1/6 Hot Toys MMS 261-Star Wars: Episode IV-Han Solo 1/6th Scale Collectible Figure

[TonTon]

@TonTon looks great ... what did you replace the belt with? Stock or custom?

Hot Toys and pleather - a match made in heaven.

Which custom belt is that?

I'm pretty sure I had replaced it recently with a stock ANH belt as well.

It was from a custom set @robbiethepainter made for ESB Han. But the Yunsil clothing run ended up having a belt as well.

 

[ZE_501]

I'm pretty sure I had replaced it recently with a stock ANH belt as well.

It was from a custom set @robbiethepainter made for ESB Han. But the Yunsil clothing run ended up having a belt as well.

I look over at my Snowspeeder Luke belt and worry.

 

[TonTon]

I look over at my Snowspeeder Luke belt and worry.

You've got 6-7 years. And then you'll have to reach out to Old Traveler Workshop on FB.

 

[ZE_501]

You've got 6-7 years. And then you'll have to reach out to Old Traveler Workshop on FB.

Maybe I should do that *now*. Is there any other way to contact them? I'm not a FB guy.

 

[TonTon]

Maybe I should do that *now*. Is there any other way to contact them? I'm not a FB guy.

I'll PM you his email address.

 

[Asta]

 

[GodParticle]

Took out my han from storage and the boots had a crack forming. I know I'm in the minority, but I'd just rather them use a soft plastic for all pleather bits

 

[TonTon]

At least there usually replacements out there for this one. DID officer boots work pretty well, though you need the feet. Or the young Han boots or Dooku boots work too, but those are hard to find.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204434803791

 

[GodParticle]

At least there usually replacements out there for this one. DID officer boots work pretty well, though you need the feet. Or the young Han boots or Dooku boots work too, but those are hard to find.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204434803791

Thanks for the tip. Yeah, all of the boots HT does in that style look like a disaster waiting to happen with how they crinkle up at the ankles. Though, oddly, this crack formed higher up on the side

 

[TonTon]

Thanks for the tip. Yeah, all of the boots HT does in that style look like a disaster waiting to happen with how they crinkle up at the ankles. Though, oddly, this crack formed higher up on the side

My boots went a while ago. Makes sense in some ways as this was probably my first HT figure with pleather parts.

 

[Felinx]

Yeah even doing the "maintenance" with various protective products (303) I haven't been 100% sure will prevent the death of HT pleather.

And it does happen to DID boots too - I've had a few of those go. DID offers "genuine leather" boots now on most of tehir figs but I think that's about as "genuine" as the Present Toys Indy jacket... sold as "genuine" but clearly not.

And some of that type of 303 type maintenance is a huge issue because you have to pull things like boots and belts off, upsetting poses and exposing the pleather to some stress and handling it wouldn't normally have, and also potentially getting the 303 on clothing, headsculpts etc with unknown outcomes. And some people say you're supposed to do that process a few times a year which is just crazy.

It's ultimately the crap pleather HT uses because my Kenner Han 12" has a pleather vest that is still intact after 40+ years.

 

[GodParticle]

Yeah even doing the "maintenance" with various protective products (303) I haven't been 100% sure will prevent the death of HT pleather.

And it does happen to DID boots too - I've had a few of those go. DID offers "genuine leather" boots now on most of tehir figs but I think that's about as "genuine" as the Present Toys Indy jacket... sold as "genuine" but clearly not.

And some of that type of 303 type maintenance is a huge issue because you have to pull things like boots and belts off, upsetting poses and exposing the pleather to some stress and handling it wouldn't normally have, and also potentially getting the 303 on clothing, headsculpts etc with unknown outcomes. And some people say you're supposed to do that process a few times a year which is just crazy.

It's ultimately the crap pleather HT uses because my Kenner Han 12" has a pleather vest that is still intact after 40+ years.

I've been using the 303 for a bit now. I try to do it a couple of times a year. My han was in a bin and hadn't been touched for a long while. I don't take the parts off just for that reason you mentioned. I just get a paint brush and brush it on. Seems to work pretty well. I can notice a big difference between stuff I did coat and ones I didn't. I've gotten it on clothing and it hasn't stained or anything

 

[Felinx]

I've been using the 303 for a bit now. I try to do it a couple of times a year. My han was in a bin and hadn't been touched for a long while. I don't take the parts off just for that reason you mentioned. I just get a paint brush and brush it on. Seems to work pretty well. I can notice a big difference between stuff I did coat and ones I didn't. I've gotten it on clothing and it hasn't stained or anything

The problem I have with leaving stuff in place when you do the 303 is that in some cases you can only really reach maybe 80-90% of the pleather surface - for example parts of a belt or jacket that are folded under, the inner lip of boots etc - so those areas that don't receive direct application of the 303 so can still potentially fail.

I did several Indy jackets recently and there were a lot of areas on the jackets that were folded in on itself - underside of collars and tabs, deep jacket pleats, seams folded inward (ie where zippers go) - and you really would have missed a good 15% of the pleather surface if you didn't take it off the fig, and crumbling in these areas is probably as fatal to the jacket as a visible surface crack.

It's a staggeringly frustrating thing that these $250+ items have parts that in some cases only last 5-10 years, and if you're talking a character that has a lot of leather on their outfit, you're in trouble.

And I guess the 303 question (I've done some, but I have something like 150 figs all up and maybe 1/2 have at least some pleather parts) is still an open one - just not sure that anyone has used it long enough for us to really understand if side-by-side a person who used it kept the pleather intact and the person who didn't had it fail.

Bottom line for me is that I just don't think its possible in the real world for me to coat probably upwards of 300 individual pleather items of varying sizes, many partly hidden under coats and other stuff every 6 months or so, which is what's necessary. It's just countless hours of stressful, joyless work that has to be done over and over (303 would be awesome if it was a "one and done" process.)

 

[GodParticle]

The problem I have with leaving stuff in place when you do the 303 is that in some cases you can only really reach maybe 80-90% of the pleather surface - for example parts of a belt or jacket that are folded under, the inner lip of boots etc - so those areas that don't receive direct application of the 303 so can still potentially fail.

I did several Indy jackets recently and there were a lot of areas on the jackets that were folded in on itself - underside of collars and tabs, deep jacket pleats, seams folded inward (ie where zippers go) - and you really would have missed a good 15% of the pleather surface if you didn't take it off the fig, and crumbling in these areas is probably as fatal to the jacket as a visible surface crack.

It's a staggeringly frustrating thing that these $250+ items have parts that in some cases only last 5-10 years, and if you're talking a character that has a lot of leather on their outfit, you're in trouble.

And I guess the 303 question (I've done some, but I have something like 150 figs all up and maybe 1/2 have at least some pleather parts) is still an open one - just not sure that anyone has used it long enough for us to really understand if side-by-side a person who used it kept the pleather intact and the person who didn't had it fail.

Bottom line for me is that I just don't think its possible in the real world for me to coat probably upwards of 300 individual pleather items of varying sizes, many partly hidden under coats and other stuff every 6 months or so, which is what's necessary. It's just countless hours of stressful, joyless work that has to be done over and over (303 would be awesome if it was a "one and done" process.)

Oh wow, there's no way I could do that many. It's annoying enough with the small number I have now. I think you're supposed to do both sides of the pleather, but I just didn't have the time and the stress level of trying to get stuff off/back on was too much. I think some people use angelus acrylic finisher that's supposed to be permanent, but I've never tried it

 

[Felinx]

Oh wow, there's no way I could do that many. It's annoying enough with the small number I have now. I think you're supposed to do both sides of the pleather, but I just didn't have the time and the stress level of trying to get stuff off/back on was too much. I think some people use angelus acrylic finisher that's supposed to be permanent, but I've never tried it

Yeah I've used both. The angelus does give the pleather a more real looking sheen for pleathers that don't look 100% real to begin with. It's more like a very thin/watery clear paint. I have used it to sort of "save" pleathers that are just starting to crack so you may want to try that on your Han boots.

I can't say I've been hugely happy with any of these treatments, so I haven't done it a lot. Maybe done 15-20% of my pleather parts once or twice. And yeah, when your collection goes up beyond 50 figs, treating pleather properly and frequently just isn't really feasible.

I haven't heard of the need to do the back "fabric" side of the pleather. Yikes. I've only ever coated the surfaces that actually look like leather.

I tried to follow YT guide videos and the instructions for stuff like 303 and the treated garment always seemed to end up ever so slightly on the "wet" side, mostly because you have to slightly rub it in, so I always assumed it wouldn't be a great idea to apply it without removing the garment from the fig - great to hear you haven't had a problem.

I would still worry if you had a character with a leather jacket and white shirt and pale pants underneath. 303 doesn't really "dry" like most fluids so maybe it wouldn't leave the slight "water marks" on adjacent shirt/pants I always feared.

 

[potato]

Anyone any good and affordable solid boots to replace the original boots?

 

[potato]

Yeah I've used both. The angelus does give the pleather a more real looking sheen for pleathers that don't look 100% real to begin with. It's more like a very thin/watery clear paint. I have used it to sort of "save" pleathers that are just starting to crack so you may want to try that on your Han boots.

I can't say I've been hugely happy with any of these treatments, so I haven't done it a lot. Maybe done 15-20% of my pleather parts once or twice. And yeah, when your collection goes up beyond 50 figs, treating pleather properly and frequently just isn't really feasible.

I haven't heard of the need to do the back "fabric" side of the pleather. Yikes. I've only ever coated the surfaces that actually look like leather.

I tried to follow YT guide videos and the instructions for stuff like 303 and the treated garment always seemed to end up ever so slightly on the "wet" side, mostly because you have to slightly rub it in, so I always assumed it wouldn't be a great idea to apply it without removing the garment from the fig - great to hear you haven't had a problem.

I would still worry if you had a character with a leather jacket and white shirt and pale pants underneath. 303 doesn't really "dry" like most fluids so maybe it wouldn't leave the slight "water marks" on adjacent shirt/pants I always feared.

you can try meguire hyper dressing and dilute them to your liking. it doesnt stay wet like others once dried.

but from what i know about pleather, when it fails partly die to humidity getting in from the non coated fabric side which causes the adhesives to start failing. what i also noticed is that weathered pleather tend to be more durable they also feel harder.

regarding the belt, maybe redo them using full grain goat leather, or mod the sideshow one since sideshow used real leather on most of their belts.

 

[potato]

Thanks for the tip. Yeah, all of the boots HT does in that style look like a disaster waiting to happen with how they crinkle up at the ankles. Though, oddly, this crack formed higher up on the side

There arent many new boots options out there. DID still make their ancient pleather boots which i had 2 pairs both flaked the spare pair i have removed all the pleather so now its just a thin grey fabric boot. theres a generic rubber boot but it seems to only go half way up the lower legs. the only other solid boots i know would be the sideshow version.

someone on the resident evil custom thread mentioned you can coat a leather paint primer (forgot the brand) then apply multiple coats of leather paint and it will end up looking like leather and showed a couple of photos on the HT black widow suit. you probably need to stuff the boots full before painting. obviously after removing the pleather layer.

 

[Rogerbee]

Anyone any good and affordable solid boots to replace the original boots?

DML or DID, there are loads of German boots you can use.

 

[potato]

DML or DID, there are loads of German boots you can use.

did uses pleather. and i think the ones i have are same height as sideshow boots which is shorter. same goes for the generic rubber boots available now. will buy the generic boots to see since sideshow boots are meant for smaller feet.