[General Veers (non-armor) rank Bar]

I'm interested in what the final verdict is on this topic. I just put together my General Veers, as well - and noticed the same discrepancy with the rank bar. But I went ahead and built mine to the CRL, using the proper switch covers from Mouser. BUT with that being said - I believe the switch covers that were used on screen were actually slimmer/skinnier than the normal ones. When you look at a side-by-side comparison, you can tell the difference big time. So I would say before you use the normal sized switch covers and just space them out more - let's figure out what those alternate covers are and where to get them. I'm interested in getting a set too! 

[Anovos Officer uniforms]

On 2/22/2017 at 3:44 PM, vertex said:

So over two months later I finally received my uniform from Anovos. Overall I am pleased with it. It does seem to run a little big on me but I rather have it taken in a bit than having to take out.

 

I do have an issue with the belt I was wondering anyone else had run into. The leather is very distressed (as in not smooth) as you can see in the pic. Its at intervals of about 4-6 inches apart all along the length of the belt and coincides with the areas where the belt was folded for shipment.

 

So, has anyone else seen this occur?

 

 

 

My entire belt looked exactly like that - distressed and "cracked" looking. To me, it seems like the leather was rolled up while it was wet or something. Or maybe the coating they put on it isn't very flexible. But either way, I'm not okay with it. It looks fair once you are wearing it, I suppose. But I've seen several of their belts before on mannequins at conventions and at Disneyland/Disney World. None of them look like that. So I actually messaged customer service and requested a replacement. It took about 5 rounds of going back/forth with them until they finally agreed to send me a return slip. Now I'm just waiting to get the actual replacement. Who knows how long that will take...

 

In other news though, the actual uniform itself is pretty fantastic! I got the Standard Olive one and it looks amazing. For boots, I picked up a pair of leather equestrian riding boots from Todd's Costumes for $199. They are SUPER comfortable. But I did opt to pay a cobbler to shorten the top by 2 inches (as I'm only 5'7" and they were riding on my knee caps, making it tough to walk). Only cost $40 to do the shortening and add some rubber grips to the sole. 

 

 

[anovos]

Hey guys! 501st TK here - first post to the IOC, yay! Just wanted to help clear up some stuff for everyone who is going back/forth on ANOVOS stuff.

 

Regarding Imperial Officer Uniforms & Disney

I'm an Annual Passholder at Disneyland and go to the park about every 2 weeks. Since the Launch Bay opened, I've been going in there and staring at everything... drooling, of course. Haha! So, the Imperial Officer hats that are sold directly at the park are NOT from ANOVOS. They are made directly for Disney by a factory in China - and are only intended for park guests to where for fun. Whereas, they look pretty great for a souvenir hat... they're also pretty flimsy and not screen-accurate by any means. The ANOVOS hats will be much higher quality. I've seen them at multiple cons and they look pretty amazing, with an interior lining and they hold their shape. The Imperial Officer uniform at Disneyland looks/feels really high quality. I believe it's the Standard version, as the price is $650. But I can confirm, it does not have a modesty panel at the neckline. But honestly, it's a very easy thing to add on your own. Matching the material/color might be slightly difficult, but the panel is hidden for the most part. On a side note, Disneyland does carry the belt buckles on the shelf and my girlfriend picked up one for her Juno Eclipse costume. They are excellent quality. And they SHOULD be for $65! Ouch!

 

Regarding TK Armor

So I know there's been a lot of complaints about the ANH armor set - not just here, but everywhere else. I understand where people are coming from - but some of the complaints have merit, and many of them do not. Let me just offer my perspective. Firstly, yes having to pay for something and wait almost a year for it to arrive - sucks. Especially when you are being told... another month... another month.... another month... and you're hoping/planning to wear the costume to events, etc. BUT with that being said - that is just the way ANOVOS works. They are very upfront and transparent about it. And they do a lot of hard work to communicate with buyers - i.e. status emails, picture updates, interaction on forums/social media. Plus they offer the option to cancel and get a refund at any time, up until the item ships. In exchange for your patience and understanding, they offer you lower prices. The TK armor kit was $350 for Tier 1 buyers - and let me tell you from experience - that is simply INCREDIBLE. Especially since it comes with a completely built helmet, decals, hardware, undersuit, gloves, real leather holster, belt, instructions!!, velcro, strapping, neck seal, and drop boxes. I spent $550 for my ATA kit 2 years ago and didn't get ANY of that. The holster alone would cost you $60 on Trooperbay! The roll of velcro, straps, and hardware would be over $20-30. I think once you put this into perspective, having a little patience with ANOVOS should make sense. And furthermore, ATA had a wait-list of 8 months before I even got the option to buy it (just throwing that out there). 

 

And let me just vouch for the kit personally. I received mine 2 weeks ago and it's actually fantastic. The plastic itself is a little thinner than my ATA suit, but it's very sturdy once you start building. People have complained about the helmet being wonky in places, the ab plate being warped, the eye holes not being trimmed enough - and some people have even claimed that the armor has been recast from other armor. All of this is ridiculous. Simply put... use Google, type "original screen used Stormtrooper armor"... and you will see that ANOVOS has done an amazing job matching the imperfections of the original suits. I don't think people take the time to do any research before they start throwing out complaints. The only thing that I don't like is the fabric belt - which in my opinion is too flimsy to be usable. It's super thin and does not have an interior structure keeping it rigid. But no big deal. It was basically free, haha! So I tossed it and ordered a new belt from Rob Kittell, who makes super sturdy TK belts for $35. Problem solved - simple as that. 

 

Does the armor qualify for 501st? As many of you probably know - no armor does right out of the box. It's all about how you build/wear it. But I can definitely tell you that my ANOVOS armor set will be much easier/faster to build to the correct specs than my ATA kit was. And I love love love my ATA suit - but it took a lot of work with zero instructions. So for those of you that got the ANOVOS TK kit, be happy and have fun building it! Remember that a lot of people weren't able to get it and you are one of the lucky ones who did! And for anyone who is complaining or hearing complaints - all I ask is this: PLEASE do your research before making an assessment. Don't just start complaining or repeating things that you overheard some 501st guy say at a party, etc. etc. That just perpetuates negativity and incorrect information - and ultimately makes good companies like ANOVOS less likely to offer more products to us in the future. 

 

 

Phew! That was a long, first post! Haha, sorry guys and hello - nice to meet everyone! Just as a final note (in case anyone is wondering) - no, I don't work for ANOVOS. I have met some of the staff previously and own several of their products (ST:TNG uniform, BSG tank, TK Armor, and I have an Imperial Staff Officer uniform on order). But everything I said above is from me - not them.