Just what is this helmet? PIC HEAVY

Okay, I have asked before but it was a long time ago and can't remember if there were any definitive answers as to why this DP96 has excessive texture molded into it's surface. I got it from a party store in 1998. I never modified it because I've NEVER seen another one like it and I think it might be a vinyl test-shot derived from the fiberglass "Deluxe" mold and possibly pretty rare. It is green inside just in case that matters.

Any ideas from the pros?

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...us9300/014.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...us9300/015.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...us9300/008.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...us9300/010.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...us9300/009.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...us9300/013.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...us9300/011.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...us9300/012.jpg

I think its just a ruf pull as there are to many difrents between your lid and the delux like the range finder ear cap and mounting.
It would be nice to think it was from an uncleaned up mold but due to the fact that there is texture on the visor area and also that it doesnt match the pre pro weathering
let along any other fett helmet im convinced its either from a dirty mold or a poor mix of vinly,
how ever from front on it dies look like a difrent shape to most dons but this could be from a number of difrent things.
Can u get a shot of it next to a more modern and better sized lid?

The fact that the fake visor portion had texture was one of my questionable concerns and I'm no expert on the differences in DP's at all anyway.
What about the strange dent and deep scratches at the corner of the visor?

As for another picture, I don't have another DP, just a Mystery helmet in primer. Do you just want a shape comparison because that I can do.

Oh my, them things are so tragic

Yeah thats even better ,
Becouse ether the mystery came from one of the metal don post molds, or the mold was made from one of the plugs that birthed the mystery

Yeah, its just looks like a bad pull... Good condition though. ;)

I just thought it might have been a possiblity due to the fact there is much more texture compared to any other DP standard I have ever seen. Check out this promotional helmet: it's really pitted and rough, especially the cheek. It was the main image that put the thought into my head long ago:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...awa-Trader.jpg

Once again, I was only speculating here and I still can't explain the lower visor area issue.

Interestingly, if painted up properly, it might look like the pitted "fresh from the sarlacc" helmet that was made here a couple of months ago. lol!

they made it look so nice there haha

If I remember correctly, the Deluxe has very specific DEEP scratches molded in... Plus, the ears weren't cast on. They were metal. Dig around enough on here and you should be able to find the pics. Thats how some folks were identifying deluxe recasts, because of the specific molded scratches being so defined.

Yeah, that sounds about right... lol... I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. ;)

Ah, I didn't realize all of that.
Oh well, at least I have a nice conversation piece if nothing else. lol.
Bad casting or not, at least the shape is decent and not all warped like many standard DPs so I'm glad I hung onto it all these years.

I think its great... Looks tip top, even with the weird texture.

I agree with DVLSTR2K2 , its also got alot more rounded dome that the delux that could be caused from having it on a helmet stand or its been reshaped
but if on the of chance the made it from the same mold as the delux the ears could not be made in to the lid , it just doesnt make sense.
Still its over all shape is one of if not the best 96 ive seen

Just for goofs, here's the comparison you asked for:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...0/100_1567.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...0/100_1578.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...0/100_1571.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...0/100_1579.jpg

Quite a few details are way off like the keyslots, ears, and the lower area behind them, but the dent
and the lower helmet edge shape looks reasonably close to me. I don't know, I'm no expert in these types of things.

what type of mystery is that its got quite a rounded dome and the left ear is in proportion to the rest of the lid most mystery lid had mauch smaller ears i was going to say a MS3 but the left ear cap is reminisent of the dons which the ms3 didnt have and the rounderd corners in the checks alswo are the ares mloded in to the lid they look it

He thinks its an MS1 possibly I have an MS3 the MS3 doesnt have the ears molded in either theyre CC, the MS did come with rounded cheeks

right ms1 i didnt know that it came with the ears made in to it a guess that explains y there the right size
i thort that like the st fang the ms1 had the boxy dome i guess i was wrong

Oh, I put the ears on and filled the seams in already. That's why they look like they are molded on. ^__-

right that makes sense then

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Devilstar2k2

If I remember correctly, the Deluxe has very specific DEEP scratches molded in... Plus, the ears weren't cast on. They were metal. Dig around enough on here and you should be able to find the pics. Thats how some folks were identifying deluxe recasts, because of the specific molded scratches being so defined.

Yeah, that sounds about right... lol... I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. ;)

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I am not sure I can correct you as there were some nastiness molded in but I know on different DP Deluxe helmets I have seen different scratch patterns and wildly different paint patterns. I don't think the scratches were all the same from helmet to helmet.

Attachment 48748

I've only seen one DP Deluxe in person and it was quite a long time ago, so it was just the only explanation I could come up with.

Maybe someone on here still has one... I think one of the threads was by MaridBoba... I know he's still around.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Art Andrews

I am not sure I can correct you as there were some nastiness molded in but I know on different DP Deluxe helmets I have seen different scratch patterns and wildly different paint patterns. I don't think the scratches were all the same from helmet to helmet.

Attachment 48748

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Ah... Okay... Well, here is why I said that... Did I read this wrong? Did they just cut some of the damage in manually on these? I can't find the other thread, but some guy was trying to identify an ebay bucket, and it was the consensus that it was a deluxe recast, because a few people had identical scratches on theirs.

Jeeze, now I'm hoping that I didn't mistake what I read... lol... I hate being wrong. =P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tyler Durden

All ones I have seen have had premade scratches.

Mine is a LE #75, and I have seen ones well into the hundreds with the premade scratches. I believe they all came with the scratches...but I can't be a hundred percent sure.

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Also, look what else came from the same thread... lol...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FettsBounty

Did the '96 helmets have premade scratches as well? Mine does, and I've been told mine may be some sort of rare variation.

-Austin :fettesb
BH-1116

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Is it possible that people with that 96 helmet are just mistaking a bad texture for recast damage? Couldn't it just as easily be a bad batch of vinyl? How are the stamp and ears accounted for?

I'm far from being an expert, just a guy recalling stuff that he read. So please don't think I'm trying to spread gospel or anything... Just trying to figure it out as well. I'm a big fan of DP95/96's, had alot of the higher end helmets, but I always keep my eye out for DP's. For some reason, I just really like them.

Wouldn't bad vinyl just look wrinkled or gloppy instead of like it is?
This helmet has multi-levels of texture, two mostly but three in some places. I would think that of it were a bad pour it would have to have been done in more than one stage kind of like a skin coat first and then backup layers after that. Mold "damage" seems unlikely to me but...

If ANYONE else has a helmet like this can you post pics to see if it's comparable?
I'd even be willing to send it to Art or something to look at if he'd be up for it because I REALLY want to know what the heck this thing is.

The thing that makes me think that its a defect is the consistancy of the texture... It looks like its all over the helmet, including the visor.

Bad pull for shore they used metal mold with hot pour vynil to make these so if the mold wasnt cleaned properly and looking at red eye plastics mold you can see how this
could happen the vizor is the give away that its not texture from a helmet that was molded