No, not that I can tell....

I don't believe so either, the lighting was different of course, but from what I can glean, all the normal scarring on the cheeks and neck are still in place. That's just my opinion of course.

Well, looking back over the years of debating on the paint scheme, my takeaway is this:

1. Reflections in gloss black can cause the black to appear like metallic gray in screen captures, even when it clearly isn't when viewed in context of the actor moving.

2. Shadows on metallic gray can cause the shadowed area to appear like black.

Certainly true, but eventually by looking at as many angles and lighting as possible, we should all be able to come to a consensus. Given that within the TIE cockpit we are not looking at direct reflections but diffuse lighting, I'm still sticking to my own strong impression of the whisker being gunmetal.

Mac, I have almost posted the same exact points. People tend to focus on only the triangle they are most interested in, yet if you watch for example the gloss black up on top of the cheek in front of the eyes..........it goes in the opposite directions depending on the light hitting it. So the gray goes black and the black goes gray. I think it will always be a mystery. Does anybody have a shot of the helmet without dome, sitting on the table.............shot from that side??? I think it would help to see it as a black and white photo. The only reason I want to say gunmetal instead of black is due to the directional brush strokes present. I think that makes it more logically gunmetal as the rest of the black on the helmet is unblemished aside from the one C-scratch cheek.

Dave

Ya, Zuka showed a right side view and the light is such that the dome wouldn't make a difference. What is needed are more low angles because straight on views will have the same lighting issue where the light hitting the whisker is obscured somewhat by the overhang of the cheek itself.

There are brush strokes on the inside of the mouth walls as well. The brush stroked left outer mouth wall and the rear cheek area has the same dull color as the right cheek with the scar often gets, when he's moving around, suggesting the same kind of weathering. Only the top left of the cheek area under the eye is GLOSS BLACK. ALL other black parts of the face mask are dulled over in some way, leaving irregularities and brush marks. Go check it out.

Also, if those areas weren't "supposed" to be black, why where they repainted black for the Chronicles shoot and the footprint ceremony. Left outer mouth wall and left rear cheek area - both painted clearly black. Right outer mouth wall clearly painted gunmetal, covering the brush strokes to some degree. And... the right cheek is now suddenly glossy again, unlike the time of production.

Sure, that could be a different helmet... though, I doubt it, seeing as it was Kermit Eller in the suit.

Carsten,

I've not tracked what Kermit Eller said or had done over the years. Was there a point where he recalls having to turn the suit in for a repaint?

Not that I recall. I thought it may have been in that Hyperdrive interview, but that was where I found the reference to him being in the suit for the footprint event and the chronicles shoot, but nothing about it being repainted.

However, he was on tour until '82 and there is mention that parts were changed for more ESB style, but did that include the helmet as well!? Did he really wear the original helmet all that time? Would be interesting to know, as that would definitively disprove my theory that the screen used ANH was turned ESB for that production.

He returned the original suit prior to the ESB pre production.

Ah... then he wore something else for the remainder of the tours. Wasn't too clear in that interview, when and what things were changed.

But that is the point when Vader lineage becomes muddy and a bit like a mexican stand off.

He's got it, no he has it. No - it was stolen. No I have it.

Over the years I have come to my own theory that the mask was re-cast in LA, and some
of the suit returned to the UK wardrobe dept for reference / inclusion in the ESB suit (along
with the recast mask). It's also likely that some bits wound up at the Egg factory and
ultimately back to the Ranch.

According to KE, (and with the exception of a few lesser parts such as the gloves) he wore the original ANH costume until 1980, when 'some' ESB style parts were swapped out. ESB pre-production would be like 1978-79. KE also said that he never handed the helmet over for repaint (or molding) ever. The leather suit was special-cleaned occasionally, and sometimes needed to be re-dyed black.

Then how does he explain the different look to the helmet he wore at the footprint ceremony and the chronicles shoot and onwards?

I don't think he does. Do we have a definitive timeline for the Chronicles shoot?