ESB helmet, worth buying?

[Taz]

Hello,

I've been dreaming of building my own Boba kit since I was a little kid but never got around to actually start the build.

Recently, I came across someone who's willing to sell me his bucket for a fair price ($300), apparently it's a Bobamaker helmet and the seller doesn't remember the artist who did the paint job.

Since this would be the starting point of my very first kit, I thought I'd ask you guys what you think of this helmet.

Is it worth buying? Does the paint job looks accurate to you (I'm kinda worried about the spots on the dome but again, I'm no expert)? Will it be hard to find matching paint for the rest of the armor?

Thanks in advance

Taz

 

[Funkyred]

In a word...... No..... Nope..... Nei...... Nein......Non....... Nej!
It has issues, a bit more investment on your part will buy you a better helmet from a member on here.

 

[MinaFett]

100% agree with what FunkyRed said.

 

[Taz]

AH! Dodged a bullet here, I'm glad I posted on the forum before buying. $300 for a painted one was a surprisingly good price, especially since shipping to France was included. Thanks a lot, friends.

Just out of curiosity, what were the main issues on this one?

I'm fine with paying a bit more for a better helmet, do you have any recommendations? I'm primarily looking for an assembled / painted one.

Thank you again!

 

[MinaFett]

The main things that jumped out to me when looking at that helmet were these things:
Bottom rear of helmet is wrong colour - should be dark green not blue
The cheeks should be black
Ear detail is very sloppy
Weird spots on top of dome
There would be more but those are the things that stood out for me
The stencils from Raf show a little better than words. Boba Fett ESB Helmet Stencils

Compare that helmet to one painted by someone like bobamaker, superjedi, DVH etc and the difference is massive. See picture for example of beautiful helmet paint up by a TDH painter (pretty sure this was superjedi).

I personally would recommend one of the following from my own experiences and is not a comprehensive list. I know there are many more awesome painters on TDH but these are ones where I have seen their work in hand.
Bobamaker
Superjedi
RS props

 

[Taz]

Thanks a lot, I see it now! The one you've posted is beautiful indeed, way better. I think buying a used one will probably be my best option, the prices I've seen so far are higher than expected - not doubting it will be worth it, but still a big investment. I'll keep an eye on the cargo hold

 

[BudaFett]

That’s a really bad paint up.

Quality comes with a price. There are a few producers who will offer a helmet + paint up for around $500. If that sounds too good to be true, it is. Compare those casts and paint ups to the producers and painters who have been doing this for years and the difference is like looking at a ‘99 Chevy cavalier vs a 2020 porsche 911 turbo.

 

[Funkyred]

Hit up MinuteFett , he offers a few options and also I think a budget range.

There's also a guy in Germany called Andreas Koch

 

[MinuteFett]

There’s a helmet with paintup by EFX for 350$, I highly recommend that!

if you’re super super rich and have a huge budget, yeah go ahead and buy that 911 turbo for 1000+$, it will be a beautiful helmet with normally 1+year wait times but the end product is immacukate

But if you’re on a budget, I’d love to help you out. And no it’s not too good to be true. Not all of us can afford those expensive helmets, and some people just cannot understand that.

 

[superjedi]

Daz (Bobamaker) generally does have long lead times. He makes and paints all his own stuff.
That's an exception though. My average turnaround for an ESB helmet runs slightly under 60 days.

 

[clmayfield]

I wonder what the splotches are all over the top of the helmet. In a lot of them, the metal layer is shining through. It is either a bad attempt at artificial weathering by hitting the helmet with something, or it got damaged. Maybe rolling around in the back of a pickup or caught in a hail storm.

 

[clumsyfett]

Yikes! good job reaching out

 

[Taz]

Hi all, just seeing the new replies now (didn't get the notification somehow) - thanks everyone for your input! I declined the offer and I'm still on the lookout for a bucket.

MinuteFett Thanks for your offer, I really appreciate it! I'll PM you. About that EFX helmet, the only one I see on their website is listed at $379 - Is that the one you're talking about? Idk if posting a link is allowed here

 

[MinuteFett]

Hi all, just seeing the new replies now (didn't get the notification somehow) - thanks everyone for your input! I declined the offer and I'm still on the lookout for a bucket.

MinuteFett Thanks for your offer, I really appreciate it! I'll PM you. About that EFX helmet, the only one I see on their website is listed at $379 - Is that the one you're talking about? Idk if posting a link is allowed here

Yes that’s the helmet . Should be shipping this week or next!

 

[killerkeith]

Perhaps those strange spots all over the dome are grease spots from wearing the helmet whilst cooking bacon? Who hasn't done that?