like so many of you admit it I've more
than once burnt the Midnight Oil looking at stormtrooper armor online and
waffling over the purchase it's either quite expensive or it's a lot of work
usually both and one of those things where you're unlikely to make the
decision
lightly with its Factory tuning and data center DNA an Intel 730 series SSD is an
amazing choice for Gamers and performance enthusiasts personally I
couldn't justify it for cosplay since I really just don't get out that much
which means that the wearability of the armor was less of a concern for me than
the collectibility of it but I'd also feel stupid for buying a full life-size
kit of collectible armor that I can't actually wear so in an Ideal World I
would want both and the place I always ended up at was original Stormtrooper
tocom which is run by Andrew answorth of shepperton Design Studio
yes the makers of the stormtrooper costumes among other things from Star
Wars A New Hope they've got affordable stuff in their battle spec lineup but
the one that I always really lusted after was the original line the website
boasts that the original line is made from the highest quality materials and
is suitable for display or for trooping but most importantly to a collector the
original line is Handmade by the original prop maker himself Andrew
answorth wor oh and they're signed too so having spent a fair amount of time on
their site when those guys reached out to me out of the freaking blue and said
hey we'll send you a full set of everything armor helmet boots
Blaster and all you have to do is film a guide on how to put it on I just about
crapped my pants which is nothing compared to my reaction when it finally
arrived something we actually had the pleasure of capturing live I can't
promise that on that occasion no pants crapping occurred so having cleaned
myself up and calmed down a little bit I've collected everything together and
it's time to get started now I've
unboxed a lot of really cool stuff in my day but in spite of the DIY packaging
this was among my best unboxing experiences ever the meticulous care
that went into protecting each piece the
discovery of each signature as I went through the packaging and even the
manual itself was an experience I mean
do you guys remember when manuals were one of the most fun things about getting
a new video game they'd have instructions some great illustrations
and concept art they'd have some cool lore and maybe a note from the lead game
designer well this one really took me back I think the inkjet printing and
handbound construction actually add to the experience of reading about the
humble origins of the project and help you appreciate the preservation of of
the original molds that these pieces are made from even more the armor was made
for a 165 lb 5' 10 in person but the
website says it can fit anyone from about 56 to 62 I'm at the very bottom of
that range and I weigh about 145 lbs so we'll see how it goes suiting up can
sort of be done alone but if you have a friend to help you it's a lot faster and
easier you start with the black bodysuit
and at this point I would recommend laying out all of the pieces where you
can reach them easily without bending over if you're going to gear yourself up
the abdominal front and back have adjustable straps that go over the
shoulders and cross over in the front with velcro straps on either side for
narrowing the gap between them for shoes
the pimp 50 model from fantasma is
popular because shepperton Design Studios doesn't actually provide shoes
um and I'd recommend putting these shoes on now before the Caff and thought armor
starting with the calves for each piece open the velcro at the back identify
which side of the body it goes on red dots for the right green dots for the
left then clamp them onto your legs you should adjust the velcro overlays for
the tightest possible fit the thighs are
then attached to the abdominal front with the included snaps that hang down
the chest and upper back comes assembled in the box so you just slide it over
your head then fasten it at the sides with the velcro straps the shoulder Bell
and bicep molding are suspended from the chest piece with two more snap Fasteners
on each side again you're going to want to make sure that you're watching the
color coding or it's not going to fit together correctly the forearms clamp on
like the legs but make sure that you're optimizing the velcro here for comfort
as well as tightness the kit includes gloves in my case rubber dishwashing
ones that have hand armor on the back but I think I'll get some leather gloves
to use for this instead in the long run and the good news is that because
they're just attached with velcro you can easily swap the armor pieces onto
something else the shoulder straps can now be adjusted to ensure that they
overlap the front abdominal section well and now it is time for the finishing
touches wrap the belt around with the two hanging pieces down then cover the
overlap at the back by clipping on your thermal detonator canister the finishing
touches are the Blaster and the helmet the Blaster is an authentic replica made
in the same way as the Stormtrooper blasters from a new hope it uses
castings from Sterling submachine gun parts includes a power pack and is
personalized with a unique serial number it's made from lightweight Composite
Materials so carrying your E11 around all day is no problem when you're not
keeping it on the display stand that comes with the collector
edition the helmet is available in a few Styles I opted for the Hero version worn
by the leading actors that is handmade and detailed and comes signed by Andrew
answorth but the other premium option a signature regular trooper helmet that's
actually cast from the original molds
and also hand detailed is a fine Choice as well there is a more value oriented
battle spec one that isn't handmade or sign but is able to be delivered at a
much lower price while maintaining sheron's quality standards but I I
wanted the collectibility so I opted for the signed one time to put it on
if you have a large head you may find it easier to put the helmet on Sideways
than twist it into the correct position for me I found the helmet very big and I
had to get a little bit creative with some foam pieces in order to get a more
snug fit so this is the part where I talk about the overall fit and finish
out of the box and during the gearing up process I was excited but I had a hard
time picturing how these pieces of I mean well plastic could really make me
feel like a stormtrooper once it all comes together though it's hard to
imagine they were wearing anything else on the set of the movies which you won't
have to because this is pretty much it I
had one complaint about my experience with the armor and it was that for the
first time in my life you know I don't really have any self-image issues or
anything I wished that I was about 4 Ines taller and that it fit me perfectly
but if I can't feel more like a stormtrooper at least I can feel like
Mark Hamill getting burned by Carrie fer or something like that and that's all
right by me now some of the stuff I'm showing here is extra like the bust The
holster the neck guard and actually the E11 Blaster but that's the beauty of
what original Stormtrooper docomo their stuff is all made to go together so your
battle spec line armor will still color match your more expensive original line
helmet if you want to mix and match if you do decide to take the plunge guys
let me know and post a picture on the lineus tech for of you kid it up in your
armor because at that point you are a certified geek badass you can find full
pricing and availability for all this stuff on original Stormtrooper tocom and
I'd like to extend a huge thanks to the folks there for sending me this amazing
piece of memorabilia I will absolutely treasure it forever and thanks to you
guys for watching the video like it if you liked it dislike it if you disliked
it and leave a comment letting us know if you think we should do more stuff
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oh