Great Lakes Garrison & Base

OK, here goes! I am a newbie, so I need all the help I can get. I was directed towards the TK boots, and found this website: http://www.tkboots.com/

The cost on there is $54, sans shipping and taxes.

Is this a good price, and more importantly, is this a reputable and authentic website? The boots look authentic compared to the costume requirements page on the 501st site, are leather, and appear to be legit.

Anyone ever buy from this site, and what do you think of them?

What armor did you finally decide to go with? Also, I wear CABoots in my armor. They are comfortable enough and have been durable so far. Just another option:
http://www.caboots.com/product/1SCSSTOR ... BOOTS.html

Leaning towards the ATA ABS armor, but still researching. This seems to be what I want, as reviews have said it's the most durable, and very authentic.

The boots on the other site are less than half the price than the one you suggested. Both look high quality and authentic, so unless I hear differently, I'll probably go with the TK's.

Thanks, though, and I appreciate the help What do you think of the ATA armor?

obi-ron wrote: What do you think of the ATA armor?

It's what I wear. Its been dropped, stepped on and otherwise beat up. Fit is good and the ABS shines up well. But make up your mind soon, I was on the wait list for my ATA kit for awhile. It was worth the wait though, and made right here in Michigan by a guy probably watching this very forum right now...

I have both TK boots and CAboots. The TK boots are great and comfy. The CABoots stink(literally. They smell like rotten fish )and cost a lot more than TK boots. The only drawback to TK boots is the occasional wait list for certain sizes.

I also have a set of the ATA HIPS armor, that I have been slowly working on for over a year. I got it right before he started pulling in ABS. His ABS, from what I have seen in person, is nice and shiny. And like n0c00lgamertag said, he's local. Which is a bonus for a bunch of reasons. The only drawback could be a wait list but you will get that with a lot of the different armor makers.

I've got TKboots, Darkside boots, and Mark Cheng boots. The TK boots are my favorite, just be warned they run a hair narrow.

Thanks for the advice, everyone! It's making it more clear what to get and what not to.

I got a message from Mark who makes AP. He will be sending me pics of his work, but does anyone on here have experience with him?

Just ATA. PM me if you want some pix of the ESB setup...

OK, it's official - I've ordered my very first piece of ESB Stormtrooper equipment. The TK boots are on the way. I've also got an e-mail in to the local ATA maker and have requested to be put on the waiting list for the ATA ABS armor and helmet kits. This model seems to be more fitting to my needs, and a better buy for the long run, which I fully intend to have.

While waiting on those, I will be taking the next step towards the smaller accessories - the blaster, holster, body suit, etc. I have a good lead on the body suit, and will be doing some more research on that in the coming days.

Again, any and all advice now about the non-armor accessories is more than welcome, as I've already received some that's been helpful.

Hyperfirm! It's what I have.
http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?s ... omsearch=1
Email him and tell him you want an ESB E-11. They are cheaper.

Oh, that looks cool as hell! I'll check it out!

Hyperfirm blasters are great for trooping. They are light weight and durable. I have both an E-11 and a DLT-19. I love them both!

Alright! Have ordered the boots, armor, and blaster. If I have time this weekend, I'll be researching more carefully the body suit and smaller accessories. Thanks again everyone for the tips! My biggest challenge will be trimming the armor when it arrives, so I'll be scouring the forums again. I've already seen tutorials that I will be studying within the next couple months waiting for the armor to arrive.

obi-ron wrote:Alright! Have ordered the boots, armor, and blaster. If I have time this weekend, I'll be researching more carefully the body suit and smaller accessories. Thanks again everyone for the tips! My biggest challenge will be trimming the armor when it arrives, so I'll be scouring the forums again. I've already seen tutorials that I will be studying within the next couple months waiting for the armor to arrive.

Make sure you have access to a Dremmel, this was the most useful purchase I made when trimming my armor!
I've just recently got a Hyper-firm E11, after spending the previous year with a modified Hasbro.... I highly recommend getting a Hyper-firm.

Muppet-Trooper wrote:
Make sure you have access to a Dremmel, this was the most useful purchase I made when trimming my armor!
I've just recently got a Hyper-firm E11, after spending the previous year with a modified Hasbro.... I highly recommend getting a Hyper-firm.

My Dremmel was involved in about 98% of my build... A must I would agree.

Yeah, I've heard about the dremmel. Sounds scary. It sounds like something a guy like me would use to over trim his high priced armor. I guess I'd better study the tutorials pretty hard.

As for the under suit, I got some advice about eastbay.com. Anyone ever buy from there? I was told it was same quality as UA, but less expensive, and they also have cold and warm weather suits.

Got my first costume gear! The boots arrived, and they look great. They do run a bit thin, like I was told by someone, but since they don't have half sizes, I got a half size bigger than I normally wear, and they should be ok.

Anyone have any specific advice about where to get the holster and belt?

If you need a holster give Bobby a shout at bobmichele@att.net. Holsters are $46 shipped in the US, and he has ANH style on hand a ready to ship and can make other versions on request.

Here is his FISD sale thread for pics.
http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=16744

Belt...

http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10293

OK, got the belt and boots, awaiting the helmet and armor, and the blaster.

Been hearing that a dremel is a necessity for armor trimming. Any certain kind? Size? Solar powered diamond tipped, what? Good thing II crack myself up.