Boba Fett

Building the Shin Tools

2010-02-18T15:42:00.001-08:00

I have been sitting on these parts for awhile. I had just recently ordered replicas of the Michell Engineering Stylus Brush that was used on the Anti-Security blade of Fett's shin tool. They are machined aluminum and are near identical to the real thing.
To get started I used my small hobby saw to cut the Paterson squeegee’s end off, the third finger grip off, and the end of the Paterson stirring rod off. Now I just need to get a sheet of plastic cut to shape to finish off the Anti-Security blade, paint them up, and done with set one. Minus the unidentified part.

New Pre-Production 1 & 3 Flame Unit Connector

2009-09-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

Here is another of Boba Fett's Rocket Pack greebles. It is seen on the bottom of his Rocket pack in the Pre-production 1 costume. The same Rocket Pack was used again in the Pre-Production 3 costume. In the Pre-production 2 costume this greeble was moved or removed altogether, as it is not seen with the others on the back of the pack. It is still unclear where this connector is located on the ESB or ROTJ Rocket Packs, or if it was on them at all. It is an ITT Cannon XLR-3-32 3 pin male socket connector. The female connector is an ITT Cannon XLB-3-110, however it was the silver end version that was used. This electrical connector is typically used for Audio equipment, but was used as the power source for the flame unit on Fett's left gauntlet. I've been on the hunt for the correct manufacturer for awhile. Once it was identified, I was able to track it one down and picked up a set. XLR-32 3 pin is pretty generic and you can find a lot of very similar style connectors, but ITT Cannon is the correct one with its logo stamp on the bottom and Part No. stamp on the top. It's all in the details.

New ESB & ROTJ Right Gauntlet Switch Button

2009-03-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

These two switches are on the right gauntlet. They are Alco switches by Tyco Electronics. There are several models that are practically identical. These are still pretty available by searching the serial number.

New ESB & ROTJ Right Gauntlet Darts

2009-03-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Up next is a set of Gauntlet Darts. There are four located on the right gauntlet. These darts are from a JA Michell Engineering sweep arm brush. There is only one of these spindles per sweep arm brush. I was fortunate enough to make a trade for them. These are no longer being made by JA Michell Engineering. The second set where machined by RBReplicas.

New ESB & ROTJ Rocket Pack Stabilizer

2009-01-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

This is the Rocket Pack Stabilizer (or Missile Targeting Range Finder according to the Visual Dictionary). This is a found item that comes off a vintage JA Michell Engineering Hydraulic Reference Turntable Sweep arm assembly. This little guy, and I do mean little, is the stand or base of the sweep arm. It comes in variable sizes. I was able to obtain two machined replicas that were made to match the originals precisely.

New ROTJ Wookiee Braids Version 1.0

2009-01-27T08:11:00.001-08:00

This is my first set of ROTJ Wookiee braids, or 'scalps' made by Julie. They are braided from horse hair to closely match a diagram that I drew up based on the available reference photos. I placed an order for them in February of 2007 and they finally arrived! They are still missing one braid that I will have Mary-Frances braid for me. I will then tie them together and add a snap to the vest where they will attach.

New ESB EE-3 Blaster Greeblies

2008-08-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

I have actually had these parts for several years now. The first one is part No. 65, Connecting Rod on a 1977 Revell Visible V8 Engine kit. These kits are very popular, making them on the pricey side, if you can find one. The second part is a set of Tyco Electronic 6-pin Molex Connectors. They normally come in 'white', but the individual selling them was able to 'dye' them black with a plastic dye that chemically bonds to the plastic, altering the color. Don't ask me about how to exactly do this, as I have no idea. But it's not painted black, which makes them all the more cool.

New ESB Helmet Range Finder View Screen

2008-08-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

This little guy is the lens seen on the bottom of the Range Finder. It comes off a Polaroid SX-70 Camera. The lens is the View Finder Lens on the camera, so it was ideal to be used where it is on the costume. The Lens itself is Magnifiying, so and Image I put behind it, is 'blown-up' on scale. The lens so far only appears to be on the ESB costume.

New ESB & ROTJ Helmet Key Slot Circuit

2008-08-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

This is the circuit board that is found inside the MQ-1 Casio Calculator. The calculator keypad was used for the left gauntlet, while this little guy was glued to the inside of the helmet. You can see it through the 'key slots' in the back. Just click on the images to see larger photo.

Updated All Photos

2008-08-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Well Rumor had it that my photos were not visible to all since I was linking them from Flickr.com. So I reloaded every single photo, plus some new ones straight to the blog itself. So hopefully, they should all be viewable. Minus two.

New ESB Utility Hip Storage Pouches Version 3.0

2008-08-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Same story with the ROTJ pouches, just wasn't 100% happy. I also made these out of a Cotton Twill fabric, tweaked the pattern a little, dyed them using Royal Blue and Pearl Gray. It was too dark of a blue at first, so I used a little color removal to get the color it is now. The color doesn't seem to be identical as it is in person as opposed to taking a photo of it. But they are done. I even added a Velcro strip to the top like the originals. Oh and this time the flaps are both going the correct direction.

New ESB & ROTJ EE-3 Blaster

2008-08-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a 1917 Webley & Scott Mark 1 Flare gun. It is the base for both blasters. It is the second one I have been able to purchase, but I sold the first one (see brief story in previous posts). These babies are hard to come by. I will be molding this thing to make both blasters so I am not caring around a real flare gun. It is pretty heavy too. Isn't it beautiful?

New ROTJ EE-3 Blaster Greebly

2008-08-08T07:30:00.001-07:00

This little model piece is off a Revell F-4E Phantom II kit. It was used kit-bashed and added to Fett's Blaster, on on either side of the barrel to cover over the 'Webley & Scott" logo stamp, as well as to give it a more futuristic look. I wont use these original parts on the finished blaster since that one will be a resin casting, but will cast these in resin too and use them. No point on having a replica blaster with orignial parts. If they broke or fell off and got lost, I would be up a creek.

New ESB & ROTJ Helmet Data Port

2008-08-08T07:26:00.001-07:00

A Borden 3-hole Connector was cut from its base, turned upside down and fiberglassed in place in the helmet. This little guy is the nifty detail you see on the right cheek. Upon investigation, this particular model isn't the correct one, so I may upgrade these later if I ever do find the correct 3-Hole connector. Oh, this thing is used for drills by dentists. It is one of a few dental items used on the original costume.

New ESB & ROTJ Rocket Pack Connector

2008-08-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

This is a BNC Connector that is seen among the other little greeblies on the backside of the Rocket Pack. It is likely that the connector itself was functional, sending power to the Chest Lights via a cable. There was also a stip of masking tape under it labeled "Supply to Digital 6 volts + on centre pin". These things are tiny. I am still looking for two of the five connectors seen.

New ROTJ Honor Sash Version 1.0

2008-07-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Honor Sash is made from a English style Mohair horse Girth. It is another one of those found parts that were used for the original costume. Nylon black webbing was added to the buckle at one end allowing it to be belted around the waist. It was originally designed to go on the underside of a horse and attach to each side of a saddle. So the girth has the buckles and the saddle has the straps.

I bought the white 36" girth and dyed it with scarlet and wine Rit dyes. First I did just the wine. Which made it more of a purple/pink color. Just horrible. Then I got the scarlet and had it in the dye bath for 90 minutes to get the color it's now. The ties that held the girth together had to go as they where more a peach color and not on the original costume. So I removed them. However this caused another problem. Now I had two halves of the girth. So I grabbed some extra gray fabric, laid it behind the girth and stitched the two halves together. Worked great, now it's finished.

New ESB & ROTJ Rocket Pack Connector

2008-07-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a found item that is seen on the backside of the Rocket pack. By backside, I do not mean the side you see when looking at my back, but the inside of the rocket pack that faces my back that no one sees. That's right, I got a detail that literally no one will know about or see, but it's there on the original pack so it will be on mine. It is a female 5-pin XLR Connector. On a strip of masking tape under it written in sharpie "+4- feeds & switch returns for wrist units". It was most likely used to supply power to the LED's and switches on the gauntlets.

New ROTJ Hip Utility Pouches Version 2.0

2008-07-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well I guess I am never happy. I went back and revisited the Hip pouches for both ESB and ROTJ. I bought a cotton twill fabric this time, and edited by pattern a smiggin. Just enough for that slight difference. I then dyed it a dark Coca Brown. Totally the wrong color. I used three packets of color removal to get this color of a lighter tan. I think I like these pouches enough for them to be the final version.

On a related note of 'revisiting', I again have removed the sleeves from the vests. I am just not happy how they look and plan to redo them yet again.

New ROTJ Rocket Dart Launcher Version 1.0

2008-03-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

"What?" you ask, "even the Dart launchers are different between the two costumes?" They most certainly are. To the naked eye they are identical, but looking closer they do look just a little different, don't they?

I had these made the same way I made the ESB launchers. I traced a photo scaled to 1:1 and made blueprints of them. I sent them off to Russel Brown and he machined them for me.

New ESB Rocket Dart Launchers Version 3.0

2008-03-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well obviously my first set were resin that came with my M. Bradly Knee Armor. The were O.K. for what they were, but they were resin, and home made. I later upgraded to a new set, machined from Aluminum, made by Russel Brown. I bought them off eBay, but when they arrived, I could not help but notice how tiny they were. Nice, but small. So not quite what I was looking for. I then took it upon myself to design the Dart Launchers they way I wanted them to be.

I imported the reference photos of the real costume into MicroStaion, and was able to trace over the photo and scale it to what I believe to be a 1:1. I then made workable blueprints and sent the plans off to Russel Brown to make me a pair of dart launchers that I was hopping for. So he did. May I introduce to you, Dart Launchers 3.0

New ESB & ROTJ Shin Tools Version 2.0

2008-02-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

The first set that I bought came from the same source where I bought all my armor. This time around I am making them from the original found parts, a paterson print squeegee, and a Paterson stirring rod. The squeegee was used to make two of the three identified shin tools. I will have to cut each of them to make them a little shorter and mold them in RTV silicone to make resin castings.

New ESB & ROTJ Rocketpack Harness Buckle

2008-02-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

This buckle comes from a U.S Divers Aqua Lung KAM EZ suba pack. The straps and pack pak that holds the air tank were discarded as the buckle was the only thing used in the original costume. It is a detail that is not supposed to be seen, but can be in some production shots sticking out from under the vest. It was used for both versions of the costume. I will need to pick up a second one.

New ROTJ EE-3 Blaster Stock Plate

2008-02-05T18:56:00.001-08:00

This details goes on both sides of the ROTJ stock. It come from a 1970 Revell V8 Visible Engine model.
Other parts from this same model were used for the ESB blaster as well.

Another identified model part that is on the ROTJ blaster is from a Revell F-4E Phantom II jet plane. I do have this kit, but I am going to have to get another, 'cause the part I need has already been glued to the model and I cannot separate it.

New ESB Concusion Grenade Launcher Holster

2008-02-05T18:44:00.001-08:00

Here is another found item that I happened to come across scouting many online auctions. This holster is for a Nemrod spear gun. It is a strong plastic that came with a knife and spear gun. I didn't need the spear gun or the knife, so I resold them to help cover the original costs. This holster sits on Fett's right side and can barely be seen in ESB. He does not have a side arm in ROTJ. The blaster that goes inside this holster has not yet been identified. I will need to cut the end of it off so the blaster will stick out, and will need a new safety strap to help keep the blaster from falling out.

ESB Chest Lights Version 2.0

2008-02-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

The first set of chest lights I bought from Richie's Armor. They were a fun set of LEDs, but they were not as screen accurate as I would like. The current set of chest lights I have was actually made by my Father-in-law. He designed the circuit, had the board professionally made, and soldered up all the components. He made around 10 of them, that I helped him sell. Currently I am in the works of creating a new display for the chest lights that I hope to get made in the future. It will have different LED lights, and have a 8 digit sequence.

New ESB & ROTJ Left Gauntlet Key Pad

2008-02-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

What is a greebly? I would have hoped you would remember from earlier posts what it is. It simply is a term George Lucas coined as detail on a prop or costume that has no specific name. It's like calling it a what-cha-ma-call-it. This particular greeblie is a MQ1 Casio Calculator that was used on both the ESB and ROTJ costumes. Two parts from this calculator have been positively identified as being used on the original costume. The first part is the calculator button pad that is the detail on the left gauntlet.

The second is the circuit board of the calculator, which is seen in the key hole vents in the back of the helmet. This calculator is very rare and very collectible to Fett fans, as well as Casio collectors.

Loses and Gains

2008-02-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

Over much thought and consideration, I decided to limit myself on my Fett stuff. I weighed what I spent, what I had, what my priorities are, and what I should do. I came to the conclusion that getting out from under our credit card debt was priority number one. That said, I sold my Aluminum helmet, armor, my bronze Webley & Scott Mk I Flare gun casting, the aluminum knee dart launchers, an extra set of utility pouches, an extra pair of boot spats, both jumpsuits, my Zam Wesell fabric, KYD-21 blaster kit, and finally my R2-D2 dome. All and all raising enough money to go towards our dept. Sad, but good.

New ROTJ Gloves Version 1.0

2007-11-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

My second pair finally arrived and I am equally impressed with how they turned out. This is Galactic Bounty Hunter's ROTJ gloves. They fit me better than my ESB pair. They also have a Velvro closure and a small button right at the base of the wrist just like the original costume. Notice that in this version, the shade of the glove is much lighter. A very noticeable difference between the two costumes.

Halloween 2007

2007-09-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

At this time Halloween is coming up pretty quick, so Boba Fett is going to take a backseat till after the 'Holiday'.

I am going to be spending the this month and next working on Mary's and My costumes and holiday decor.

What are we going to be this year you ask? I am going to be the Shoveler, and Mary is going to be the Bowler from Mystery-Men

New ESB Gloves Version 4.0

2007-08-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well I must be too picky or something. I ended up selling my Version 3.0 gloves and bought these instead from Galactic Bounty Hunter. I am much more impressed with the color, stitching and the size of the padding. But most of all, what sold me on these gloves, was its closure around the wrist. On the original costume, there is a Velvro closure and a small button right at the base of the wrist and these gloves do the same (while my V2.0 did not). I am going to get a second pair shortly.

New ESB Storage Pouches Version 2.0

2007-08-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

I made these myself. Similar to the ROTJ pouches, I traced original photographs at full scale and used AutoCad to draft up a pattern. I made the left pouch identical to the ROTJ pouches, while the right one is more squared in shape. The flaps on these both go the same direction. I am slightly disappointed with the shine of the flap, but I hope it will go away with some weathering. I had to dye these to match as closely to my jumpsuit as I could. Not as easy when the material takes the dye differently. I made a second pair of pouches that I will end up selling.

New ROTJ Padded Vest Version 1.0

2007-08-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Yes it is actually different from my other Vest. They look almost identical, 'cause they were both made from the same pattern. However, This vest is slightly larger in size, and the Velcro goes from top to bottom along the back, where the ESB does stop four inches from the bottom.

I had a dickens of a time with the sleeves. I have had to remove them two or three times to get the right angle, look and make sure it was centered right. The neck is a little snug, but it does not choke me.

For Fun at Celebration IV in LA

2007-07-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Mary-Frances, Jeremy Bulloch, and I at Celebration IV, right after I got his autograph. For those whom do not know who Jeremy Bulloch is, he is the body actor whom played Boba Fett in several scenes in ESB and ROTJ. Jason Wingreen was the Voice in ESB and John Morton was a stand in for Bulloch when he could not be on set, and another guy did the stunts though they were all uncredited for their role.

This is THE ROTJ costume, with preproduction knee armor, and the ESB helmet.

New ROTJ Boot Spats Version 2.0

2007-07-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

The Boot spats are another blunder from my first costume. As a reminder, my first costume was based off the ESB version, and in the ESB version Boba Fett does not have spats. This is a ROTJ specific item only.

To make the spats for Version 1.0, I used a seam ripper and took off the collar of the jumpsuits and stitched some Velcro to them and bam! They were boot spats.

For Version 2.0, I did like I did for the utility pouches. I found an old preproduction photograph of the costume laid out on the floor. I traced over the photo with AutoCAD, printed a pattern, cut it out of Tackle Twill, stitched it, and bam! Boot kickin' spats!

New ESB Vest Version 2.0

2007-06-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

My first Vest was made by my sister, Rebecca, from a darker gray cord-like-material. It had the same texture as the original but wasn't the correct fabric. I had the most trouble trying to twist this way and that to get it on or off. So I had to retire the vest.

Now for Vest 2.0! It is made from Tackle Twill which is the exact same material used in the original costume. It is around $9 a yard and is seasonal. I was able to obtain 5 yards of it to create my vests. I found an old shirt of mine that was big enough to wear over the jumpsuit. I then cut it up to make it into a pattern for the vest. I used the pattern to cut out the fabric and sewed it together with some batting in it. It has a Velcro Closure in back which is to much easier to get on and off plus it is just like the original costume. I am very impressed with how it came out and hope the second vest comes out just as nice.

New ESB Bonus Armor

2007-06-12T07:18:00.001-07:00

A little over a year ago I bought a real Webley & Scott Flare gun for $300. I Molded it and cast replicas of it. I sold a few of these replicas but stopped since my mold wasn't the greatest. Well soon after I got an offer for a trade. Durasteal wanted one of my kits and said that he would make be a set of Aluminum Fett Chest armor. I agreed and sent him a kit. Well to make a long story short, after a year of emails, and reminders, and posts of "where is my Fett Armor", I got this in the mail yesterday. The chest, shoulder bells, and cod. They all are a near perfect fit for me. These will go great with my Aluminum Helmet!

New ESB Wookiee Braids Version 2.0

2007-06-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

A very skilled, and detail oriented woman, named Julie is making Wookiee Braids from real horse hair. How can you pass an opportunity like that? I placed an order for them back in December of 2006 for them and got them in about 5 months. Julie braided, dyed, and knotted this set of braids for me. I told her how I wanted the gray and yellow braid, and the placement of the knots for the black braid. She did it all.

I drew up a diagram how I wanted the ESB braids to be laid out. The ROTJ is a bit more complex. I already put in a second order with Julie for a ROTJ set and I am working on a drawing for those too.

New ROTJ Utility Pouch Version 1.0

2007-06-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

I inserted several images of the side utility pouches into AutoCad for size and scale reference. I traced over the photo and created a pattern for the pouch. I printed it, cut it out, and taped it together to get a 3D version of what it looks like before I starting cutting the fabric. I adjusted the pattern a little to make it a little bigger and finally got a pattern I liked, and made my first two pouches. Just four more to go.

ESB Costume Goal

2007-04-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is a fan made costume from Celebration IV in LA. His costume is the best I have seen. This level is my 'Bar' that I am aiming to achieve.

New ROTJ Flight Suit Version 1.0

2007-04-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

I also had this Jumpsuit tailor made by skygunbro. It is a light shade of gray cotton material. It wrinkles really badly so Ironing this baby will be a must. And like my first Jumpsuit, I dyed it a shade of blue, then faded it to get it more of a gray. Why? Simply, to make it more screen accurate. The Original costume, was actually blue. The Jumpsuit used in ROTJ was either the same Jumpsuit used in ESB, or was from the re-production costume. By the time ROTJ had come around, the blue dye had faded so much that the gray came through. Then with some heavy air brush weathering with shades of brown is what gives it it's current color.
I did some modifying of this jumpsuit to make it more to my liking. I removed the existing collar and added the turtle neck. I also removed that folded strip around the belt line. Not really sure what that was there for. I then stitched the short sleeves over each other for that layered look. The original just had stitch lines to imitate that, but I wanted the real thing.

New ESB Flight suit Version 2.0

2007-04-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

I had this jumpsuit tailored made for me by Skygunbro. The material is a medium gray, heavy twill. I am going to dye it a more bluish gray color to more closely match the movie. Once I have it dyed to the color I like, I will remove the collar, and add the Neck Seal. I have found that most people making this costume, either have the Neck Seal as a completely separate item, or they have it sewn on to the vest. I am convinced, that on the original costume the Neck Seal is stitched to the Jumpsuit. After that, I will weather it to make it look more old, dirty, and used.
Oh, just as an FYI, you can click on the images to get a bigger look.

Updated pic with a side-by-side of before and after.

New ROTJ Cape Version 2.0

2007-03-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I could have been that reckless those so many years ago. My first costume was supposed to be an ESB Fett, but I clearly had a ROTJ style cape.

This is one of many Found-Items on Boba Fetts costume. It is made from a US army Shelter Half. One half of the tent was carried by one guy while the other half of the tent was carried by someone else. When put together it made a large pup tent for two.

I bought two tents to make sure I got one that was the correct stitching. I ended up making four capes out of the two tents, and sold three. The fourth and last cape is the one I am keeping for my ROTJ costume.

I have not weathered the cape yet as I am still trying to locate all the holes in the proper location and size. I used several reference photos from The Magic of the Myth to get the stitching as close as I could to the original.

New ESB Cape Version 1.0

2007-03-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is a TK-409 Cape. I got it several years ago from him off eBay. It is a great cape, very well sewn and weathered. No one really knows if the original cape was ILM made or if it was a Found-Item. By Found-Item, I mean something that was not fabricated in the Prop Room of a movie studio, but at one time or another was available to the general public. I believe that the cape is originally a Wool Horse Saddle Blanket. I have not found one yet that is identical, but a lot out there are close.

New ESB Utility Belt Version 2.0

2007-03-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Now you are probably asking yourself, why did I buy these belts? Simple answer. They looked really good, and they were selling for less than what I would have paid to make them myself. With the cost of leather, leather dye, the Velcro, the Brass Eyelets, the industrial sewing machine to sew leather, all would have shot this little baby into the high thousands.

There is very little to no reference photos of the ESB costume from behind. But I did manage to find two poor quality images and this is how it looked. Same style as the ROTJ Belt, but certainly different. I did not purchase the pouches for this belt as they are also very different from the ROTJ version. I plan to make them myself, as no one makes ones that meet my standards. Belt was also made my Batninja.

New ROTJ Utility Belt Version 1.0

2007-03-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

I bought this Utility gun belt from batninja (For some reason everyone likes to call it the 'Ammo Belt', but Fett does not use ammo, and all official publications call it the utility gun belt). It is made from a soft pleather material with a Velcro closure on the back. The pouches themselves are non-function (they do not open) just like the screen used prop. I have looked at so many photos from the movies and I have seen both eight pouches and nine. So, I decided that I would have nine on this costume, and I am glad I did. It looks so much fuller and complete with nine pouches.

I Trimmed off the extra length on the back and stitched down the Velcro in the proper place to fit. It has some nice long Velcro strips, so if size changes, the belt can be adjusted up or down and still be wearable.

Out with the Old, In with the New

2007-03-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well, now that I have covered my old costume, it is time to focus on my new ones. I will be posting the costume parts that I acquire and the parts that I make as I begin them and when I finish them. I can only work on this costume during the weekends, so updates may be far in-between or they could come quick. There will be no order to the posts, but I will label them as to what they are and not be creative with the title.

Just so you understand I am not making everything all at once. I am starting with a section and working on that till it is done and then moving to another. My first section for my Fett Costumes, is "Soft Parts". This includes, Jumpsuit, Vest, Side Pouches, Ammo Belt, Wookiee Braids, Gloves, Boots w/spats, Honor Sash and Cape.

ESB Honor Sash Version 2.0

2007-03-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

This is my second Honor Sash that I cannot remember if I used in my first costume or not. The original Sash from ESB is a Found-Item called a Horse Girth. It is the belt that attaches to the saddle and wraps under the belly of the horse and connects to the other side. The first girth that I bought was white and too long for my waist. I dyed it a more maroon color and had to cut it down so it would not over lap on its self when I wore it. I was not impressed with how it turned out, so I sold it.

I found this one in a old Horse and Tackle shop out in the middle of no were when I was shopping for Hose supplies with my friend Wendy. It is a good color and fits around me perfectly. I may try to lighten the color a bit, but I am certain to keep this Girth for my ESB Costume.

ESB Boots Version 1.0

2007-03-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

I bought these boots in November of 2001 from a talented and also very recommended individual, Mark Cheng. He was doing a limited run of them and I got on board and be made them to my shoe size. They are comfortable and work well for my costume. The more I look at them though, they are a bit thin. Boba Fett's boots are actually more flat and have a more rounded toe. I might upgrade these, I have not decided yet. The toe spikes are aluminum.

ESB Wookiee Braids Version 1.0

2007-03-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

I still love these Wookiee Braids. I bought some synthetic hair from Sally's Beauty Supply and had my sister, Rebecca, braid them for me. She came up with an ingenious idea too of connecting the braids to my vest. Just a simple snap connector. We stitched the snap onto the braids using colored threat to help it blend, and added the female half of the snap to the vest. It works great. It stayed put the whole time and could pop off when it was time to remove it.

ESB Rocketpack & Back Armor, Version 1.0

2007-03-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

This is another item I bought from Mark Bradley and his "Build Your Own Boba Fett" website. I painted it to look like the ESB version. I had very limited reference material so the paint details are not there, but the overall look is. It was heavy to wear and the harness that I made to strap it to my back was too tight. I was happy to sell this. It came as a kit when it arrived and consisted of vacu-formed plastic and resin parts. I put it together with Goop glue, great stuff and strong adhesive. I used the Air-Brush in a can that my sister Sharon got me one year for my birthday.

ESB Helmet Version 1.0, 2.0 and Bonus

2007-03-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

My first helmet was a 1997 Don Post Licensed Mask (Don Post I believe went out of business and Rubies is now producing the masks). I cut out the Visor rubber to add a smoked T-Visor for better visibility. The paint job was quick and with no real detail.

My second helmet was an upgrade from the first, but I never finished it. It was a Don Post Deluxe recast. Someone had an Original Don Post deluxe Helmet, molded it and cast fiberglass copies of it. That is what this is. The Deluxe Helmet was molded off an original Pre-Production Helmet from LFL. I painted this much closer to the ESB helmet. I Liked it for the most part, but think I can do better next time.

This is my bonus helmet. I am not in-love with this baby yet, but the more time I put into it to smooth it out and re-paint it, I just might. I bought this from a talented artist from Sacramento, Brain S. aka Hand-Schaub. He was working at a bronze factory and was able to sculpt, mold, and cast this helmet in Aluminum. He only has made a handful of them. It is 100% rare as I have never seen anyone else offering aluminum Helmets before or since. With that, I cannot sell it as I would never have the opportunity to own anything like it again.

ESB Gloves Version 2.0 & 3.0

2007-03-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh these are embarrassing. These are a regular pair of white cotton gloves that I colored/painted to give the appearance of the Fett Gloves. The these are the second pair of gloves I made. The first pair were brown leather gardening gloves that I also painted to give the right color and stripes. Both really horrible solutions.

Now my third pair of gloves I bought from a guy who went by the screen name Slave1. His gloves were so widely exulted that I was compelled to purchase me a set. $80 later, I had these. The fit nice, and where a great color. It had all the movie details, but the quality on the white fingers and the top were something else. The fingers are too fat and the stitching is not the greatest.

I still have all three pairs.

ESB Utility Belt & Utility Pouches Version 1.0

2007-03-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

I bought these both from Richies Armor. I also got his chest lights and modified the sequence to make it more screen accurate. I was not happy how the utility boxes sat on the belt. The loop was a little to big causing the sag just a bit. They were also a thin leather and even though they opened, you could not put anything in them. The utility pouches where a good quality, however inaccurate again as in the movie they are both the same size while these are clearly not.

So I sold these too.

ESB Jumpsuit Version 1.0

2007-03-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

My sister Rebecca and I made this first Jumpsuit out of a Medium size pair of Coveralls. I purchased two to pairs so I could use the extra limps of the coveralls. I used my stitch puller to remove the breast and rear pockets and then turn and sewed them on the front for my Shin pockets. I then cut the long sleeves off one jumpsuit and used my Mother's serger to attach them on the other jumpsuit giving me the extra sleeve. Over all it worked fine for my fist costume. You can not tell how bad it really looks when you have all the rest of the gear on.

Course Now it is far too small and tight for me in all the wrong places. So I sold it.

ESB Boba Fett Version 1.0

2007-03-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

I built my first Boba Fett Costume over a period of two years and was completed for the opening show of Attack Of The Clones on May 16th 2002. I was 22 years old at the time.

I built it following the plans laid out by Mark Bradley and purchased everything he had to offer. He has since upgraded a lot of his costume parts. I tried for a year to get into the 501st with no luck. Finally as time went on I was able to become a member after getting through to the right connections. I was BH7737. But I am inactive so I am no longer listed.
However, over the years I have been out of a job and been forced to sell my costume off part by part. I only have a few items left on hand from my original costume, items I felt were too good to sell.

It has been five years and now it is time to become Boba Fett again! Now here is the twist, I am making two Boba Fett Costumes! Why decide between Return of the Jedi (ROTJ) or The Empire Strikes Back (ESB) when I can do both!