Makeshift Unorthodox Costume (In Progress)

[DarthProdigal]

I mean up to a point yeah it does have a Sith like vibe... Black base armor looks very Sith, and white base looks more reminiscent of Imperial armor... But, the white does therefore resemble Clone Wars era armor in that respect. So if you went with a deeper Grey base coat with the same shade of silver/grey you used on the mask for the markings it may look more neutral? Or white base with deeper grey markings/lighter grey? Just ideas to look a bit less malevolent possibly. Or even adding the symbol of the Order on the shoulders then to make it more distinctively Jedi, and less questionable. More reminiscent of Obi-wan and Anakin's armor in that way. Those are my thoughts at any rate. I still think you're bound to scare the s*** out of a lot of onlookers/opponents in this armor style regardless!

As a side note I'm ashamed of myself for not earlier considering the practicality of motorcycle armor! I ride, but only really messed with wearing leather. Feeling that was all the protection needed for the most part since I wasn't going crazy with it. But this would give me a reason to invest in dual purpose armor... and not only look cool riding around but worst case for the armor if I fell is it now has a improvised weathered/battle scarred look. Or simply repaint it. Either way I have to now heavily consider it for investment. Likely also for my "light sparring" setup. So yeah, your idea might actually keep me safer overall (or make me feel safer and therefore more comfortable being reckless, oh the irony.) so I'll thank you and ultimately not hold you accountable. Might wind up looking like an Imperial Scout variant at the end of the day if I follow this path. Still, your designs are awesome thus far.

[SirLiftaLot]

I mean up to a point yeah it does have a Sith like vibe... Black base armor looks very Sith, and white base looks more reminiscent of Imperial armor... But, the white does therefore resemble Clone Wars era armor in that respect. So if you went with a deeper Grey base coat with the same shade of silver/grey you used on the mask for the markings it may look more neutral? Or white base with deeper grey markings/lighter grey? Just ideas to look a bit less malevolent possibly. Or even adding the symbol of the Order on the shoulders then to make it more distinctively Jedi, and less questionable. More reminiscent of Obi-wan and Anakin's armor in that way. Those are my thoughts at any rate. I still think you're bound to scare the s*** out of a lot of onlookers/opponents in this armor style regardless!

As a side note I'm ashamed of myself for not earlier considering the practicality of motorcycle armor! I ride, but only really messed with wearing leather. Feeling that was all the protection needed for the most part since I wasn't going crazy with it. But this would give me a reason to invest in dual purpose armor... and not only look cool riding around but worst case for the armor if I fell is it now has a improvised weathered/battle scarred look. Or simply repaint it. Either way I have to now heavily consider it for investment. Likely also for my "light sparring" setup. So yeah, your idea might actually keep me safer overall (or make me feel safer and therefore more comfortable being reckless, oh the irony.) so I'll thank you and ultimately not hold you accountable. Might wind up looking like an Imperial Scout variant at the end of the day if I follow this path. Still, your designs are awesome thus far.

Thanks. Yeah, if you would actually wear it to ride, I'd invest in something a little higher-grade than the $40 torso armor I ordered. It's one thing to have it not be optimal getting whacked with a stick, it's another thing to trust it to help protect you from a potential unfortunate spill while riding. There's actually one locally that's $220-250 new, selling for $75 used, with a pretty diverse size fitting due to the way it fits/tightens/etc. And I think it already looks pretty sci-fi. Some touch up and custom paint on some accents would make it really pop:



It looks to have front, side, back, and shoulder protection, and it looks like the torso tightens via football shoulder-pad style clips, which are pretty solid in my experience playing football.

As for the feedback on the color ideas for the armor, I would like to have the armor "plates" to be the same color as the silver on my mask, since it will match the same color/texture/sparkle/etc., and then have dark grey or black markings, to match the color scheme of the mask. But I think just throwing on the Temple Guard logo in the center portion of the chest plate would be sufficient to keep that "edge" to the look while making it known I'm not a "bad guy."

[mrg149]

that looks far too nice ;-P let me know when yyou're eady to weather that stuff and Then we can talk. There needs to be some blast damage and lightsaber strikes before I will take you seriously …hehehe. I love weathering since it continues to tell the story in subtler ways

[DarthProdigal]

Oh yeah, that last render looks sweet. It will be a nice combo with the mask and outfit I think...but I'm a little confused how the word sparkle came into play?

As for armor for my dual purpose intent, I doubt I'd need higher grade/expense stuff. I rarely go above 50 and not on highways ever... I like my life and bones intact thank you. So minimal protection will be better than my current armor rating somewhere between 0-2. Even if the cheap stuff only offers severely limited improvement, it's better that just a helmet. Although I appreciate the concern, I'm seriously ironically more interested in sparring armor that happens to be marginally useful in fulfilling it's designed/advertised purpose as well. And just riding around looking like Billy BA. That's also a plus. Worst case, if something terrible were to happen (and I'm in one piece more or less) you get to say "I told you so" and I get to call myself a moron. That being said, I'm horribly cautious, and haven't laid it down since the first week I learned to ride it... so I've got a good feeling about this. Heck if I go get some of that "special" custom paint mixed up it can have detailing that is pearlescent/iridescent so bits of it reflect light. Making me visible in low light technically but also some details "pop" potentially with just a lightsaber illuminated. That could be really cool, got to double check some legalities just to be safe though, can't be "blinding people" or "distracting drivers" on accident. I'd laugh horribly though if I was written a ticket for "visually disorienting" armor while riding, that'd make my day x10. "Defendant was wearing outrageous 'Sith armor' as he called it which attracted the officer's attention." lol, priceless. I was tempted to go with red, but we all know I'd definitely be viewed as a "bad guy" then! "Where are you headed sir, and what is that?" "Oh just off to fight a bit for fun with an acquaintance, and these are my lightsabers officer... I'd show you but feel awkward drawing one under these circumstances."

[SirLiftaLot]

Oh yeah, that last render looks sweet. It will be a nice combo with the mask and outfit I think...but I'm a little confused how the word sparkle came into play?

As for armor for my dual purpose intent, I doubt I'd need higher grade/expense stuff. I rarely go above 50 and not on highways ever... I like my life and bones intact thank you. So minimal protection will be better than my current armor rating somewhere between 0-2. Even if the cheap stuff only offers severely limited improvement, it's better that just a helmet. Although I appreciate the concern, I'm seriously ironically more interested in sparring armor that happens to be marginally useful in fulfilling it's designed/advertised purpose as well. And just riding around looking like Billy BA. That's also a plus. Worst case, if something terrible were to happen (and I'm in one piece more or less) you get to say "I told you so" and I get to call myself a moron. That being said, I'm horribly cautious, and haven't laid it down since the first week I learned to ride it... so I've got a good feeling about this. Heck if I go get some of that "special" custom paint mixed up it can have detailing that is pearlescent/iridescent so bits of it reflect light. Making me visible in low light technically but also some details "pop" potentially with just a lightsaber illuminated. That could be really cool, got to double check some legalities just to be safe though, can't be "blinding people" or "distracting drivers" on accident. I'd laugh horribly though if I was written a ticket for "visually disorienting" armor while riding, that'd make my day x10. "Defendant was wearing outrageous 'Sith armor' as he called it which attracted the officer's attention." lol, priceless. I was tempted to go with red, but we all know I'd definitely be viewed as a "bad guy" then! "Where are you headed sir, and what is that?" "Oh just off to fight a bit for fun with an acquaintance, and these are my lightsabers officer... I'd show you but feel awkward drawing one under these circumstances."

Haha, I mean the silver/metal paint I used on the mask has a little bit of what I can only describe as that slight sparkle you see on a new car’s paint job when viewed from the right angle in the right light. I’m not a painter or an artist, so I have no clue what the proper term is haha. Although it’s really not at all noticeable on the actual mask, since it’s on thin metal mesh, it just looks like silver metal, so I guess it’s a moot point there.

Sounds like you keep safe and responsible, and know what you’re doing. If you can get sparring armor that pulls double duty for riding, that’s pretty cool for sure.

[SirLiftaLot]

So it turns out the traditional bo staff forms would have chopped off my arms. I only noticed because when practicing with a stringer type tank top, or with no shirt, I got some decent bruises under my arms from where the hilt meets the blade. It's not a hard hit, so it was never an issue with even a light shirt or a compression shirt, but with no material between the staff and the skin, it became clear that it is an issue.

An extra few inches of hilt per side would make this a non-issue for in-universe purposes, but for my functional purposes, I suppose I should just wear a shirt. And from an armor perspective, some sort of "Beskar"  underlay would also solve the issue quite well.

Or technically I could go with 2 16" blades instead of the 24" blades and attach the Yari pike extension between the two. Taking 8" off either blade and adding a 15" pike extension would make the overall length of the staff essentially the same.  The only "issue" with that would be I'd either lose the QR coupler in favor of two normal couplers, or I'd keep the QR coupler on one end of the pike extension, which would potentially throw off the balance ever so slightly? Actually, I hardly think that would be an issue, and then I get the fun option of separating it into a very short "shoto" saber basically, and a shorter saberpike in the other. But then two 16" blades is getting really short on the blade lengths, and likely wouldn't look as visually appealing while spinning. I guess it's just food for thought, and shows how much more of an issue this would have been with the shorter hilts even. The two hilts I got are long enough for my grip to be ideal, but not long enough to avoid the blades hitting under my arms at times.




And it doesn't seem to be an issue with my form not being perfect, as even the instructor in the video would have ran into the same problem if he had a saberstaff by the looks of it:

http://youtu.be/ldf9SDBxJaU?t=68\

I suppose an in-universe skilled saberstaff weilder could simply turn off the rear blade during these moves before it would hit their lats, and just be careful not to "overswing" the momentum without the back blade to stop the momentum. Although just having some form of Beskar or other saber-resistant back protection, or whatever area you call that, would be a solution for me without actually changing the saber itsefl.

[DarthProdigal]

I'm actually incredibly surprised you had not previously noticed/encountered this in your rigorous training sessions. Ironically your initial videos clued me into how relevant this likely outcome would be running through those kata and just moves in general. I'd thought we'd discussed as much, but I may be remembering poorly. It's true, if you want to go hardcore SW canon with your routines wielding a lightsaber in any capacity they are likely to be "cut short" or terribly unforgiving as far as the revelation of serious injuries are concerned (in theory). I always tend to chastise myself for grazing or full contact blows which are self inflicted. It's so easy and almost too dang easy to "inflict". I've kept training myself to avoid these things, but I'm sure once it goes full contact and even half speed, most of it can easily go out the window with adrenaline or action and reaction. It's how Sith and Jedi are often defeated in movies, all that training just doesn't prepare for the "moment of engagement" if it gets truly crazy. We can be our own worse enemies in so many ways...

[SirLiftaLot]

I'm actually incredibly surprised you had not previously noticed/encountered this in your rigorous training sessions. Ironically your initial videos clued me into how relevant this likely outcome would be running through those kata and just moves in general. I'd thought we'd discussed as much, but I may be remembering poorly. It's true, if you want to go hardcore SW canon with your routines wielding a lightsaber in any capacity they are likely to be "cut short" or terribly unforgiving as far as the revelation of serious injuries are concerned (in theory). I always tend to chastise myself for grazing or full contact blows which are self inflicted. It's so easy and almost too dang easy to "inflict". I've kept training myself to avoid these things, but I'm sure once it goes full contact and even half speed, most of it can easily go out the window with adrenaline or action and reaction. It's how Sith and Jedi are often defeated in movies, all that training just doesn't prepare for the "moment of engagement" if it gets truly crazy. We can be our own worse enemies in so many ways...

We probably have discussed it before, and I probably forgot. I suppose that if we had real lightsabers we’d all be pretty much just stumps after a day or two, unless we practiced rigorously for months or even years with a practice saber first.

I do remember bruising up my lats a little once before, but I guess I had never actually sat down to think of it was the hilt or the blades that was doing it, until the last video made it abundantly clear.

I even got the longer hilts to allow for a wider bo staff type grip, which is great, but I was so happy with that working that I blanked on the next part where I need even more length than that for some movements, which means that no standard hilts would have worked for this design.

I suppose it’s now either having some saber-resistant armor there, which could prove a bit challenging to find, as that close to under the arms often is exposed, or picking up 2 16” blades and using the metal pike extension in the middle to alleviate the issue entirely with a longer hilt while keeping the overall length from blade tip to blade tip essentially the same.

I can’t help but laugh at missing such a silly thing that was staring me in the face, and slapping me in the back.

I suppose if this was a real lightsaber, I would have practiced with a less-lethal weapon with the exact same dimensions first, and a nice shock or two would have quickly brought the issue to my attention without costing an arm.

Always room for improvement!

Edit: or I suppose I could improvise some longer, perhaps removable, emitters in the style of the Fallen, which would mean I have the same blade lengths, but now the few inches closest to the emitter is covered by more emitter, meaning it would be safe to touch the body.


Edit again: Saber Legion specifies a maximum 36” hilt for staffs, so I could only add 12” to my hilt, not the full 15” extension. Fun. And the blades must be 24” from the ends of the emitter, so basically 24” blades in a standard emitter. So now long emitter to hide the blade apparently.

[DarthProdigal]

True, those Fallen emitters would basically provide the shielding you are seeking. Good choice. Not only do they look great, but I would not have thought of them functionally in such a way as a protective measure! Great call, but true it's really all up to your discretion, no need necessarily if you aren't trying to be canon fierce in training. If you are less worried about "blade contact" on movements it's not a terribly required thing. Unless you begin to worry about visually, technically, or theoretically "wounding/impacting" yourself.

[SirLiftaLot]

True, those Fallen emitters would basically provide the shielding you are seeking. Good choice. Not only do they look great, but I would not have thought of them functionally in such a way as a protective measure! Great call, but true it's really all up to your discretion, no need necessarily if you aren't trying to be canon fierce in training. If you are less worried about "blade contact" on movements it's not a terribly required thing. Unless you begin to worry about visually, technically, or theoretically "wounding/impacting" yourself.

So it looks like Saber Legion sets minimum saberstaff blade lengths of 22” from tip of emitter to the end of the blade, so pretty much 24” blades in a standard emitter. Which means that my 24” blades wouldn’t satisfy the rules if I added ~3” per blade of emitter.

Although the less ethical duelist in me can’t help but wonder if a few inches of blade hitting my lat for a second or two while moving in a duel would he caught by an opponent or a judge. So since it fits the hilt and blade requirements as is, maybe that slight contact would be something only I would know. But I don’t really plan on doing actual competitive sparring/dueling for a while, so that’s the last thing that’s a pressing concern I suppose.

I know I want to continue practicing forms with the staff, so for now I will ignore the issue, but will seek a means to remedy the issue, with some form of armor covering the area being one option, but an option that would mean the staff could only be used optimally while wearing that armor, which is not ideal.

I think I’ll measure how much of the blade contacts my body, and consider adding an extension of that length to each side of the hilt with extensions. If it’s 3” per side or less, adding 6” to the saber may not be the end of the world, we will see.

[SirLiftaLot]

Got my torso armor in! The fit is pretty good so far. It seems snug enough, not too tight, not too big, and seemingly stays in place with some light movement so far. Protection on the padded parts seems pretty solid actually from having someone whack me in the chest, back, and top of the shoulders. It covers to about the bottom of the ribcage, so belly shots are not protected, and while the top of the shoulders are as well, the deltoids are not. The chest, top of shoulders, and entire back are protected, while the deltoids, upper arms, and sides (under the arms down to the waist) are not covered. Under the dark grey hooded shirt, it's hardly even visible, so I didn't take pictures with it on with the fencing mask, since it really just looks like some padded shoulders with the look previously shown. So here are some photos with the armor on top of just a black sleeveless compression shirt, and then with the long grey cloak/cardigan over it, since that being open in the front shows some of the torso armor, and gives a little bit of the padded shoulder shape.

Now the question is, what exactly should be painted? The parts that aren't hard-padded will remain the blackish color they are, so do I paint part/all of the hard parts a metallic silver-type color to look like metal armor?

EDIT: Imgur is not working to post photos. Images should be incoming soon!

EDIT: photos:

[mrg149]

looks very nice! II'd uggest leaving any fabric parts as-is. Job 1 on the armored bits is to get rid of any logos and writing. either sand it, paint it or cover it.

Perhaps paint the plates a dark gray and the go back and weather it with some metallic silver and grime. I'd  be happy to walk you through any number of weathering techniques if you have some ideas in mind. You could also do some damage (purposeful) to add some further "backstory" to yyour gear.

love it!

[SirLiftaLot]

looks very nice! II'd uggest leaving any fabric parts as-is. Job 1 on the armored bits is to get rid of any logos and writing. either sand it, paint it or cover it.

Perhaps paint the plates a dark gray and the go back and weather it with some metallic silver and grime. I'd  be happy to walk you through any number of weathering techniques if you have some ideas in mind. You could also do some damage (purposeful) to add some further "backstory" to yyour gear.

love it!

Thanks! Agreed on leaving all fabric parts as-is. The armor Musashi Padawan has is VERY similar to the one I have (the plates are largely identical, just how they're adhered is slightly different given that one has sleeves and arm plates), and he painted just the hard armor parts, which looks great:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srnsvTlO8gM" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srnsvTlO8gM</a>

It looks like he did some weathering as well. Weathering something would potentially be cool, and if I do go that route, advice would be greatly appreciated, as I have no experience with it. That said, pretty much all of the rest of my armor is basically new looking, so maybe weathering wouldn't be necessary? Or maybe just minimal weathering to give it a more realistic look without being too at-odds with a largely fresh/new looking rest of the outfit?

[DarthProdigal]

Yep looking good and a good fit. Glad mostly that it fits right and takes impacts well! I'd leave all the coloring decisions to you since you're good at coordinating those things well. Got to look at MP's video myself now.

[mrg149]

I hate all new looking parts as it looks like it was just picked up at galactic mart. Star wars always has a very lived in worn look and each scratch and dent has a story of the character's adventures. FOR ME new looks more costume-y…just my preference