Score of my lifetime. SL ANH Vader face mask.

Original plaster and original ANH helmet are in a private collection.

As far as molds of the screen used helmet, that is what is important as that is what was on screen. There was a UK mold and a US (Rick Baker) mold. Plenty of information over on the Prop Den if you are interested.
 
As others stated I'm more interested in the one screen look then what was sculpted. The sculpt is different then the final casts used on film.

Plaster molds were made off the clay sculpt then had the detail sharpened before another cast was made and molded to produce the final casts. This is a common way of making casts of masks and helmets. So I wouldn't consider the final casts as having any generational separation.

That said with the many steps of producing the final cast there are traits and features that are not on the sculpt. Like for example, Muir said the cheeks were sculpted like that on purpose but were exaggerated during the molding and casting process. And since the final casts is what we see on screen it is what we are familiar with and what we are after. To us the final cast is the original.
 
For those of us not as familiar with the history of the SL, was it a cast of the Rick Baker mold, then SL masks were created from the cast copy of the mold? Or was it a cast of a helmet, then a new mold was created to be used to make the SL masks?
 
If he's just disappeared & not died I would presume they remain with him unless he sold them (the rights). Assuming he had rights to start with.
 
The SL "master" copy is a direct pull from the Rick Baker mold. All of the copies that were sold were, theoretically, one generation down from that.

Who has the rights now to the SL after his owner is disappeared?

Very good question. In my opinion, and despite his horrible behavior, the rights remain with SL. He's the owner of the master casting so he calls the shots. He may have chosen to absent himself from the Hobby and no longer make copies available but that doesn't transfer rights to anyone.
 
Technically no one has the rights. None of us holds a license to legally reproduce copy righted material.

That's how recasters can get away with it with no real consequences. Imo banning does not get the message to them but that's the best we could do to them. Court is out of the question.

That really sucks but it's reality. It is a travesty that a very well respected and sought after piece fell victim to a recaster.

The quality of the cast is AMAZING for being another generation down. The cast holds so much detail that I have seen for the fist time even though this is the 8th Vader Helmet I've owned over the course of ten years. Because of that I still consider it an authentic copy but not an original SL.

There IS detail where the C-scar is located in the Tantivr IV scenes. I simply colored it in myself as I LOVE the C-scar.

Being that the EFX is from the same source the Dome fits the mask.

IMG_20200516_191108_436.jpg
 
Fantastic looking helmet - whatever generation or casting it is. Nice score but a shame if you had to pay top dollar for it under the assumption that it was the same generation as all the castings that SL sold directly.
Being out of the hobby for a long while made me realise that it's such a shame people have to pay top dollar for the honor of having a casting such as this. We're all fans, collectors etc. Unless it's the actual screen used or made for production prop then everyone out there who is into this stuff should be able to get one without paying another mortgage for it. There's a real lack of "sharing" and an awful lot of "elitism" and "ego" when it comes to these sorts of things.
I couldn't care less if 20,000 of them are made. My desire to spend money on these things is not dictated by being one of only "10" to have one in the world. That sort of thing is only really something to brag about when it comes to owning actual screen used items. Everything else is just a copy and every fan should be able to get one.
 
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The SL "master" copy is a direct pull from the Rick Baker mold. All of the copies that were sold were, theoretically, one generation down from that.

Does this mean SL got a helmet made from the Rick Baker mold, created a mold of that helmet, and sold helmets made from that mold?

If that is the case, couldn't a new mold be made from that first helmet? Seems like that would have the same lineage and be of the same generation.

I understand making a mold from a helmet made from the mold is another generation removed.
 
Fantastic looking helmet - whatever generation or casting it is. Nice score but a shame if you had to pay top dollar for it under the assumption that it was the same generation as all the castings that SL sold directly.
Being out of the hobby for a long while made me realise that it's such a shame people have to pay top dollar for the honor of having a casting such as this. We're all fans, collectors etc. Unless it's the actual screen used or made for production prop then everyone out there who is into this stuff should be able to get one without paying another mortgage for it. There's a real lack of "sharing" and an awful lot of "elitism" and "ego" when it comes to these sorts of things.
I couldn't care less if 20,000 of them are made. My desire to spend money on these things is not dictated by being one of only "10" to have one in the world. That sort of thing is only really something to brag about when it comes to owning actual screen used items. Everything else is just a copy and every fan should be able to get one.


Yes it is a lot of "elitism" and "ego".But if everybody could have everything in the hobby...would it not be boring?
Its also funny to be on the hunt for good stuff.
Establish new contacts.And if you really want you can get the good stuff at the end.It needs only time.
Or you can also buy a good helmet with lineage from Mark...his CFO ROTJ is very nice.Not so much details like other Authentic casts...but a great helmet.
 
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If that is the case, couldn't a new mold be made from that first helmet? Seems like that would have the same lineage and be of the same generation.

SithLord still owns that first helmet -- at least there is no word I'm aware of his having sold off any of his Vader collection.
 
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