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Amy White ESB helmet
http://thepropden.aokforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=214&t=4641
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Author:  mikkonator [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 3:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Amy White ESB helmet

This helmet was at our local con last year and it was said to be screen used ESB currently owned by a collector named Amy White. I did quick search and found several references to Amy White owning a mostly complete ESB screen used costume. Can someone comment on the validity of this and perhaps point out where in the movie this particular helmet was used if that's known. Thanks!

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Author:  vadermania [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amie White ESB helmet

Looks like ROTJ to me...

Author:  mikkonator [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amie White ESB helmet

Hmm didn't even think about that, after this con I ramped up my Vader involvement so I didn't think to take any better pics than the first, I found a few other ones on our 501st garrison page, this being the best I think that shows the thumb indent.

And I guess it's spelled Amy, not Amie, lemme see if I can correct my mistake.

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Author:  Darth Obsession [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 6:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

Are these all the pictures you have of it?

It's a nice helmet, and has elements that makes it seem real. But I agree that it looks like it's halfway between an ESB and ROTJ. Which is possible
since a lot of the original ESBs saw some modification to ROTJ.
So if you do have more pics, please post everything you can, bigger if you can also. These pics are somewhat small and not perfectly focused, so making a determination
is very difficult. But it does have elements that I have only seen on production helmets.

Author:  mikkonator [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

Let's see if I can get these bigger, again, this guy is not me and these pics were not taken by me, only the original with my cell phone.

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These were really the only usable ones, there were few others but looked the helmet was moved each day for the con and the dome position got worse each day! :lol

Author:  Darth Obsession [ Thu Jun 19, 2014 1:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

Holy Crap Batman! that will do, big time. Thanks. It definitely does look authentic. Very compelling. But I reserve my judgment at this point. Let me check it out and I'll get back do you.

Author:  the-s-collection [ Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

Awesome Pic! Only ever seen this in a pic behind glass from afar so good close up! :) Amy White is a very well known collector that has some amazing Holy Grails like this helmet and most of a suit, an ROJ X-Wing filming model and a couple Screen Used Sabers. I am sure there is much more but last i saw her name associated with Star Wars that is what comes to mind. The condition of that piece is breathtaking if you think about it :drool

Author:  Darth Niob [ Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

Great pics you made there...what a nice helmet :thumbsup

Author:  Darth Obsession [ Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

I've had a chance to study this helmet and I must say that it is a nice helmet. IMO it is not a fan made helmet. However, I don't believe it be a screen used helmet either.
If it were, it would be an ESB action prop, not a hero prop. ESB did have action level Darth Vader helmets, however, this helmet falls somewhat south of the line even compared to them.
I am impressed with how it is prepared, i.e., painting and fit. I do feel that it was prepared by someone who either prepared actual Darth Vader helmets for the production, or
had direct access to an actual screen used helmet(s) and/or the paint that is used to paint them, as the colors and how the helmet is painted is consistent with the production ESB.


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Having said that, I still have some concerns with this helmet.

While I do feel it was painted by someone who knew what they were doing, it does seem as if they were in a bit of a hurry doing it. If you look at the top of the right cheekbone the highlight
paint actually comes up over the top of the cheekbone into the flatter area under the eye. I've never seen a screen used that was that sloppily mask off, they usually follow the edge of the
cheek pretty well. Also, the terminator line between the gray and black above the nose is a bit high up on the side of the nose compared to actual screen used helmets.

I am somewhat curious about the damage on top of the nose. It appears as if someone deliberately sat there hitting it again and again with something hard that has an edge to it, all the way down the nose.
When I got to the bottom, they started going around its edge. An angry little sister perhaps?




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One major concern is the lack of the lip on the dome. The dome edges are simply the width of the fiberglass and the edges smoothed off. Compare this to the ESB stunt lip which is inserted.
The lip on the ESB stunt is typical of all ESB helmets. Next is the small size of the grille work inside the teeth, which is roughly half the size of what it should be. The chin grille is reasonably
consistent with the ESB action helmet, except that the grille mesh appears to be an angled expanded metal, whereas ESBs used a flat diamond grille.


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Lastly, I have issues with the quality of the casting, specifically the mouth, the chin, the tubes and the base of the neck. The mouth and the bridge between the tusks is fairly deformed and snakes in and out.
The straight black line is simply to show a straight line, to help illustrate how deformed it is. It appears to have a deep depression at the bottom of the fourth grille opening. This appears to have distorted the
chin somewhat as well. Also, the tubes are somewhat poorly formed, with a little too much in and out along their lengths. But the biggest problem I see is at the base of the neck where it sinks in just off to the
right of center. This does not appear to be a dent, but an issue with the cast itself. I do not believe that production would've allowed any of these issues to make it to a possible screen used helmet.

So in my opinion this was most likely a tour helmet. Made for ESB, but then modified somewhat for duty as an ROTJ. It's got that real deal look, but I know it isn't. I hope she didn't pay $15,000 for it.

The helmet definitely doesn't look like something that was made recently, it's got a good patina to it. And despite all its flaws it still looks really good sitting on that table.

Author:  darthjones [ Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

Honestly it looks at a glance like the "No, I am your father" helmet. And it looks clean enough to me to be a hero helmet having seen a couple in person - I'm talking about the paint, finish, etc.

Thoughts on the "father" helmet? Look at neck, widows peak, etc.

Author:  vader45 [ Thu Jun 19, 2014 9:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

The Dome is ROTJ and so are the tusks. It looks like the helmet in the Death Star throne room scenes, even the gunmetal looks to be right on. But I could be wrong.

It looks authentic, yet still slightly short of looking like a complete screen helmet. I say it's a ROTJ your helmet.

Author:  jedijeffrey [ Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

Here's some more pics

Author:  jedijeffrey [ Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

The lighting was bad as they had just shut down the convention. There are a couple of other things not seen in the pics that are markers of it's authenticity.

Author:  mikkonator [ Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

Thanks for those extra pics Jeff! :wink: I'm hoping the person who procured this for the con will get it again, and we'll certainly try to get better pics of it next time, maybe he could get something else from the White collection, no idea, just wishing...

Even with the thumb print, why are you guys saying the dome is ROTJ? Because of the front slope and thickness?

Author:  vader45 [ Sat Jun 21, 2014 12:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amy White ESB helmet

mikkonator wrote:
Thanks for those extra pics Jeff! :wink: I'm hoping the person who procured this for the con will get it again, and we'll certainly try to get better pics of it next time, maybe he could get something else from the White collection, no idea, just wishing...

Even with the thumb print, why are you guys saying the dome is ROTJ? Because of the front slope and thickness?


What thumb print? There isn't one. The dome is mounted higher and the tusks are pointed. The dome strip is to soft compared to what's seen in ESB. All traits of ROTJ

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