Fett Helmets: DP 95, 96, 97, Deluxes, Fiberglass, ect...

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Originally posted by mcabrera1275:

1997's are pure crap indeed. They come warped and the top of the helmet structure looks rectangular or boxy. What's even worse is that the eye lense section is way too small and looks like a caricatured Fett that just woke up!

You can get 1997's for about $35-40. Depending on how they look (warped wise) will dictate the price in that range.

An authentic 1995 DP will fetch around $85-110. Expect to pay close to the $100 mark with 1995's because they're really well made and as accurate as DP made them. The top of the helmets are fully rounded and the eye lenses are accurate to the view. If there is warping, it is only minor at the bottom of the helmet.

The next best thing to a '95 is the 1996 DP; however, you have to be careful. Early 1996's were shaped and molded similarly to the 1995's, the only thing was that the t-visor isn't indented in space-wise. 1996's run anywhere from $50-65. (If you are fully modifying your 1996 helmet, then it won't matter when you cut out the plastic for the t-visor and put in a back mount.) The reason why you have to be careful for 1996's were that the year ending batches for that year were the beginning of the awful warped and lowest quality DP Fett helmets produced. These ones are fully known as the 1997 DP's which continued on until DP called it quits. So the last remaining 1996's to 1997's all look messed up.

If you want the best for your Fett costume -- GO WITH A 1995 DP FETT HELMET, BAR NONE. Hope this helps.

 

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Originally posted by MaxPlague:

The measurements for a Don Post helmet are:

9 inches wide (inside bottom left to inside bottom right, add about .25 inches width for each earpiece)
10 inches long (bottom of front to bottom of back)
9 inches high (from center of inside bottom to top)

You might want to make the whole helmet a bit bigger to match the movie helmet.

Have fun!

-MaxPlague

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

"DEATH TO POP-UP WINDOW ADVERTISEMENTS!"

 

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There was some discion about the Don Post helmate beeing too small and the wrong shape, regarding the front view taper, top bottom. There are also a few postings with suggested dimentions drawn over a photograph. When I looked at my Don Post 96 and compared it to some of the ROTJ photos it does seem small. The ROTJ helmet looks to be about 1" to 1" and a half wider at the botom and maybe 1 half" to 3 quarters" taller. What does the gang think ?

 

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You are looking at about an 8% size difference when comparing to the deluxe DP.

Common complaints include:

The DP flat-top dome. Dome should be nice and round, although not too round as can be seen in the current GF helmets.

Incorrect profile. The front and back profiles should be almost parallel.

Short and wide eye slots. Eye slots on the DP deluxe end too soon and lack the squint of the film helmet.

Narrow cheeks. Generally most DP helms have cheeks that are too narrow due to faulty molding.

That is a general complaint list. There are too many others to go into detail.

 

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I just bought the 97 thinking it would be the best one. but i have have heard a few people prefered others. I would just like to know their reasons so I can make an informed choice of whether to buy a new one or not.

 

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I've heard it said and seen it written many times on this board, and elsewhere, that out of the 95', 96', and 97' DP Classic Action BF helmets, the 95' is the preferred choice due to the observation that the vinyl plastic it's cast from is more durable and less prone to warping than the latter years in production of the helmet. Of course, this opinion is also coming from a lot of the different prop-makers who post here as well, and maybe it's the 95' that's able to take the most punishment when some of these guys are casting molds to make new copies of the helmets, whether it's resin or fiberglass (I have yet to see a metal one, although I'd go after it in a heartbeat, if I knew someone was making 'em)!
Also, it's the '95 that seems more true to form and shape ,from what we've seen in the movies. Supposedly this all goes downhill after '95, but it's here that I think I agree with Bear that it's also a matter of personal choice.
My personal choice is DP's Deluxe fiberglass helmet, which has the most flair out of all of the DP selection , but it's also his only offering which lightens a Fett fan's wallet considerably compared to the vinyl-cast versions!
There are cheaper ways to go, considering the existence of some of the armor-makers out there, who also happen to post here on a regular basis, that is, if you're interested in having that extra ESB flair in your helmet of choice.
Hope my two cents worth helps ya out!

 

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I own both a '95 in white vinyl (considered most durable by other board members) & a '96. These helmets are almost identicle. They have the exact same scratches in the dent area & the same inconsistencies in the band above the visor. The warp in the back is exactly the same on both. It looks as if they were cast from the same mold. The only difference is the visor and rear keyholes are not as deeply recessed on the '96. This was the version I used to do a fiberglass recast. I knew I was going to rearmount the visor so I thought this one would be more accurate. The '97s I have seen on Ebay all look like the top of the dome is flat & the Rubie's, well, they speak for themselves.

 

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Ugggghhh...the Rubie's. It's true--they speak for themselves alright, and most folks don't really like what they have to say!! I think bigkid was being as kind and as politically correct as anyone can possibly be for a Rubie's description. Me.....I do better using images ,or an icon in this case, which I think speaks for itself, and I'm glad this forum has it....... uke

 

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Hey folks,
Fedex shows that my armor is in town and on the way. I plan to go out and buy my paints tonight. I want to hand paint my helmet (so I can do it indoors and with some degree of control) and I'm not sure what paint to use.

I think I'm going to use silver/chrome spray paint dabbed on for the flaking, but I want to use regular paints for the helmet.

I used to customize action figures and acrylics were the standard, even acrylic enamels. Straight enamels were notorious for drying tacky and sometimes 'eating' or breaking down the plastic. Needless to say I don't want to screw this up.

Please any help would be great. Brand names are great, but even a type of paint would be helpful.

Thanks,
Phil

 

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I hand painted most of the detail on my helmet with enamel spray paint. I would spray small amounts into a plasic bowl(outside of course), and then use a brush to apply it. Enamel spray paint comes in so many color varieties and it holds up a million times better than acrylic paints. I would suggest using a spray on primer before applying the colors as it will provide a good surface for the enamel to bond to. Unprimed plastic surfaces will allow the paint to flake more easily and the enamel may not dry completely and remain tacky. I did use acrylic paint for the black carbon marks on the helmet because I could get a more transparent opacity and it looks more realisic.

 

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What are my choices at this point for accurate (as close to film as possible) fiberglass helmets?

I finished one of __________'s Fiberglass DP95 recasts, but really like the shape and flare of the larger DP Deluxe.

Does anyone recast this? Or a modified recast? And prices would be nice too.

-Dana

 

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Forgive me in advance for this deliberately obscure post, but with licensing concerns looming, I'll let the artisans speak for themselves if they choose.

I can say, however, that to date a fibreglass replica does not exsist that does not have at least one or two glaring flaws, if not more. This is in no way a knock to the people who have developed the pieces. They have done extraordinary things with the extremely flawed pieces they have to work with. The closest helmet to the film helmet is the DP deluxe, however it has glaring flaws. So helmets molded/based modified from this helmet will iherantly have these flaws as well. They range from flat domes, to square visor ends without squint, to poor molding with no flare, to the biggest problem size.

As I said though, there are some very well done helmets out there, and I'll their creators speak for their pieces.

And for prices, you could be looking at anywhere between $250-$800. It's a wide range, but it gives you a ballpark.

 

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Go to http://pages.prodigy.net/irishpride There are a few pics of my projects. As my helmets are hand made from scratch, I cannot use the DP or whatever to compare. I try to make my pieces as close to movie size as possible. It has been a very enjoyable hobbie, as I also enjoy working with fiberglass. Any pointers I can give you, I would live to help.
E-mail: Irishpride1972@hotmail.com
OR: Irishpride@prodigy.net

 

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I picked up one of Gino's last fiberglass efforts cast from a DP deluxe and I am real happy with it and the size, considering that I had a pretty rough time finding a helmet that I could even put on half way.

With Gino's helmet...not only does it fit over my head but it fits with a padded liner and wearing a hood. I also took it one step further by correcting the glaring DP faults.

I remade the key section at the back of the helmet, making it's size correct and clean...I reshaped the bottom body line of the back side of the helmet and I corrected the T visior problem.

A side from the size and shape of the dome it looks pretty darn accurate. If you check out the 'what do you look like with and with out your helmet' threads you can get a good look at the changes I made.

 

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Just wondering if a DP 97 is one of the good helmets or not for boba fett. ALso does snyone know yet how good the rubies jango helmet is supposed to be???
thanks
dan

 

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Some DP 97's are ok, but not really shaped accurately. Most DP 97's are "lost causes" because they are so badly warped and deformed. They can be modified and improved, but it'll take some work.

As for the Rubies Jango and Boba helmets...after seeing them at Celebration 2 I can say, well, they're not for us costumers. They're too small and just look sub-par.

 

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You can fix the warp by gently heating with a heat gun. It wouldn't hurt to make a metal ring & attach it to the inside perimeter to help keep the shape either. I have also heard other people lining the inside with fiberglass & getting good results.

 

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I have heard that the plastic in the 97's was thicker than the 95's, but for whatever reason, 'most' of them ended up with a "flat-top". I saw TK0000's 97 the other day and it had a great dome. I would definately not buy one without seeing it first, and from a few angles. Of course I would recommend this for any Fett helmet.

 

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I don't about how much thicker the plastic is in a '97 compared to the '95 (I own a '95), but the compostion of the plastic in the '95 is very ridgid. I've seen a '96 in person, and the plastic was more flimsy than the '95. In fact, the '95 plastic is so stubborn that I have shape and reheat the little warp in the back numerous times before it kept.

 

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Well, I can tell you that my DP deluxe is about 10 inches wide. WE know that is DP deluxe is smaller than the film helmet. And according to Natty, the ESB helmet is slightly wider than the DP. SO, something above the 10 inch mark might do you well. Be careful not squish the helmet too much, as the standard is the smallest of the Fett helmet's and may not accomodate the actual width.