasons of the entire OT steeped in WWII props doctored up in some way,shape,or form.

Steve

Okay this is gonna sound totally crazy..... but I was just watching The Brady Bunch and their curtains in the office... look (to my untrained eye) exactly like the ESB cape

any thoughts/psychiatrist reccomendations?


-Paul

Crazier things have been said, and verified. Which episode was it?

You mean Mr Brady's home office?

Yeah I am almost positive its Mr. Brady's home office (don't watch the show much so I don't know for sure)

And its been in every episode I have ever seen.

what are the dimensions of the cape

is it like 2' X 3" or somewhere around there

Hi
Try this
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/bbt/rotj_cape.htm
or do a search under cape
cheers

the dementions are .....get a tk-409 cape , they rock . pics added .

Now THAT'S funny! True though. TK-409 capes do rock.

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