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 HELMET SIZING AND BUYING TUTORIAL. Please read before asking all the answered Qs

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Hondo Karr


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we get alot of questions here about helmet sizes, qualities etc. many of us that have been around a bit have answered the same questons many times. so, i thought i'd take the time and my most recent helmet related post and make a brief "tutorial" on helmet sizing and quality.

if you go to the trading forum, you'll see gypyboy is doing mando helmets for about 80.00. just have to wait for the next run. also, icktan westdar is preping runs of a custom mando-commando helmet for about the same cost. if you want a fett style, sgt. fang over at tdh has cleaned up the old "mystery helmet" and is making continuos orders on those for about 100.00

if it's a funds issue, i would recommend you save a bit longer and invest in th better helmet to start with( a rubies 1 piece jango will cost you 60.00-80.00 shipped). many of us "old timers" here have made the mistake of continuos upgrades to our helmets.... 3-5 helmets, hundreds of dollars and tons of time later we ended up with marrow suns, boba makers, gypsyboys, sgt. fangs etc. i personally am on my 5th helmet, although my 2nd was a keeper it was retired. i currently have a gypsyboy boba i modded and i love it. it's full movie sized and well built.

just my personal opinion here however, most will agree...
boba 1 piece boba: good for young kids only
jango 1 and 2 piece: good for petite to medium women, children and petite men
don post 95-96: good for med or larger women and medium framed men
if you dont fall into on of those, you'll need a movie sized helmet which would be gypsyboy, sgt. fang, boba maker or the wizard of flight templates (for those who wish to make there own).
if you are especially large framed, there is 1 maker of jango fett helmets that makes a helmet that's about 10% larger than the 1:1 helmets. i don't know the maker off hand however, i have a friend with one and i can obtain that info for you if you pm me.

another thing to consider is that the helmet should look slightly large compared to your body if you put it on out of armor. wearing the armor adds alot of size to your frame. so, if you get a helmet that looks proportionat to your body out of armor, youll look likea pellet head in armor. while you shouldnt look like a funko bobblehead with it on out of armor, you should look like you're getting there.

Here is a side x side comparison of buckets and sizes:
left to right...
rubies 1 piece boba, rubies 1 piece jango, rubies 2 piece jango, don post 95, gypsyboy (the one on the end is a rohlan dyre type crusader era helmet)


Courtosey of Taglar Dressk. Gypsyboy vrs. Rubies 1 piece Jango Fett.





to give you an idea of how the helmet looks in relation to the armor for accurate sizing, here's some pix pf me in my armor:

1st helmet, rubies 1 piece. my chin hangs out the bottom and the helmet looks small compared to the armor


3rd helmet, don post 95. helmet size is a bit better but, still small compared to the armor. my chin doesn't hang out anymore but, my face is smooshed against the visor and to get the front to cover the chin, the helmet is tilted so far forward, that the back of my neck is exposed


current helmet, gypsyboy 1:1 movie accurate size. proper fit and proper size ratio to armor


here is a pic of my oldest son in a rubies 1 piece (9 years old)


my youngest son in a rubies jango 1 piece (6 years old)


my gf's son in a rubies 2 piece (7 years old)


my brother in a rubies 1 piece boba, notice how small the helmet/head looks compared to his body (dont mind the rubbish plates they're way to small as well!) his head was lierally smashed into that helmet!


my brother in his upgraded armor with (my old) don post 95 helmet. size ratio corrected. he's a medium build adult 5'10 180lbs.


At the end of the day, you can get a quality resin helmet for only a bit more than a latex helmet that will warp with heat. a quality fiberglass helmet will cost nearly double that of a resin helmet and a really nice cold cost helmet made wih aluminum powder (so you can buff it silver for your base coat) can cost up to and over 300.00. for most costumers, especially customs, i would recommend the resin 1:1 helmets.

i hope this helps with your helmet sizing options!

« Last Edit: Jun 18, 2009, 06:39 PM by A'den Skirata » Logged

Drago Seron


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2009, 05:10 AM »
This is a great tutorial A'den. Having the pictures for reference really helps for a comparison. Thanks.

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Riya Morut


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2009, 12:05 PM »
Thanks, vod!  This was helpful.

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Normal people never do anything of note, nothing magnificent or world-changing or on the knife-edge of risk. ~IC: 501st

Only a Mando would create a musical instrument that doubled as a weapon. ~IC: 501ST

Fanfic found here:http://mercs.
Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2009, 12:14 AM »
I'm currently looking at buckets for my upcoming mando and this has helped greatly, but is there any chance of one favour ...

Shots from the side comparing size that way.  I have a long head and I fit nicely into a rubies 2 piece and a don post 95, but I want something a little better then those, one of GB's ones.

Is there any chance you could take a shot of them from the side, specifically the DP 95 next to GB?

Thanks for the help and fantastic thread!

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Hondo Karr


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2009, 12:23 AM »
I'm currently looking at buckets for my upcoming mando and this has helped greatly, but is there any chance of one favour ...

Shots from the side comparing size that way.  I have a long head and I fit nicely into a rubies 2 piece and a don post 95, but I want something a little better then those, one of GB's ones.

Is there any chance you could take a shot of them from the side, specifically the DP 95 next to GB?

Thanks for the help and fantastic thread!

I never even thought of that! I can get to it in a day or two. I'll add the pix to the original post.

I can tell you though, my nose was smooshed against the visor on the DP95 and on the GB, it doesn't even touch it.

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Xorim Kor


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2009, 03:59 AM »
Not to hijack A'den's thread, but here are a few comparison shots Talon clan took at our latest armor party.

Rubies 1piece, Gypsyboy, Bobamaker (in that order)





Charlie


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2009, 07:25 AM »
possibly a shot from under the buckets, i want a GB, but im not sure if my head will fit lol ... a long head sucks at times

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Dar'manda


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2009, 08:56 AM »
Nice work guys!  Added to helmet info thread under new title "helmet size comparisons"

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Hondo Karr


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #8 on: Jun 12, 2009, 06:40 PM »
To add to this...

Best quality Vs. best price for custom builders... go with the Gypsyboy or Sgt. Fang resin helmets. Even if they are a bit tall for you, you can do as Taglar did... mark the helmet off and simply cut excess height off of the bottom of the helmet.

No helmet is perfect. All materials have their flaws... vinyl and plastic helmets can warp/deform in heat, seals on 2 piece helmets can crack and come undone over time, resin can break/crack and fiberglass can as well.

I think most people are careful with their buckets, more so than the rest of their kit. However, accidents happen. The nice thing about resin and fiberglass helmets (I reviewed no FB glass helmets as they run near $300.00 and up and are built to be movie replica's of the Fett's, they're more cost than value to custom Mando builders) is if they break, they are easily repaired. Vinyle and plastic buckets not so much do to their flimsy design. Any "hard" compounds you use to repair them can/will crack away from teh rest of the helmet if the conditions are right.

I said go Gypsyboy or Sgt. Fang. Gypsyboy is local, here on Mercs. We should support our own. Sgt. Fang is on TDH and while I've contacted him several times to try to get him to set up shop here, he hasn't to date. Gypsyboy beats Sgt. Fang on price by about 1/4 of the total cost. Also, from what I've seen in pix, Gypsyboy's helmets are thicker, thus more durable, than Sgt. Fang's. The one advantage Sgt. Fang offers over Gypsyboy is speed of availablility. For a Gypsyboy, you need to get on a run list and could be made to wait for a helmet. Sgt. Fang currently has a stock of helmets ready to go and, even when  those are depleted, he does helmets on a per order basis. You don't have to wait for a run.

I hope this helps all those looking for a new or first helmet!

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Riya Morut


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #9 on: Jun 12, 2009, 09:36 PM »
Okay, here's a question for all the folks with glasses...I am a very petite female (just under 5'), but I'm going to need a helmet that leaves room for my hair and glasses.  I measured around my head with the hair done up right and the glasses on and got about 26" (that's with a little wiggle room).  Which of these would probably fit the best?  And do any of them cause problems with your glasses when you take them on and off?

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Normal people never do anything of note, nothing magnificent or world-changing or on the knife-edge of risk. ~IC: 501st

Only a Mando would create a musical instrument that doubled as a weapon. ~IC: 501ST

Fanfic found here:http://mercs.

Hondo Karr


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #10 on: Jun 12, 2009, 10:15 PM »
i know in gypsyboys thread, he put dimensions of his helmet after receiving several requests. i wear my contacts when i wear my bucket  but, i know not all can do that. many i know just go without and hope for the best! i know of at least 1 fett over at tdh that took and old pair of glasses and actually permanatly installed them into the interior of his helmet so when he puts his helmet on he's looking right through hs glasses and out the visor.

here's a pic. not very big but, you can see the glasses mounted inside.

[attachment deleted by admin]

« Last Edit: Jun 12, 2009, 11:58 PM by A'den Skirata » Logged

Olos'nay


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #11 on: Jun 13, 2009, 01:33 AM »
Okay, here's a question for all the folks with glasses...I am a very petite female (just under 5'), but I'm going to need a helmet that leaves room for my hair and glasses.  I measured around my head with the hair done up right and the glasses on and got about 26" (that's with a little wiggle room).  Which of these would probably fit the best?  And do any of them cause problems with your glasses when you take them on and off?

I cannot say for the others, but I can tell you it is impossible on anything equal or smaller then the Don Post to fit glasses. That's how I ended up having my DP: my friend got tired of not being able to wear glasses in conventions.

in facts, I had to adjust the padding and general shape of the DP to fit in a somewhat confortable manner... its not exactly big.

(if this bit of info helps...)

« Last Edit: Jun 13, 2009, 01:35 AM by Olos'Nay » Logged
-Olos

Riya Morut


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #12 on: Jun 13, 2009, 11:52 PM »
i know in gypsyboys thread, he put dimensions of his helmet after receiving several requests.

Any chance you could find the link?  I looked but couldn't find it. 

I've seriously been considering contacts (and not just for the Mercs; trying to march a halftime show with fogged-up lenses is no fun), but I know there are plenty of people who can't.  Thanks for the responses!

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Normal people never do anything of note, nothing magnificent or world-changing or on the knife-edge of risk. ~IC: 501st

Only a Mando would create a musical instrument that doubled as a weapon. ~IC: 501ST

Fanfic found here:http://mercs.

Olos'nay


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #13 on: Jun 14, 2009, 01:46 AM »
I wore glasses since I was 5 yr old (no joke) - always hated it. My teachers had to force me to wear them.

Now I have lens. I don't love it, but its better then the glasses in my opinion. just gotta get used to it.

you can always alternate between the both.

its very useful for costuming, sporting, dating, etc... lol.

(I'm dead serious about sports - I became instantly better in mosts sports without my glasses, as what makes that you see better also displace the perceived position of what you see, so for most sports you are disadvantaged with the glasses while lens correct it not in front, but within your eyes.)

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-Olos
Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #14 on: Jun 17, 2009, 05:35 PM »
Does anyone have a comparison between the Bobamaker and 2 piece Jango?

 I recently got the 2 piece Jango because I wasn't sure on the sizing and figured I could use it for size comparison if it didn't fit. I know it's supposed to look a bit big without armor, but I still feel it is way too roomy inside.  I could go with the one piece rubies, although I think that might be too small. Looking at the photos it looks as if the bobamaker is an in between size. Is this right?

Dar'manda


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #15 on: Jun 17, 2009, 09:13 PM »
Bobamaker is a 1:1 like Sgt Fang and Gypsyboy.

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Hondo Karr


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #16 on: Jun 18, 2009, 11:46 AM »
Taglar is correct... Bobamaker would be the same size as the Gypsyboy in the original pic. It's larger than the 2 piece Jango.

Not to knock BobaMaker as his Boba helmet's are truely cream of the crop. But, unless you plan to make a screen accurate Boba Fett or, you absolutly HAVE to HAVE fiberglass, cuz you're allergic to resin or something.... buying a Bobamaker instead of a Gypsyboy or Sgt. Fang is a waste of $100.00 (as that's the approx price difference) if you're building a custom Mando.

If you look at the original photo lineup I posted, it shows  from left to right 1 piece Boba (smallest), 1 piece Jango (slightly larger), 2 piece Jango (medium sized), Don Post 1995 ( large-medium), Gypsyboy (1:1 movie sized, any helmet labeled as 1:1 would be this size). Not pictured is the Cruzer/BKBT helmet which is about 10-15% larger than the 1:1 helmets and is the absolute largest you can get without scratchbuilding.

If you think the rubies 2 piece may be tetering on being to small, most likely the 1:1 helmet would be much to large. The Don Post 1995/1996 helmet may be perfect for you. You can get the Don Pos 95 or 96's on ebay from time to time or occasionally in our trading station or the cargo hold at TDH. However, you will likely spend over $100.00 for it as 1. it's a good sculpt and 2. it does have some collectors value. The main downside to this is it's a vinyl helmet and comes with all the issues that vinyl helmets have.

However, Asok is currently selling cold cast Jango Fett style helmets in the Don Post 95/96 size. He has a thread up in our trading station. Price is $140.00 shipped and turn around time is about 1 week. It's a resin helmet with aluminum powder already mixed in so you can polish it silver instead of having to paint it silver. Also, if any of your topical paint wears or chips away over time, it will show silver below instead of white. It's a complete kit, range finder, stalk, ear caps, key slots etc.

Hope that helps.

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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #17 on: Jun 18, 2009, 02:22 PM »
Thanks for the help. I think the shape (less flare at the bottom?) of the Bobamaker and the picture's angle gave me the impression it was smaller than 1:1.
 In regards to the Jango 2 piece, I actually think it might be too big for me. Without armor I look a bit like a bobblehead, which would be fine but the inside just seems really roomy and would require a lot of padding.  I might have to go with the Jango 1 piece or take a bit off the bottom of the Jango 2 piece and pad it up. The elongated dome of the Rubies might have something to do with it, the Gypsyboy looks much rounder in the top view picture.

Hondo Karr


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #18 on: Jun 18, 2009, 02:47 PM »
I see you're in LA. How soon are you planning on having armor complete? Do you intend to attend SDCC as either a Mando or a fan? It might be a good idea to either hook up with one of our LA Clan armor parties or if you go to SDCC, that way you can see in real life the different helmets and maybe try them on.

Again, the helmet should look slightly bobblish when you wear it out of armor. The armor will add alot of bulk to your body and will bring the helmet sizing issuing into par. Actually having alot of room inside the helmet is a good thing! It alllows for air flow. You get very hot very fast in full armor. It will also help reduce visor fogging. When you pad the helmet, use no more than you must. If you can just put a foam band around the interior crown of the helmet and that will keep it from rolling around on your head, that would be perfect. The foam band will help with sweat collection. Also, if you don't pad around the back of the head and ears, that will help keep cool.

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Hondo Karr


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here are links to mercs members making and selling quality helmets:

here's gypsyboy's:
http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=12162.msg209374#new

here's asok's:
http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=14171.0

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The help is much appreciated!  I'll definitely be taking your advice about the strategic padding, it does get really hot in there!

Hondo Karr


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Here's an update on this thread. I put this pic together to be added to the CRL's:


The top row is me.
The first pic is in my Jaing Skirata Version 1.0 armor. The helmet is a 1 piece Rubies Deluxe Jango Fett helmet. My chin hangs out of the bottom of the helmet and the helmet is far to narrow and short.
The second pic is me in my A'den 1.0 armor. It is the same armor as the Jaing set but highly modded and repainted. The helmet is a Don Post 95. The size is much better. It's close but no cigar. The helmet is still too narrow and although the chin is now covered, the back of my neck is exposed to accomplish this.
The third pic is me in my last upgrades prior to the SDCC upgrades. The helmet is a 1:1 Gypsyboy MOvie Sized helmet. The height width and length are correct for my body and armor type.

The bottom row is my brother.
The first pic is his Mereel Skirata Verison 1.0 armor. The helmet is a Rubies 1 piece Deluxe Boba Fett. The armor itself is subpar but, the helmet is clearly to small. Too narrow, to short and the chin hung out the bottom.
The second pic is my brother in his Mereel Version 2 armor. The helmet is my old Don Post 95. The helmet is now sized corectly to his body and armor. The problem with the kit at the moment is not that the helmet is too big, it's that the shoulders are too small. A much cheaper and easier fix than a new helmet.
The third pic is my brother in his MEreel kit with his SDCC upgrades. The helmet is the same Don Post 95 helmet. However, the upgrade done to balance the helmet was to dd new, wider shoulders to the kit that foucs the eye downa nd out rather than up and in.

This should be a template to use when you select the helmet for your armor and body and for when you design your armor. Regardless of your body type and size, you can find a helmet that fits you. Although I am adamantly against the Rubies 1 piece helmets, if they will fit your frame, they are the proper helmet to select. At no point have we at the MErcs or will we, unless you're build a screen accurate Fett, tell you that you have to buy a $300.00 Bobamaker helmet or a $400.00 BKBT helmet. But, we will tell you to buy the helmet that fits you best. In general, unless you are VERY small, a 1 piece Rubies or Jango will NOT work for you. In general, medium/large to large framed men NEED a 1:1 movie sized helmet. Medium framed men need something sized to the Don Post 95 or the Asok LFL Jango helmet. A smaller framed man can wear a Rubies 2 piece Jango. For woemn, most women can wear a 2 piece Jango or a Don Post 95. GEnerally a movie sized helmet will be too big. The 1 piece Rubies should really be saved for children unless you're so small that you're the exception to the rule.

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This is GREAT stuff.  I love that you have taken the time to make sure all VODE are getting what they need in respect to their buckets and sizing. I've got a big head (hey, no jokes), and I was concerned about which bucket to get. This is fantastic...man I love this place!

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Xorim Kor


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Re: helmet sizing tutorial.
« Reply #23 on: Aug 29, 2009, 01:16 AM »
Taglar is correct... Bobamaker would be the same size as the Gypsyboy in the original pic. It's larger than the 2 piece Jango.

Hey A'den, just a small bit of info: Bobamaker helmets are actually smaller than the GB  in certain dimensions. I'm not sure which version of the GB I got to compare it with (it's Frost S'do helmet) but the GB was actually taller and extended forward to back a bit more than the BM. Overall, to just look, the GB seems larger than a BM by a small amount.

Charlie

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Cdr. Ch'ren Jud'se


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quick question, what kind of helmet do you think i should get? donpost or gypseboy? i am 15, and i am around... 150ish.... which one?

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