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Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik

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GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0110

Introduction
Hot on the heels of the Mr Toys set depicting the same character and actor, Kaustic Plastik has released its Masterclass set based on Arnold Schwarzenegger's role as Conan the Barbarian (and, more to the point, Conan the Destroyer). Both of these recent sets are partly a reprise of the old fantasy barbarian warrior sets by Kaustic Plastik, although both improve, for the most part, what had already been offered (even if providing a more limited selection of items). I will be making frequent reference to the Mr Toys set for comparison purposes, so HERE is the link to my recent review. Since this is not a complete set (it does not come with the recommended TBLeague M35 body included), I am not assigning point values to the various categories. The head for the set is sold separately, but it is also included in this review.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0210

Packaging
The set comes in a transparent plastic lid and trey on a card. The head comes in a typical sixth-scale head sculpt box, well-protected inside foam. Everything is safe and collector friendly, except of course for having to tear the plastic trey off the card.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0310

Sculpting
The sculpted detail on the head and other sculpted or die-cast pieces seems to be generally very good. This is true for the tiny details on the ornate belt and on the imposing sword, but also on the headband, which is a more detailed and accurate rendition of what we saw in the film than its Mr Toys counterpart; the latter, however, had the advantage of being removable. Similarly, the head intended for this set features sculpted/molded plastic hair, whereas the Mr Toys head had "real" hair. Hair this long should never be sculpted, and this applies here. While the detail on the hair is decent, it is nowhere as fine as the gold standard set by Hot Toys and emulated quite successfully by others. The hair and headband appear to be made as separate pieces out of softer plastic glued onto the head proper, just like the recent Hot Toys Aquaman; I feel a custom modification coming up...

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0410

Paint
While the head sculpt appears to be exactly what we see on the promotional images, the paint job on it does not appear as sharp, striking, or attractive (compare HERE). I suppose this is a fairly common problem, but disappointing nonetheless. What we get is still decent, and works well enough with the recommended M35 body, even if it is a little darker than the latter. The eyes are glossy, the cheeks are rosy, the sword finally gets its proper gold-color on the ornate detail. But there are also errors or shortcuts -- the gold color on the sun (or "wheel") pendant appears rather dark, as does the the corresponding color on the sword; more obviously, the decorative elements lining the head band are all painted silverish, whereas they are supposed to alternate between silver and gold (in that respect the Mr Toys set is more accurate).

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0510

Articulation
The recommended TBLeague M35 body is not significantly inhibited in its articulation by either of the two basic clothing options contained in the set, including the long pants, sleeveless leather shirt, and leather armor. Unlike Mr Toys, Kaustic Plastik did not provide an integral foot in the boots, so you will have to improvise: the TBLeague male feet are too big to fit easily in this type of footwear and I had to help myself to some bendy-toe feet from a random base body I happened to have lying around. They fit, but such makeshift solutions always result in less stability, and the top-heavy M35 is often a challenge even for its own feet and ankles; otherwise, the boots allow for excellent range of motion.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0610

Accessories
The set includes a dagger, a sword, their respective leather-like scabbards which can fit onto a belt or baldric, said baldric with a functional buckle, and various other elements that I will cover under Outfit below. The headband, which seems to be as much decorative as functional (protective), is permanently attached to the head sculpt (unlike what we got with the Mr Toys set). The dagger and sword are done in beautiful detail, and look realistic and worn, although the weathering is minimal. They do fit well into their scabbards, but the fit is very tight. The baldric is really intended for the sword scabbard, if you want your character to carry the sword on his back. As a result of good design, both the dagger and sword can hang correctly and realistically, unlike what we have had with earlier versions of the character (for example, the Mr Toys sword will sit too high if you try to "suspend" it from the side of the belt). Finally, there is the sun (or "wheel") pendant, reproduced for the very first time commercially in this scale (to the best of my knowledge). In the movie it hands from a string, centered between two pairs of fangs. The Mr Toys set attempted this, but used the wrong pendant (copying Kaustic Plastik's earlier release) which was also featured in the Conan films but was not hung alongside fangs, and used underscaled and improperly spaced fangs. All this was corrected by Kaustic Plastik in the promotional images (with the correct pendant and nicely scaled and spaced fangs), even if there it was mounted on a thicker leather strap rather than a cord. What we get, however, not only uses this thicker leather strap, but is not correctly mounted to work. The whole piece wants to ride up, the fangs want to sink into the flesh, and the pendant does not quite hang correctly. If you looked carefully at the promotional images, you might realize that what you see there was an ad hoc mock-up that looked about right; what we get in the actual set was their attempt to actually make it work -- but it does not. They should have used a cord, not a band/strap. I can feel another custom coming up... Perhaps it can be expected that one set would not include everything that was included in the two old Kaustic Plastik sets -- for example additional weapons, pendants, pouches...

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0710

Outfit
The set contains enough in the way of outfit to re-create two (or more) different looks from the film -- though one of them cannot be quite right. The most iconic version would be Conan wearing his boots, fur kilt, leather or fabric codpiece, ornate belt, vambraces, and sun pendant and fangs necklace; this look can be reproduced very well indeed with the items that come with the present set. Then there is Conan wearing his boots, pants, leather sleeveless shirt (nice, but lighter than I remember it from the film), and vambraces, paired with either the ornate belt or with a fur kilt, but never (I think) both at the same time. Here we run into a problem, as the new Kaustic Plastik set departs from precedent by combining the codpiece and the belt into a single item. The codpiece is indeed more screen-accurate (it has no identical back side, just attaches to the back of the belt somehow with a strap), but it should not be permanently attached to the belt. It should be noted, that in some scenes different portions of the two basic outfits are swapped into new configurations -- for example pants added to the shirtless look. The smaller fur kilt that comes with the set is the one to be paired with the pants; there are also some tattered barbarian shorts that I do not remember on screen.

A minor problem is that in some scenes Conan appears wearing identical brown leather vambraces with darker straps wound over them. The set features only one of these (for the left arm), the other vambrace is intended to portray the one (for the right arm) covered with a myriad tiny gold-colored spikes. This is poorly recreated with a little leather piece covered rather sparsely by slightly oversized almost flat circular caps. To be screen-accurate, they should have been smaller, pointier, lighter in color, and there should have been many more of them. The present solution does not improve on Kaustic Plastik's old sets, or on the Mr Toys version, all of which are essentially the same. The added problem here is that at least three of the caps flaked off during handling before my very eyes -- and I was being relatively careful, fully expecting this problem. I should note that, aside from this, the set was remarkably free from the usual concerns with flimsy quality that accompany many of the more delicate items included in Kaustic Plastik sets. For the challenge posed by the boots, see above.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0810

Fun Factor
In principle, this could be as fun as any Conan set, with the added advantage of swappable outfits or elements. I was, however, repeatedly annoyed by the poorly-put-together necklace and the weak ankles resulting from the empty foot-type footwear requiring the substitution of non-TBLeague feet.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc0910

Value
When I purchased this, it cost me about $120 for the set and another $50 for the head (USD). A fine, detailed and complex head sculpt like this is not cheap but still not unreasonable at that price. If memory serves, the price of the set is about $40 above the prices of the old Kaustic Plastik sets from several years ago. Even allowing for inflation, we don't get that much more here -- although what we get seems to be better quality, judging by my experience. If this was your only Conan or even one of two (if you get the Mr Toys one), it is still not a huge drain at $170. However, there is a good chance that you can now only find it on eBay for well over $200; without a body, that seems rather much.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc1010

Things to watch out for
Apparently less than with many other Kaustic Plastik sets. I unbuckled and buckled the ornate belt several times, and it is still in good shape. Nothing has come unglued or broken, other than the expected flaking off of caps from the vambrace for the right arm. I would still advise treating this set carefully, especially as you are likely to have a somewhat top-heavy and unstable figure when you kit it out.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc1110

Overall
I am divided on this set: there is plenty I like and plenty that disappoints me. The better quality and greater attention to detail are definite improvements; the head sculpt is nicely sculpted (though some of it should not have been sculpted) but perhaps not quite as nicely painted (even if not actually bad); the right vambrace is the only thing that is really poorly done, for the third or fourth time. We get accurate details (like the pendant), though not quite accurately mounted and not necessarily usable without further customization. I don't have a problem having to supply a body from elsewhere, but wish they would have thought of the balance and stability issue. And while they did pay attention to plenty of details, they could have gotten the outfit (belt and codpiece ensemble) right, to take proper advantage of the intended versatility of the set. To make the most of this set, you should be ready to do some customizing and/or combining with items from other sets.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc1210

Where to buy
Most places that pre-ordered this set have long sold out, but you can still find it on eBay or here:
Hobby Galaxy for $157.

premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik Kpmc1310

For the Mr Toys set, see HERE.
I hope this has been useful. What do you think?

#kausticplastik #kp #masterclass #set #conan #barbarian #film #fantasy #warrior #premodern #tbleague #male


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skywalkersaga

skywalkersaga
Hmmm, I am with you in being a tad disappointed by this one. Given the price and the fact that it doesn't contain the body, I was maybe expecting a bit more. I do think the actual sculpt for the face is probably a better depiction of younger Arnie, but the permanently attached headband and sculpted hair are off-putting, especially compared to the Mr. Toys version. Some of the accessories look a lot nicer, but then other aspects sound frustrating, like the issue with the boots. Seems odd that they didn't make much effort to have their set match and be compatible with the body that was supposedly recommended for it. Even the fit of the head sculpt itself seems a little bit 'high' on the the neck/body, though perhaps that can be fixed with some modd'ing. 

Though imo, I find it off-putting that the HS would need so much modification -- I'm happy to mod accessories, but having to mod the head so extensively is not something I'm prepared to do for this particular figure [still have way too many others that I need to do that for as it is, lol]. For that reason alone, I'm glad I chose to go with the Mr. Toys version. 

If there is anything I prefer about this one, it's probably the 'metalwork' on the codpiece/belt thing -- definitely looks a lot nicer than the Mr. Toys version, which just looks rather obviously plastic due to the lack of weathering on it. But again, that sort of thing can probably be fixed with a bit of paint. I also prefer the Kaustic Plastik sword and dagger, especially the sword having the more correct gold colouring, and will keep looking for a KP sword as potential upgrade. I did purchase the parted-out KP trousers/pants, as I think it's preferable to have the option of giving him pants rather than be stuck solely with the furry loincloth look. Razz

Similarly with the boots, the KP look more realistic, but I think a bit of weathering on the Mr. Toys ones will improve them.

Both are possibly worth it if one has the funds to spare -- in this case though, I had to choose and settle on just one full set, and for me the Mr. Toys won out. 

Thanks for the detailed review, as always. Smile


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shazzdan

shazzdan
Nice review. Which of the two would you buy if you could only get one?


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Stryker2011

Stryker2011
Founding Father
Fair review, Guv. KP, most notable for all their detailed Roman soldiers, was generally very good with the details, but their craftsmanship does leave a lot to be desired. I often found things coming unglued, or falling off (like the studs on the vambraces, or on vests, etc.), and that really shouldn’t be happening. Thanks for sharing another thorough examination.


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premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik C8485110

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
skywalkersaga wrote:Hmmm, I am with you in being a tad disappointed by this one. Given the price and the fact that it doesn't contain the body, I was maybe expecting a bit more. I do think the actual sculpt for the face is probably a better depiction of younger Arnie, but the permanently attached headband and sculpted hair are off-putting, especially compared to the Mr. Toys version. Some of the accessories look a lot nicer, but then other aspects sound frustrating, like the issue with the boots. Seems odd that they didn't make much effort to have their set match and be compatible with the body that was supposedly recommended for it. Even the fit of the head sculpt itself seems a little bit 'high' on the the neck/body, though perhaps that can be fixed with some modd'ing. 

Though imo, I find it off-putting that the HS would need so much modification -- I'm happy to mod accessories, but having to mod the head so extensively is not something I'm prepared to do for this particular figure [still have way too many others that I need to do that for as it is, lol]. For that reason alone, I'm glad I chose to go with the Mr. Toys version. 

If there is anything I prefer about this one, it's probably the 'metalwork' on the codpiece/belt thing -- definitely looks a lot nicer than the Mr. Toys version, which just looks rather obviously plastic due to the lack of weathering on it. But again, that sort of thing can probably be fixed with a bit of paint. I also prefer the Kaustic Plastik sword and dagger, especially the sword having the more correct gold colouring, and will keep looking for a KP sword as potential upgrade. I did purchase the parted-out KP trousers/pants, as I think it's preferable to have the option of giving him pants rather than be stuck solely with the furry loincloth look. Razz

Similarly with the boots, the KP look more realistic, but I think a bit of weathering on the Mr. Toys ones will improve them.

Both are possibly worth it if one has the funds to spare -- in this case though, I had to choose and settle on just one full set, and for me the Mr. Toys won out. 

Thanks for the detailed review, as always. Smile

You are very welcome, and I think we agree completely. Modifying a head sculpt is always a daunting prospect, no matter how often I have done it (granted, mostly in reference to the hair); in fairness it wasn't meant to be modified, but that's not really the point here. The detail on the metalwork wherever it appears is indeed better on the Kaustic Plastik set. But the KP boots are both a bit too short and harder to use (although their straps are a more accurate and contrasting color than Mr Toys'). The KP pants you purchased would work with the rest of your Mr Toys set, though you might want to consider also the smaller of the two KP fur kilts to go with them (though the big one you already have might still work). Just remember, since the Mr Toys set gives you this possibility, the trousers go with the fur and either the belt or the codpiece, not both (there the KP set reviewed here doesn't leave an option). That is if you want to be screen-accurate (from the front -- from the back the KP set looks more accurate).

The KP head did not fit on the M35 neckpeg -- perhaps it needed more heat or effort, I just gave up and left it perched on there. When (if) properly attached, it should look better, with less of a giraffe-neck effect.

shazzdan wrote:Nice review. Which of the two would you buy if you could only get one?

That is a good (as in hard to answer) question. They both have their pros and cons. The prices are comparable (though now the KP might be much more costly and harder to find -- of course the Mr Toys might be becoming rare and expenses too, so who knows?). Overall, I found the Mr Toys set somewhat less annoying to work with and I prefer its boots in terms of functionality and looks (height, to be more precise), so if had to pick one, I might go with that, provided I could pick up a couple of parted out pieces from the other set and make some modifications to get the right look. To wit: weather the belt metalwork; darker leather straps for the boots; custom spikey right vambrace (which would be necessary for any of the sets -- look at my own version in the Mr Toys review); either a custom left vambrace (you just need some brown leather and darker straps) or one parted out from the KP set; the necklace from the KP set, but modified, transferring the fangs and pendant to a string and making sure they can hang naturally. You could paint up the sword (which is what I did to the old KP sword) to be screen accurate, but your paints are likely to rub or flake off though enough handling in the figure's hands (especially when the classic poses from the film require one hand to grip the blade) -- so picking up a parted out KP sword (and its scabbard -- which has a superior method for attachment) would be a good idea. I made my own headband for my old custom figure, and the detail is more accurate than the Mr Toys one; the KP one is right in detail (except that alternating ornamental shapes need to be repainted in gold) but stuck on the head and sculpted hair -- I am yet to explore to what extent it is detachable and removable. Technically, the KP belt and codpiece are more accurate (and certainly more detailed), except for the unfortunate decision to make them one piece, which they were not -- other than weathering up the Mr Toys metal work, I don't know what to suggest there.

Stryker2011 wrote:Fair review, Guv. KP, most notable for all their detailed Roman soldiers, was generally very good with the details, but their craftsmanship does leave a lot to be desired. I often found things coming unglued, or falling off (like the studs on the vambraces, or on vests, etc.), and that really shouldn’t be happening. Thanks for sharing another thorough examination.

Thank you very much and you're welcome. And so true, although so far only the studs flaking off on the vambraces have been an issue with this set. To be honest, I was late to the party with the old KP sets (even if they were still "new" and sealed, and it is possible they had dried out or were in a bad shape when I got them, although that is still not completely encouraging. The recent Roman figures from KP that I got and reviewed were new and fresh out of the box, when plenty of things started coming undone with the slightest of provocations. But like I said, apart from that one vambrace, no quality issues -- just some questionable decisions (sculpted hair, necklace pendant and fangs mounting, foot-type boots, etc).


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Ovy

Ovy
I guess they thougt: Well, the Guv will reroot the head anyway, let's just go with the sculpted hair!
As you collect them all anyway, I can imagine getting the best parts of every set to build the ultimate Conanator is the way to go.

I don't know if I will ever get one of those Arnie bodies, but intresting to know how heavy (and unstable) they really are.

Do you think they will ever make a Grace Jones from that movie? I could need her for my Post Apocalypse Project.

skywalkersaga

skywalkersaga
Ovy wrote:
Do you think they will ever make a Grace Jones from that movie? I could need her for my Post Apocalypse Project.

I'd absolutely love that and would get her in a heartbeat!


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"The happy ending of the fairy tale, the myth, and the divine comedy of the soul, is to be read,
not as a contradiction, but as a transcendence of the universal tragedy of man."

Ignoring current 'official' Star Wars content for my own sanity.

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Ovy wrote:I guess they thougt: Well, the Guv will reroot the head anyway, let's just go with the sculpted hair!
As you collect them all anyway, I can imagine getting the best parts of every set to build the ultimate Conanator is the way to go.

I don't know if I will ever get one of those Arnie bodies, but intresting to know how heavy (and unstable) they really are.

Do you think they will ever make a Grace Jones from that movie? I could need her for my Post Apocalypse Project.

LOL... the day they take me into account... Smile I love the newly coined monicker "Conanator." Sounds like a Roman cognomen granted to a victorious commander after weathering an invasion of a bunch of damn barbarian Celtones. Smile

skywalkersaga wrote:
Ovy wrote:
Do you think they will ever make a Grace Jones from that movie? I could need her for my Post Apocalypse Project.

I'd absolutely love that and would get her in a heartbeat!

If they made a usable Grace Jones head sculpt, I'd repaint a body accordingly. In fact I've been struggling with the most recent experiment (on a Jiaou female body), trying to make it dark enough, yet light enough for the recent Weather Manipulator (Halle Berry) head. It is a very strange shade to match. But Grace Jones, who is quite dark-skinned might be easier to match with the oil pastels.


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GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Ovy wrote:I don't know if I will ever get one of those Arnie bodies, but intresting to know how heavy (and unstable) they really are.

I forgot to address this point. Yes, they are tall and bulky and have a higher center of gravity, which makes them less stable than otherwise, but they are decent enough in terms of stability in their own feet. Here the problem is that you would be plugging the ankle pegs into feet that are not designed for them specifically, which would exacerbate the problem a little bit. The Mr Toys set boot feet (which come permanently attached inside the boots) are slightly better. But the softness of the boot (which is a boon to good articulation) does not always help: it is good insofar as making the feet touch flat on the ground, but cannot fix the position of the ankles, which might potentially shift on its own.


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Stryker2011

Stryker2011
Founding Father
If you want to put him in his original feet, might I suggest Dremeling off parts of his feet to make them fit — or do you plan to use the body for other things?


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premodern - Conan the Barbarian Masterclass Set and Head (MC01) by Kaustic Plastik C8485110

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Stryker2011 wrote:If you want to put him in his original feet, might I suggest Dremeling off parts of his feet to make them fit — or do you plan to use the body for other things?

I would hate to do that with those fancy TBLeague pieces, but yes, that would be a solution. I think someone else mentioned doing exactly that, in a different context. I always recommend using World Box feet instead (they work remarkably well with TBLeague foot pegs without any need for modification and fit more easily into sixth-scale footwear), but I don't feel like relegating them to these boots either.


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Ephiane

Ephiane
Great Review, thanks for sharing !
I wonder if two companys copy the stuff from the movie, how this can look so different.... scratch Ah, and i love the metal sword, also the scabbard with the atlantian letters

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Ephiane wrote:Great Review, thanks for sharing !
I wonder if two companies copy the stuff from the movie, how this can look so different.... scratch Ah, and I love the metal sword, also the scabbard with the Atlantian letters

Thank you very much, Ephiane, glad you liked it! Well, technically Mr Toys copied from Kaustic Plastik's old sets, then Kaustic Plastik updated those (to a point) for their new version, to improve the look and make it more accurate (except where they failed to be perceptive enough and made new mistakes). I did not touch on the Atlantian letters on the sword scabbard, but I've always thought it was very cool. It is in the other sets too.


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Tjolnir

Tjolnir
again, thx for the review.
as much as i like kp and their stuff, i give this head a pass. owning the previous sets theres nothing in it for me. switched the swords with marto letter openers years ago, though they look a tad "fat"
the details are far superior and fit 1/6 hands just as well.
for the sculpt, 3 things put me off sadly. first the cheeks look way off, kinda puffy. plus arnie seems to have a sunburn color as well.
third and major bummer though is the inner head "peg"(?) doesnt fit the m35. can confirm it as an issue with the older sculpt with molded hair. since the hair get in the way of posing, i used the head "bald" for my shao kahn custom. figured it had a good pronounced jaw line.
but no matter the heat or force, the ball on the neck was to big for the hole in the head. deciding a 110€ body wasnt worth being damaged over a 30€ head, i went all in and pulled out the inlay. with pliers, a dremel and tons of hot air mind you. for some reasons i cant understand the inlay is glued tight into the neck/head reaching far into the temple area.
but sometimes i switch to berserk mode when i tunnel vision into a project, so at the time even breaking the sculpt wouldnt keep me off.
be prepared to, the inlay only comes off in tiny pieces no matter how soft it becomes after hot air. so i had to drill little canals into for the pliers to hold on.
in the end the outer material of the sculpt proved quite stury though as of now i hollowed out the neck completely.
odd still that even without any addition to hold the head in place theres a little "giraffe" left. the m35 itself seems to have a bigger neck ball anyways when compared to other bodies i own.
cheers

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Tjolnir wrote:again, thx for the review.
as much as i like kp and their stuff, i give this head a pass. owning the previous sets theres nothing in it for me. switched the swords with marto letter openers years ago, though they look a tad "fat"
the details are far superior and fit 1/6 hands just as well.
for the sculpt, 3 things put me off sadly. first the cheeks look way off, kinda puffy. plus arnie seems to have a sunburn color as well.
third and major bummer though is the inner head "peg"(?) doesnt fit the m35. can confirm it as an issue with the older sculpt with molded hair. since the hair get in the way of posing, i used the head "bald" for my shao kahn custom. figured it had a good pronounced jaw line.
but no matter the heat or force, the ball on the neck was to big for the hole in the head. deciding a 110€ body wasnt worth being damaged over a 30€ head, i went all in and pulled out the inlay. with pliers, a dremel and tons of hot air mind you. for some reasons i cant understand the inlay is glued tight into the neck/head reaching far into the temple area.
but sometimes i switch to berserk mode when i tunnel vision into a project, so at the time even breaking the sculpt wouldn't keep me off.
be prepared to, the inlay only comes off in tiny pieces no matter how soft it becomes after hot air. so i had to drill little canals into for the pliers to hold on.
in the end the outer material of the sculpt proved quite stury though as of now i hollowed out the neck completely.
odd still that even without any addition to hold the head in place theres a little "giraffe" left. the m35 itself seems to have a bigger neck ball anyways when compared to other bodies i own.
cheers

Welcome. Thank you for the information, and confirming I wasn't imagining things. As for the head, while I agree on the concern about the shape ("puffiness"), he was quite tan in some scenes of the first film, and most or all of the second (whether or not that is perfect for the TBLeague "suntan" M35 body is a slightly different matter, but with them being unwilling to provide another viable option, we're stuck). There are two older head sculpts in play -- one without a headband by KP, and another with a headband possibly by a third party (not sure); the latter definitely had overly long and very stiff plastic hair which is almost impossible to work with (I had to snip off some of it when I was trying to get it on a M34, I think, a long while ago). This is a newer head, with its issues, but I think superior to any of the old ones for this character (except maybe the one for the Mr Toys set I just reviewed). The uncooperative well-glued (?) inside neck connector is quite annoying anyway. I will be making modifications like you did, that's for sure, and you have given me ideas how to do that more effectively. Thanks again.


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GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Update: After working with an extra head sculpt I purchased for modification (see HERE), I realized the interior neck connector was in fact working properly, and also removable, and that must be true also for the first head I had gotten. With plenty of heating and effort I was able to first get it to work on the little display torso, and then to remove it from the head (since it was still a pain) and replace it with foamies which are easier to adapt to different neck pegs. Perhaps the first head I got was somehow imperceptibly distorted, making it so much more difficult to work with; with the second head I had no trouble at all. It also didn't have the paint damage to the right cheek.


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Tjolnir

Tjolnir
nice to know its not a general issue, maybe they refrained from glueing the neck connector with the new heads. maybe i was the "lucky" one with the older kp head, the glue would only give up after i drilled and tore 80% of the material out already Wink

strangely enough, for right now i use the "empty" head as a base for my custom figure, the neck almost looks to long still. even if the adapter would have fit in terms of width, it would also have added to the overall lenght.
but i agree, the metal peg of the m35 is a bit on the large side. but hey, whats foam there for? Wink
cheers

GubernatorFan

GubernatorFan
Founding Father
Tjolnir wrote:nice to know its not a general issue, maybe they refrained from glueing the neck connector with the new heads. maybe i was the "lucky" one with the older kp head, the glue would only give up after i drilled and tore 80% of the material out already Wink

strangely enough, for right now i use the "empty" head as a base for my custom figure, the neck almost looks to long still. even if the adapter would have fit in terms of width, it would also have added to the overall lenght.
but i agree, the metal peg of the m35 is a bit on the large side. but hey, whats foam there for? Wink
cheers

Yes, I don't think the inside head connectors of the new heads were glued in. Mine was just pretty stuck. I think the old ones are glued in, and this seems to be common for all or most older KP heads. And well put about foam; I find foamies so easy to use, I usually swap to them even if the neck adapter functions just fine.


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