RS Prop Masters Scout Trooper Helmet

RS Prop Masters
RotJ Scout Trooper Helmet

After FOUR years we're still waiting for the EFX Scout Trooper Helmet, some good news - it looks like RS Prop Masters has the answer we've been looking for!

We're big fans of UK-based RS-Prop Masters for good reasons - they already produce THE most accurate Stormtrooper helmets and armor (see our review here) - so it was good to get our hands on their Scout Trooper helmet. Again, as with their Stormtrooper helmet and armor - we were blown away with it.

So lets kick off with a comparison against one of the original screen-used Scout Trooper helmets - this is the one we reviewed a few years ago with The Prop Store of London (PSoL). The original is on the right - and RS Prop Master's helmet is on the left. Its not the perfect comparison as the photos were not taken at the same time - as ideally we prefer to have these side by side to make the best possible comparison.

But its pretty darn good!

In fact if we're honest its a hell of a lot more than that: in our view as of Feb 2018 its THE most accurate Scout Trooper helmet out there and is the kind of replica prop that in years to come could cause a lot of problems to auction houses discerning it from an original. For more photo's and a video review of the original screen used helmet feature above see this section here.

The background to it is its cast from a mould taken from a production-made helmet, so its lineage is very good. The guys at RS have also gone out of their way to ensure all the little details match the originals - so the grey circular plastic pivot bolt looks great - as do the decals, nose detailing, visor etc. etc.

So Its manufactured just like the originals, the same type of Haircell plastic material has been vac-formed, assembled and filled - with the helmet finally spray painted and detailed. Again if you check out our review of an original here you'll see how the dome and visor sections were/are made of two hemispheres - which are glued, reinforced, filled and finished as a single piece. They've enven reinforced the joins the same way - see lower down the page

The are around the nose is perhaps a little softer than the screen-used original helmet we review - but the differences could we be down to the individual production-made helmet this was based off. Since all the helmets made for Return of the Jedi were handmade/hand vac-formed there's always going to be a difference between them. Nevertheless this helmet is a really great achievement and RS Prop Masters should be very proud of their work again.

Here's a shop from slightly below so you can see the way the visor has that reinforced centre join - again sorry to reiterate but this is exactly like the originals - so if 1:1 screen-accuracy is your thing then you're going to love this.

Side shot - the RS guys have used a harder-wearing material for their decals - which we have to say is a very good thing. The decals on the original helmets were wafer thin and extremely prone to damage through flaking - exaggerated by their age as well of course. The decals RS Prop Masters have produced match the original designs exactly - however they'll a lot harder wearing so no danger of easily damaging them like the originals.

Rear shot below - yes everything checks our correctly.

The RS Prop Masters helmet also opens up the same way as the originals (and unlike the EFX Limited Edition helmet is actually closes too!). The open/close design on the original helmets used in RotJ was one of those ideas that sounded cool on paper but didn't have much use in the real world (i.e. you don't see Scout troopers with their face plates up in the film). However its great that the RP Prop Master replica has copied this design exactly, with the strapping down the side is the same as the originals too.

Now we cant show an internal shot of the original - but we can confirm that this is incredibly close to what one looks like. As mentioned before they used the same type of Haircell plastic favoured on the Return of the Jedi helmets (including the Stormtrooper) - and the reinforcing of the inside seams matches it exactly.

The brand of hard-hat liner was different from the screen-used helmet we tried - although I imagine it would be extremely difficult to track down the exact same version for a production run such as this. Its certainly the same style of hard-hat liner and that's certainly good enough for us given its an "unseen" part of the helmet. The helmet can be worn but like the originals it favours a small head! Like the originals it also has the unique chin/jaw cup which can be seen in the centre of this shot (above)

So in summary a really superb helmet from RS Prop Masters which again demonstrates that they're producing the most accurate replica helmets out there. At a time when many of us have been let down by the EFX Scout helmet debacle, its great to be able to "scratch that Scout Trooper itch" and get our hands on a helmet which will undoubtedly be more accurate than EFX would have produced anyway.

Here for comparisons of the RS PropMasters against the EFX and Lone Wolf

Click here for more Fan-Made Scout Trooper Helmets (inc the Lone Wolf)