Well that's disappointing, Jaman. At least xena's happy with it...but to tell you the truth I wasn't all that please with the design of the bow in the first place. Now, if HCG were to make a Mirkwood bow or a Galadrhim bow like the one Haldir uses at Helm's Deep in the films, then I'd be buying it before you could say custom-paint-job

Well, mine finally arrived right on schedule yesterday.

First impressions - yes, the first thing you notice immediately is how much darker the bow appears compared to what you would e xp ect. Much like UC falsely advertising the Legolas Knives with a picture of the white handles, the picture of the bow on the HCG site does show a bow that is much lighter in colour and closer to the original.

However, I will say that the bow has a definite chameleon-like quality to it, and it *can* appear considerably lighter-coloured from room to room in my place, or when taken from light into shadow. Of course, something like this should be obvious with any object, but the bow really does take on a different appearance depending on the lighting, though it never acquires that golden sheen you see in the movie.

Having said that, am I satisfied? I have to say that aside from the colour issues (which are becoming minor the longer I look at it,) I would have to respond with a resounding 'yes.' Before anyone says it, I'm not just saying that because after waiting six months for it I feel like I have to force myself to like to justify it all; I'm saying I honestly do love this bow and don't regret a cent I paid for it. After years of collecting replicas, I've grown used to the fact that they are always less than perfect but you learn to live with the discrepancies and move on. The colour of the Knife handles bothered me when I first got them, and now I don't even notice it.

The bow is exquisitely built, has a very good weight to it, and really makes you want to pull the string, and though I know you have all tried to some extent, I definitely advise against pulling it too far: the bow is advertised as non-functional and it soon becomes clear why. Unlike Jamanticus, I really like the leaf-detailing and don't see any major problems with it aside from one little spot where the paint did run onto the bow itself, but it is very small. The colour of the leaf carving is a pearlescent dark brown, and though I had ideas of repainting it myself, I doubt I could achieve that quality, so I may just leave it alone since I like it well enough as is.

The display plaque is positively heavy and large, but it is nicely constructed to simulate wood, is covered entirely with felt on the back to avoid scratching your wall, and has raised rubber pads so it will sit evenly. The requisite logo and movie information is on the back, along with the edition number: mine is 118 of 500.

Lastly, and far more disappointing for me than the bow colour are the two arrow-heads that come with the special edition of the bow. While they certainly are beautiful to behold, just picking them up tells you immediately that they are not metal. By their colour on the website, I was e xp ecting brass, or at least gold-colour painted steel or even aluminum, but they are clearly just plastic and very light in weight to the point they feel like toys. I was baffled as to how they would attach to the plaque since there is no visible means to display them, but was pleasantly surprised they must have a magnet or metal pin inside them because they 'stick' very well to the area of the plaque where they are meant to go. So, as long as you don't handle them, the illusion is quite good, but if you're on the fence as to which version of the bow to order, you're not missing much if you get one without the arrows.

That's it for now. What remains is to find a place now to display this beautiful beast: I am 6'1 in height, and this bow comes up to my nose!

what do you mean???? it was molded directly after orlando blooms bow....







sorry these pictures are not so good....

I completely agree with you 100 percent val!!!! absolutly AMAZING!!!!!!

[quote=""xena10ares""]what do you mean???? it was molded directly after orlando blooms bow....[/quote]

I assume you are referring to Fingolfin's post and not mine? I think he knows the bow is a direct replica of the one in the movie; I just took his comment to mean that he wasn't thrilled with that original design in the first place, not that the replica is innacurate. Right, Fin?

yes i didnt mean you....i thought he meant it was innacurate....but it makes more since with the way you took it! haha

oh another thing i really like about the bow is the string!!! wow!!! it looks and feels great right?

Yeah, that'd be what I meant. I always pictured in the books for Legolas's Lorien Bow to be something really special, and watching the films I liked the other bows better. Not that any are bad, it was just one of those page-to-screen let downs, you know?

ohhhh i got you now! its always been my favorite weapon design...but i never read the books, so for mer there was no before hand image of the bow...

[quote=""Fingolfin""]but to tell you the truth I wasn't all that please with the design of the bow in the first place. Now, if HCG were to make a Mirkwood bow or a Galadrhim bow like the one Haldir uses at Helm's Deep in the films, then I'd be buying it before you could say custom-paint-job [/quote]

Have to agree with Fin, at least in part. I'm not even too impressed with the Galadhrim bow, but I do like the Mirkwood bow.

OK, now about the matter of an officially licensed Mirkwood bow....

There was one being sold a few years ago, of that I am dead certain.
It is fully functional and comes with two, count 'em, two Mirkwood arrows.
You have to specify your DW, but I think DL is fixed at 28".

I THINK the manufacturer was in Italy but of that I am not certain.

bowstick.com began selling it again last year sometime, but now they are listed as "out of stock" but "More on order" (I'll believe that when I see it....the new bowstick.com is most definitely not the old "Justin Steinmetz" bowstick .com. )

There are some old postings on one of the forums here about that bow, although it may be about the first officially licensed Mirkwood Bow that was non-functional (and I don't know the manufacturer of that one).

There was an official version of the Galadhrim bow made by a company in Europe (Italy also, I believe,) but I can't remember the name for the life of me. That one was non-functional, however.

A bit off topic, but since Europe has been mentioned in the manufacture of LOTR replicas, has anyone seen this?

http://www.todoespadas.com/boromir-shield-p-1711.html

Neither licensed nor official ,of course. But if one were good with raw materials and fabrication (I'm thinking here of Jamanticus and Thranduil)
one could tweek this a bit and have a really good replica of Boromir's Shield.

[quote=""Deimos""]A bit off topic, but since Europe has been mentioned in the manufacture of LOTR replicas, has anyone seen this?

http://www.todoespadas.com/boromir-shield-p-1711.html

Neither licensed nor official ,of course. But if one were good with raw materials and fabrication (I'm thinking here of Jamanticus and Thranduil)
one could tweek this a bit and have a really good replica of Boromir's Shield.[/quote]
I have to continue with my own when it comes to tweeking. This one you posted is okay, I guess, the back side is awful. Kind of like the Legolas Bow, perfection isn't what you get. A close version perhaps.
To each his own I guess.