1...... anyone have the No Coo version of Leia Organa? This is the one with a poor sonic weld and the Coo very similar to the Glasslite. If you can check the cape and compare to this one please:




threads here about the no coo Leia:

http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t3264-is-this-a-glasslite-leia

http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t2077-glasslite-leia?highlight=glasslite




2.... Anyone have the Taiwan version Leia Organa with vinyl cape?

The one I have is smaller than the No Coo version:




comparison pic of the two:




thanks for any info!

Here are some pics of my Leia cape from the No COO (similar to Glasslite)








I think it fits your description with the glossy outside with cross-hatch pattern.


I will try & get some pics up of the Taiwan cape really soon. Hope this helps!

Pat

Brilliant, thanks Pat for adding those pics, looks spot on! It's good to get some more confirmation on these capes

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I don't know all the answers to your questions, but I can tell you the capes have small variants in size regardless of origin. From what I have been told the capes where cut in multiple sheets stacked on each other. I will try to illustrate a bit using my keyboard what I mean.

----------
---------- These three lines represent a stack of vinyl sheets
----------

Now showing those three lines again with the blade coming down
----\|/----
-----|-----
-----|-----

The top layers would be slightly larger due to the vinyl having some give as the blade pushed down thus the slanted lines I show being the vinyl stretching around the straight up and down blade. Same concept as trying to slice a loaf of bread. At first the top pushes down until the blade penetrates the top layer or outer crust then it begins cutting the rest easier. This cutting method that was used created small differences in sizes.m that's the way I understand them being cut anyway. If someone has heard different let me know.

Lord Hendricus, thanks for posting. It's good to get some more info on these Taiwan capes. I agree not much is known other than a general consensus that the Taiwans are a different material to Kenners and are sometimes shorter or thinner. Btw the photos at the top post are the same as on the Gunnery.

Out of interest I measured mine and it's 8.7 top to bottom and 5.3 across - I think you make a good point that some capes might shrink with the hot water cleaning method, and Bryan also makes a good point about differences in size due to the possible cutting process.

I worked in a print shop and you could see slight discrepencies in card/paper size when cut in stacked layers on a guillotine - especially when the blade had been used multiple times and became dull.

What's interesting is that you have two capes both with a corner cut off  Now I always just assumed mine with the cut corner was due to the original kid owner cutting it or the cape taking damage over the years, but maybe there was a small batch that came out this way and ended up being missed or even passed by QC? If you can put up some photos or PM me with pics I would be interested in seeing these.

As for your two Taiwan capes and their differences - hopefully other Taiwan cape owners can add info. It could be due to the factory running out of cape material and making a new run with the closest material they could find? Who knows really... there is still a lot to be discovered about factory production methods leaving us to continue speculating. But with more collectors like yourself adding to the pool of info we should at least get a little closer.

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Cape 1 has a really jagged edge and is not a clean cut so I would say that is damage from some point in the items history. The second one looks much cleaner or sharper of a cut. There are vader capes that have what has been referred to as a "step" in them so this may be the same type of thing as those. They are usually associated with PBP vaders I believe so that would put the vaders production in spain, but possible other cutting machines received the same wear or were made the same way? Like you said though I would imagine they had more than one cutting machine for capes. Makes sense that they would since they had at least mold pairs for the figures so two molds making figures would mean they would need two capes at the same pressing also? Since the capes were cut in sheets it is possible that they didn't need two machines but who knows.

I am far from an expert on the minute details and my main focus is on ledy so I spend more time researching out Mexican made items than any other line.

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LORD HENDRICUS wrote:

Artoo_Detour did your cape have the horizontal lined ridged patern on one side or not. Or is it the same on both sides? And is it satin or matte?

The one side has a very faint horizontal ridged pattern not as defined as the Ben cape on the Gnnery. Both sides are matte.

LORD HENDRICUS wrote:

By the way Artoo_detour did you measure the 5.3 cm width at the bottom or in the middle of the cape. I measured both my capes at the bottom (maybe it is better to measure it in the middle because of the corner cut off). There would also be a difference because at the the bottom the cape is a bit wider than in the middle.

I measured it at its widest point just above the cut corner. Then lengthways from the top middle down.

Thanks for adding your pics. Hopefully other members will chime in with info as well.

Hopefully, my picture shows up!

Anyway, I recently purchased a very nice figure with authentic v3 blue semi trans. weapon, I believe I have a Taiwan cape as well, please advise after reviewing the following:

Is it uncommon to purchase a Hong Kong figure with a Taiwan cape these days with all the reselling?

Is it uncommon for a Taiwan cape to not "zip"?

Characteristics:

Texture - smooth on both sides - 1 side glossier than the other similar texture both sides, "no zip", maybe slight vertical striations on less glossy side its hard to tell with the white cape.

My texture looks nothing like the "orange peel" mess that repro pic on TIG looks like.  The texture under magnification is very similar to the texture of my Obi and Vader cap I just can't tell if they are linear or not.

The distance from the arm hole to the top seem to match the pic's for a Taiwan cape on the TIG cape reference page.

Dimensions:  top to bottom = 8.5 cm / bottom width tip to tip = 5.9 cm / just under arm hole width = 5 cm / top of arm hole to top of cape 1.7 cm

** One thing that jumps out at me is at the bottom of the cape 1 corner seems to be concave and 1 corner appears to be convex very similar to the pics on TIG.  However, the "repro" pic on TIG definitely has 2 concave corners.

PIC #1 - BOTTOM CONVEX / CONCAVE CORNERS - NONGLOSSY SIDE
PIC #2 - ARM HOLE TO TOP DISTANCE - NONGLOSSY
PIC #3 - ARM HOLE TO TOP DISTANCE - GLOSSY SIDE

Thanks for adding your pics and info Jacaroni. To answer:

"Is it uncommon to purchase a Hong Kong figure with a Taiwan cape these days with all the reselling?"

Imo yes but I still think it's possible that a Taiwan cape can end up on Kenner figure and vice versa due to loose capes and figures being matched up by buyers and sellers over the years. Can't discount factories changing material stock between runs either.

"Is it uncommon for a Taiwan cape to not "zip"?"

Based on what is known and agreed in the community the capes don't zip. Mine has a very faint ridged horizontal pattern on one side - hardly noticable - and I can't get it to zip.

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Thanks for the information!

I cannot find any horizontal striations on either side, so even though the textures under magnification seem very similar I guess I will have to consider it a fake

I do have a reproduction cape coming in the mail, I will update this post if I see any similarities or differences.

Finally, for future reference could someone tell me if all Hong Kong Leia capes "zip"?

Thanks again!

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@jackaroni

LORD HENDRICUS wrote:

@jackaroni

I would NOT conclude it as a fake yet.

Agree. Hang on to it until more research is made.

LORD HENDRICUS wrote:

@jackaroni

As for the zipping sound. I have had 3 HK capes and they all made zipping sound.

I have one HK cape and can confirm it makes the zipping sound.

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I'd already posted my TW Leia elsewhere on the site so can copy it here direct for you to see,

from http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t4176-the-tig-fotw-thread-princess-leia

Artoo_Detour wrote:

Taiwan Leia

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Quickly went through my Leia's, let me know if you need anymore pics?...

Group shot, 1 to 4 on the top row, left to right. 5 to 7 on the bottom row left to right.

Don't ask why some pics are rotated by 90 degrees, my image hoster is playing the silly bugger!!

The only two capes I have which make zipping noises are the MADE IN HONG KONG and MADE IN TAIWAN, all the other including the POCH are smooth.



1. Family VI-1 - Hong Kong (Kenner)






2. Family III-2 - No COO (Glasslite)






3. Family I-1 - Hong Kong (Kenner)






4. Family V -Made In Taiwan (Kenner)

5. Family IV-2 - No COO (Kenner)






6. Family II - Made In Hong Kong (Kenner)






7. Family II - Made In Hong Kong (POCH)

My only comment is that over the years I've sold dozens of capes. Really the MOCs are the only way to look for consistency

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Walkie, thanks a ton for posting these "pics"! When I compare them to my cape, feel free to reference the pics I posted earlier in this thread, I noticed the following:

I definitely have the "family" or "type II" - 1A with the . above the "K" in Kong.

The total length (8.5mm) and width of cape at bottom (5.9mm) almost exactly match the distances shown in your pic by the ruler.

Likewise, when I extrapolate your ruler in the pic to a piece of paper - old school paper map distance method, the measurements match my cape almost exactly at: 1. The width just below the armhole (5mm) and 2. The length from the top of the armholes to the top of the cape (1.7mm) and 3. the armhole diameter (5.5mm) depending on stretch.

Also, the tip corners match with one a little convex and one a little concave. Most repro's that I have seen in my limited observations have both tips flaring out on each side.

The cape in general has (1) glossy side and (1) satin side. The weight does seem slightly thinner than my authentic vader and ben cape but not by much. The feel seems correct.

The texture under magnification matches the smooth side of my vader and ben cape just without the linear striations either vertically or horizontally, although I am not convinced this is not a function of my 43 + year old eyes on a white cape.

Likewise, neither side has the fine cross-hatch pattern both vader and ben have; thus, no "zip".

However, I really think this thing might be authentic and I am leaning towards a HONG KONG cape now since both sides aren't satin and I have no horizontal lines, maybe Hong Kong forgot to stimple one side on this roll of material with the cross hatch pattern - wishful thinking anyway.

Thank you all for this thread it has been most informative!!!!!