[quote=""Fingolfin""]Very cool, Kit! Is polyresin the material that was used for the non-metal helms?[/quote]

If you mean the Elven, Sauron, and Wiki Helms, I think they were fibreglass resin. Not sure how different (if at all) that is from polyresin or if I'm even right with my spotty memory of what was said a long time ago, but that's why we have Kit here!

[quote=""Fingolfin""]Very cool, Kit! Is polyresin the material that was used for the non-metal helms?[/quote]
Yes. I think the Elf helm was fiberglass under poly, but I can't remember for sure now.

[quote=""Magneticone""]
I would like to see UC do the Mirkwood Bow as I had to sell mine over a year ago , and yes they are selling for high $ when you can find them . So it would be great to replace it with what I believe will be a better more accurate replica , although not usable as that one was .[/quote]

I'm actually surprised that I never really saw many people comment about how inaccurate it was. I mean, nothing was accurate in any way. I guess it was just the appeal of having a functional bow. We actually talked to that same company about making United's bows, but it never happened.

I would love to see a poly replica of the Mirkwood bow made. Always bugged me that United got screwed out of doing them for LOTR.

Has anyone seen this image before:

http://blog.budk.com/wp-content/uploads ... a-2012.jpg

It's a photo of Kit working on Fili's sword with Kili's and Thorin's dwarven swords in the background. Its a kinda cool image

So the latest Hobbit banner (http://www.thehobbit.com/downloads/post ... ONLINE.jpg) had an image of Legolas with a new/different bow than in LotR. Makes me wonder: If UC DOES make any bow replicas, would they make the LotR version as well? I know there was discussion on how the New Line/Italian-made one was functional but not screen accurate, and there was hope for a UC version that was at least an accurate display piece. Seems like that is a little unlikely now.

I wondered how long it would take before someone noticed the bow was different.

It's not unlikely at all, IMO. I can't say what United is making, but I'll just say, United does have the license to make bow replicas, since that is public knowledge, and they are going to.

[quote=""RosereIII""]So the latest Hobbit banner (http://www.thehobbit.com/downloads/post ... ONLINE.jpg) had an image of Legolas with a new/different bow than in LotR. Makes me wonder: If UC DOES make any bow replicas, would they make the LotR version as well? I know there was discussion on how the New Line/Italian-made one was functional but not screen accurate, and there was hope for a UC version that was at least an accurate display piece. Seems like that is a little unlikely now.[/quote]

Probably the one that gets the most screen time. But if there's demand for two versions then UC may do it.

No one notice the other thing different in the banner?

[quote=""Nasnandos""]No one notice the other thing different in the banner?[/quote]

Kili's sword?

I'm guessing its Fili and Kili's swords. also they appear to be wearing Dwarven clothes and not the oversized clothes from Laketown. Maybes these photos are of the gear they wear at the battle of the five armies? Although we won't see that in this movie.

So just a few more weeks until November and hopefully UC will announce their lineup then

I'm pretty certain the new Legolas bow was noticed in The Hobbit movie thread quite a while ago when the first pics of Legolas started to appear. I remember a few of us commenting on it along with talk on Tauriel's bow. Weapon fanatics don't let things like that slip by. At any rate, kind of a moot point really. I did kind of groan internally because that makes it two potential bows to collect now from one character alone, rather than just the original LOTR one (make that three bows if you need the Lorien one also, which thankfully I already own.)

I can't tell if Fili and Kili's swords are different or not. Either way, they look way too attractive and wind-blowing-in-face paparazzi for dwarves.

[quote=""Buckeye""]Kili's sword?[/quote]

Yep. Fili's too, but all you see is the pommel. A couple of other interesting things I spotted in the background too. I'm sure someone sharp will point one of them out.

I haven't been able to spot anything else different Kit, although I'll probably kick myself when they are pointed out. Someone else here will have a sharper eye than me

There's an odd statue in Dol Guldur. It looks like its holding a sphere, maybes a Palantir? I think it's stone though, so not sure. Also it has no head.

I love Legolas' armour as well. I guess Tauriel's design rules out scabbards. It looks like her clothing has built in sheaths to keep her daggers suspended on her back. I could be wrong though.

Kit, I was looking at the statue of Thranduil from Weta and his sword doesn't appear to be curved. Is this a mistake with the statue? I think you said a while back that it was curved but I just wanted to find out for sure.

Oddly, practically all of the photos out there of Thranduil and the Weta statue photos show the sword edge-on, or spine-on, so it appears straight.

You can see the blade curve more in this one.

I am truly looking forward to being able to purchase a UC version of Thranduil's sword.

I am not an e xp ert on bows, but looking at the design of Tauriel's bow, beautiful though it is, can it be that useable? I mean, with the different curves in the wood, can it get a decent draw-power, or would just the outer part of the bow create the tension?

Absolutely. It's basically just a recurve bow design. Even in polyurethane, the bow prop has a light draw to it and can actually shoot an arrow. If it were carved from real wood, it would work as a good functional bow.

The anticipation of possible new weapons is unreal. Thranduil's sword, Tauriel's bow and daggers, a new Legolas bow, and maybe one of these...?

Heres a closer look at his sword, you can see the holes that goes along the top edge. Probably will make it hard to reproduce.

[quote=""N2darkness""]

Heres a closer look at his sword, you can see the holes that goes along the top edge. Probably will make it hard to reproduce.[/quote]

Well, that's depressing. Thanks so much.

They go through the handle too. And if you look close at this and the other Thrandy sword photos that are out there, you will see the blade and handle are one piece, no breaks.

So is this doable in metal? Or would it have to be polyurethane? I'm thinking metal would be costly unless they cast it and with Kili sword issues this could be even more problomatic.

Even though I'm not a fan of the non-metal bladed weapons, I like Thranduil's sword so much I think I would even be willing to buy a polyurethane version. It really is a very elegant sword.

Great!

My hopes for a metal version of this sword are dwindling fast. I'm up for poly versions of bows, helms, and shields, but not bladed weapons. I hope UC can figure this one without too many compromises.

if UC were to do it could they not reproduce it in two parts? With a full tang blade and a seperate metal handle that is attached afterwards? The handle could be cast or maybes another piece of stainless steel? I don't know how much that would cost in tooling and such though.

Please please please UC consider a hand forged edition for us in the UK also a hand forged version of the Mirkwood guard sword

When I first saw this I knew it was going to be a challenge (hollow handle - no blade tang - those damn Elven smiths!), but I worked out how to do it over a year ago, so no worries.


Oops, I clicked the edit button instead of quote button Don't fire me. --Bladecollector.


-Kit said a hand forged would be highly unlikely...

[quote=""Nasnandos""]When I first saw this I knew it was going to be a challenge (hollow handle - no blade tang - those damn Elven smiths!), but I worked out how to do it over a year ago, so no worries.
[/quote]


Don't worry, Kit is on top of things!

I need to get back to collecting. The only Hobbit item I have gotten so far was Radagast's staff.

[quote=""Nasnandos""]When I first saw this I knew it was going to be a challenge (hollow handle - no blade tang - those damn Elven smiths!), but I worked out how to do it over a year ago, so no worries.


Oops, I clicked the edit button instead of quote button Don't fire me.


-Kit said a hand forged would be highly unlikely...[/quote]

I had to read this through a few times before realising what had happened. I thought Kit had gone a little crazy when typing his message hehehe

But no it was just BC editing Kits post I guess the handforged version is due to the complexity of the piece? Or is it more to do with the predicted sales?

Hopefully UC will do Thranduil's staff though so I can own something related to the character

[quote=""N2darkness""]

Heres a closer look at his sword, you can see the holes that goes along the top edge. Probably will make it hard to reproduce.[/quote]
With those details revealed, I can't imagine what an MSSC will be priced at (if it gets offered).

Kit, is there any chance that UC will do another run of the Strider Ranger sword scabbard? or his elven hunting knife and scabbard?

You would have to ask them, but I doubt it. Is the Strider sword even in the current line?

[quote=""Nasnandos""]You would have to ask them, but I doubt it. Is the Strider sword even in the current line?[/quote]

I don't think it is. Anduril is though. It's just a retailer has the Ranger sword in stock but I wanted the scabbard to complete it if I went for it. Man I wish I had picked it up when I had the chance

[quote=""Thranduil""]With those details revealed, I can't imagine what an MSSC will be priced at (if it gets offered).[/quote]

I think weta will only do a polyurethane version.

[quote=""Aragorn""]I think weta will only do a polyurethane version.[/quote]

Agreed. The MSSC line is reserved for only the highest profile swords in these movies.

[quote=""Valkrist""]Agreed. The MSSC line is reserved for only the highest profile swords in these movies.[/quote]

I wonder if UC has any plans to do more hand forged swords? Your comment about the MSSC line made me remember UC's museum collection line. I don't think they'll do another sting but Orcrist is something they may do, but that's really the only prominent sword in the Hobbit that hasn't been done so far.

[quote=""Lindir""]I wonder if UC has any plans to do more hand forged swords? Your comment about the MSSC line made me remember UC's museum collection line. I don't think they'll do another sting but Orcrist is something they may do, but that's really the only prominent sword in the Hobbit that hasn't been done so far.[/quote]

It would be fitting to see the three 'troll hoard' swords in a collection together.

Sword of Kili UPDATE!

So I messaged United Cutlery on Facebook and received a reply this morning!

Original message from me:
Greetings! I am a huge fan and owner of nearly EVERY UC Lord of the Rings and Hobbit replica you have to offer. I recently purchased (and promptly returned) the Sword of Kili from one of your distributors and, like many other collectors I know, received a sword that had a crooked blade with several defects (photos attached). Are these issues being address on this item or is it just being left as is? Thanks. Riley

Reply from United Cutlery:
Hey Riley, thanks for sending us these. To answer your question, they are not being left as is. In order to match the film prop as closely as possible, the factory is using an entirely new tooling technique. We quality check all of our products, but cannot check every single piece. Unfortunately there was a quantity of these that were as yours appeared. We have halted the production of these swords until they correct this and the next batch should look a lot better. Could you tell us where you purchased this from so we can speak with them about the issue as well?

I sent them the images I posted here when I received the sword, which may have helped in earning a response, not sure. But I am both surprised and happy to have gotten one; and even happier that they seem to be addressing the issues.

It's great to see UC is actually taking measures to resolve the issue. Hopefully people who order in the future will get better models

What truly sucks here is that someone saw these swords coming out that way, and even made an effort to 'repair' the casting damage on the blades, as evidenced by the patching that is obvious on the metal, but that same person or persons did not see fit to inform UC that this would be a problem with customers and that production should be halted.

It's a classic case of "I'm not being paid enough to care!" or "Who's really going to notice this?"

Problem here is that collectors are not like your average consumer in that we obsess over detail, accuracy, and most especially flaws, in the things we buy.

So, while I am extremely happy UC is not only acknowledging the problem but also taking measures to correct it, my next fear now comes into play: are they going to recall all of these faulty, unsold Kili swords floating around out there? How will we know in the future that the Kili sword a particular retailer is selling us is the new, defect-corrected version, or the old one? I mentioned this before, but it's like the Gandalf White Staff debacle, where they released a second version with a resin crown instead of metal, but I'm not aware of any way to detect which version you were buying online unless the seller actually checked for you and even knew what you were talking about.

Conclusion: going forward, UC needs to be more transparent about reissuing products that have undergone a modification like this. A slight alteration to the product number would be a great way to start, like going from UC2952 to UC2952-A or something. Of course, this would mean altering current packaging and you just know some bean-counter at UC will have a stroke at the thought of the additional e xp ense.

[quote=""Valkrist""]

Conclusion: going forward, UC needs to be more transparent about reissuing products that have undergone a modification like this. A slight alteration to the product number would be a great way to start, like going from UC2952 to UC2952-A or something. Of course, this would mean altering current packaging and you just know some bean-counter at UC will have a stroke at the thought of the additional e xp ense. [/quote]

You should shoot them an email and see what response you get. Or maybes Kit could suggest the idea to them. I don't think a slight alteration to the packaging will set them back a great deal, although I could be wrong.

[quote=""RosereIII""]Reply from United Cutlery:Could you tell us where you purchased this from so we can speak with them about the issue as well?[/quote]

As I read in your other post, you ordered your Kili sword from Budk. Budk OWNS United Cutlery. If anyone ought to know about the problems, you'd think it would be the parent company of the manufacturer. Maybe that is why they issued you a refund instead of an exchange. Perhaps they pulled all of their stock pending the corrections. Given that they mention wanting to "speak with" with the company you purchased it from, it almost sounds like they are attempting to exercise some due diligence by contacting other distributors in an attempt to get the defective models off the market. If so, that would be very nice! Either way, I will be putting off purchasing this sword for some time....and, like Val, I will always fear that I'll get one of the original bad apples when/if I do!

[quote=""Lindir""]You should shoot them an email and see what response you get. Or maybes Kit could suggest the idea to them. I don't think a slight alteration to the packaging will set them back a great deal, although I could be wrong.[/quote]

An easy way to overcome this problem, and I've seen several companies do it, is to simply print a sticker that goes on the original box and over the previous name or product number. Simple, ine xp ensive, and everyone's happy.

On UC's facebook page, they posted this image with a "who wants one?" tagline. This may be a preview of how they would handle this particular piece; solid metal piece with printed or engraved design, not actual cutout.



It is a different image from an earlier preview of the blade:



Which is different from the closeups with what appears to be the actual prop:



So 3 different images. Not sure why the first two show the sword as black when it is clearly steel colored in the third. This is all early speculation at this point, as it has yet to have screen time, or be officially announced for production.

It would have all the blade and handle cutouts just like the original (were it to be made ). The only difference will be that the blade and handle would be separate parts, and the blade would need a real blade tang inside the handle.
[quote=""Valkrist""]An easy way to overcome this problem, and I've seen several companies do it, is to simply print a sticker that goes on the original box and over the previous name or product number. Simple, ine xp ensive, and everyone's happy.[/quote]
It would still need an item number change or the end buyer still would not know the difference. Changing an item number is actually a big mess because all the dealers and distributors already have it set up in their database under the existing number, in print, on the web, in their systems with back orders, et cetera. I mean, it's not as big a mess as trying to fix the US abysmal Obamacare website, but I have noticed when this has been done in the past a large chunk of dealers never make the change.

What they end up doing all depends on whether or not this issue is only with a few hundred pieces, or a few thousand.

[quote=""Valkrist""]So, while I am extremely happy UC is not only acknowledging the problem but also taking measures to correct it, my next fear now comes into play: are they going to recall all of these faulty, unsold Kili swords floating around out there? [/quote]

Given the severity of the flaws in the first batch of Kili swords, a formal recall would be the honorable thing to do. It would also go a long way in preserving customer loyalty, especially in light of the fact that there are a LOT more UC Hobbit products on the way over the next two years.

Interesting.

"Who wants one?" Not I, if the compromise is an engraving or a print. Half the beauty of the sword is in the cutout.

The one on the UC page (first photo) seems compressed, as in the handle is a much shorter length than the following photo. Likewise, the blade appears to be shorter as well, and broader, but again this could be an effect of poor photoshopping.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the colour of the blade at this point. Again, the UC page one seems to be more of an artistic stylized version of the sword, with the black colour and gold speckling all over the blade. The version we see in the actor's hand in the final photo may very well be what it actually looks like. Closeup shots of the upcoming Weta statue also show that it is a more traditional steel colour rather than black.

All I can say at this point is that I will be extremely disappointed if UC can't manage the cutouts. I'm ok with the hilt and blade not being one piece, but I cant' accept the lack of cutouts as something that calls itself a 'replica.'

Edit: Forgot to add that the pattern on the first photo is not even close to what the real sword has, but thanks to Kit for allaying my fears somewhat.

That's not UC's art. It's something a licensee put together using the WB assets, for a puzzle as I recall. United just throws stuff out there like that to see what the buzz level is from the Facebook crowd.

[quote=""Nasnandos""]That's not UC's art. It's something a licensee put together using the WB assets, for a puzzle as I recall. United just throws stuff out there like that to see what the buzz level is from the Facebook crowd.[/quote]

That was my first guess, thus I was careful to refer to it as the art "on the UC page" rather than UC's art.

It still look like an awesome and beautiful sword to me.