1/6 Hot Toys - Solo: A Star Wars Story - HAN SOLO

[TonTon]

I picked up the SS Hoth/Echo Base Han holster to use for the fur coat look, I sold off my original holster as it was falling apart. Works pretty well.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Solo Snow day!

 

[Felinx]

After a slight re-pose I noticed the first two subtle "micro cracks" in this holster/gunbelt pleather. By end of this year I'd say it'll need to be stripped back and an attempt made to strip/redo the pleather surface. I keep my figs in the dark, climate and temp controlled, though you never know if a fig has sat in a hot-humid shop/warehouse/ship for months before you bought it.

This one has gone off a little faster than the normal lifespan of HT pleather, which for me has averaged 7-8 years (with obviously some pieces for some reason still holding out, eg ANH Han gunbelt and Chewy bandolier.) This figure shipped after mid 2020, so really only 4 1/2 years.

Pleather is such a junk product - even Sideshow pleather, which I long thought seemed like it might last "permanently" (some 1970s toys pleather is still good today, even Kenner SW toys) seems to be going off one item after another now. Though those pieces are nearing 15 or even closer to 20 years old now so I guess you can't expect more than that (especially given SSC figs from mid-late 2000s were 1/3 or even 1/4 the cost of figs today.)

 

[TonTon]

After a slight re-pose I noticed the first two subtle "micro cracks" in this holster/gunbelt pleather. By end of this year I'd say it'll need to be stripped back and an attempt made to strip/redo the pleather surface. I keep my figs in the dark, climate and temp controlled, though you never know if a fig has sat in a hot-humid shop/warehouse/ship for months before you bought it.

This one has gone off a little faster than the normal lifespan of HT pleather, which for me has averaged 7-8 years (with obviously some pieces for some reason still holding out, eg ANH Han gunbelt and Chewy bandolier.) This figure shipped after mid 2020, so really only 4 1/2 years.

Pleather is such a junk product - even Sideshow pleather, which I long thought seemed like it might last "permanently" (some 1970s toys pleather is still good today, even Kenner SW toys) seems to be going off one item after another now. Though those pieces are nearing 15 or even closer to 20 years old now so I guess you can't expect more than that (especially given SSC figs from mid-late 2000s were 1/3 or even 1/4 the cost of figs today.)

I think the ANH Han gun belt is real leather. This one is ****.

 

[thedarkknight]

I think the ANH Han gun belt is real leather. This one is ****.

I'm pretty sure the A New Hope one isn't leather either. It's more sturdy, though.

 

[Felinx]

I think the ANH Han gun belt is real leather. This one is ****.

I really hope so. The thin ANH pants belt certainly wasn't - I think that belt (one with the rows of stamped holes) went off for everyone maybe 3-4 years ago. It went off as fast as the HT Indy pleather parts did.

Though I actually found that I liked my redo of that pants belt more than how it was before it went off. I just scraped all the crumbly pleather paint off and painted it several times, pressing it flat each time.

That technique works well for the finer "mesh" underlay but if the pleather underlay is coarser (common in larger or more rigid pleathered items) the mesh shows through the paint too much, necessitating some light sanding between layers which is a real pain.

 

[TonTon]

I'm pretty sure the A New Hope one isn't leather either. It's more sturdy, though.

I could be wrong but I haven't seen one report of the ANH gunbelt/holster deteriorating. The pants belt is a goner for most people by this point I'd bet. Interestingly the pants belt on the SOLO figure seems like it's leather.