Original Armour Strapping System:

Ok lets look at the original armour strapping systems. Something that has been of hot debate for years; but in which the know-how has only been proven recently with the outing of the LFL archive pictures.

Starting at the top of the thighs we know that the original system used a standard leather belt garter system which is perfectly suited to be adjustable for the various actors and extras that would be wearing the armour.

The strapping itself was 3 inch wide black elastic glued directly inside the thigh tops in the centre of the raised detailing as seen from the front. The elastic was long enough to allow a loop sewn in to the elastic to allow the garter belt to be changed with ease. Again as with all the original strapping system a white adhesive was used on both sides of the elastic.

TM 1.5 replica
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Original armour
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The shins were not held up by any means and for many years most people thought that they were left open at the back too. This stems from the Tantive IV raiding party scene in which we can clearly see the shins opening widely as the troopers storm down the corridor. But this scene was one of the last to be filmed and its safe to say the suits were more than a little used by that point.

Now we know that infact the shins were held together at 3 places going down the rear seem by little hooks used in sewing. They were places with 1 at the very top of the shin, just below the detail moulding, 1 about 2/3rds of the way down and the last at the bottom.

These were hand sewn to 1 inch white elastic that was glued directly inside the shins on the side that the extra cover strip as used on the butt joint seems were also attached. So in the case of the shin closure at the back this is the outer side of the shin. Then 3 holes were drilled in the adjacent part of the shin and the hooks were simply pushed through to hold the back of the shins closed.

Replica 1.5 armour
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Original armour
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