Hoth Trooper Skirt
Wolff
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Imperial Hoth Trooper Skirt was usually released with the following combinations of colour to figure:
White Vinyl Skirt:
There are 6 main variations plus subvariants. Subvariants do exist and may not all be documented. As a result of the fact that these were produced from a vinyl sheet bought from a third party involved, the subvariants may vary heavily depending on the supplier.
Vinyl cape material (PVC) is made out of a heated mass, rolled and milled in several processes to finally get printed or not. That is important to know, because shrinkage can occur to them when heated again, also depending if they were cold milled or heated milled in the last steps and the directions they were milled. Giving exact dimensions of 35+ year old PVC capes is not very helpful for a guide. They were likely die-cut under tension which would also contribute to capes produced in varying sizes from the same source.
So overlaying those to see differences isn’t helpful in most cases. What we have to do is look for overall differences in shapes, forms and die-cuts. For that reason I will refrain on measurements on all vinyl capes but have a scale on all my pictures for reference.
An Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) skirt does not have a given front or back. But all of those skirts have a left and right side determined by the asymmetrical shape of the skirt. A front and back side was then assigned to make them comparable in the guide.
M1 was produced by SMILE in Hong Kong. The following versions are known:
- Crosshatch/Zebra pattern
M2 was produced by SMILE in Hong Kong. The following versions are known:
- Crosshatch/rough (horizontal lines, long version (M2a)
- Crosshatch/rough (vertical lines), medium lenght (M2a)
- Crosshatch/soft (horizontal lines), medium lenght (M2b)
- Crosshatch/soft (vertical lines), short version (M2b)
M3 was produced by POCH in Spain. The following versions are known:
- Faint/rough, no crosshatch
M4 was produced by KADER in Hong Kong. The following versions are known:
- Semi-rough/crosshatch (M4a)
- Faint/crosshatch (M4b)
- Crosshatch/faint (M4b)
M5 was produced by UNITOY in Hong Kong. The following versions are known:
- Faint stripes/crosshatch
- Crosshatch/faint stripes
M6 was produced by PBP in Spain. The following versions are known:
- Glossy/rough (M6a)
- Ladder/glossy (M6b)
- Craters/glossy (M6c)
- Glossy/Soft lines (M6d)
BRAZIL
*Coming soon
This skirt was produced by an unknown factory for the “CSILLAGOK HÁBORÚJA” line in Hungary. The material was only used in the 80s and came with Hungarian Imperial Stromtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear). The following versions are known:
- white
R1:
The R3 skirt is another one which needs further investigation. It has die-cut steps left and right and a perfect cut to the top. Yet the bottom corners have steps to it that seems suspicious. The shape is unique and therfore could be an unknown variant, yet there is no crosshatch present which adds to it beeing fake.
Please keep this reproduction classification with a grain of salt. It needs further investigation.
The R3 skirt is a recut of the M2/M1 version from SMILE:
The R11 skirt is made out of a smiliar material compared to the PBP originals ones (M5a). The die-cut steps to the top are not present and the handcut curves are an identification point as well. There is a rectangular cut between the hangers which differs from the originals as well.
The R11 skirt is a recut of the M6 version from PBP:
The R12 skirt is made out of a smiliar material compared to the PBP originals ones (between M5a and M5b). The die-cut steps to the top are not present and the handcut curves are an identification point as well. The shape from the hangers is totally off, so this might be the most easiest way to spot those.
The R12 skirt is a recut of the M6 version from PBP:
The R13 skirt is made out of a smiliar material compared to the PBP originals ones but there is no real glossy side compared to originals. One of the specimen shown is wavy and was tempered with, one even shows wear age and yellowing. The outer shape from this fake is pretty accurate but if you look closely you can see that all curves were die-cut with a small tool which leaves die-cut steps before and after every curve.
The R13 skirt is a recut of the M6 version from PBP:
Poch Snowtrooper Guide
Bootleg Snowtrooper
