Ejection Strap Interest Thread

[1969LZ ()]

As you know, I am tooling up to make some X-Wing pilot goodies for the fan film and am trying to nail down the best solution for the materials to make the ejection straps and belt out of. Just wanted to get everyone's input as to what they prefer. The options I have found that are available are 2" Polyester Seat Belt Material @ .52 a foot (Grey), or 2" Heavyweight Polypropylene @ .27 a foot (Silver Grey). I'm not worried about which material is easier to work with or the weight of the material as all of my machines are true industrial sewing machines. I can sew silver dollars together!

The reference images I have is making this difficult to determine the exact material used in the film, if anyone has a definite answer please let me know. It is my understanding that the way the cod strap attaches to the flak vest is either pinned to the flight suit or velcroed to the underside of the flak vest. Opinions??? I want to make everyone happy and provide the most screen acurate ejections straps/belt; however there seems to be a difference of opinion of the material to use.

[dirk steele (karl)]

[JediXXL (Gil Guemes)]

Velcroed to the flight suit works for me. At least that's how I do it.

I know people that do it to the flak vest and they have trouble with it pulling down the vest in the attachment area.

Strapworks.com silver-grey flat nylon is what we used.
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[Grey Jedi (Donna Keeley)]

I prefer the gray seat belt webbing, personally. I sewed the back strap to the back of my flak vest and then I have a button hole sewn onto the front strap; there is a button sewn on the inside of my flak vest front to attach it. I have NEVER had my straps pull off since I did this.
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[Rogan Creel]

[cyranodb (Mike)]

I use large safety pins and pin them to the inside of my vest so you can't see it. Can't really see how it's pinned if you're wearing a chest box anyway.

[HazardThree (Jon Paulson)]

Seat belt material velcro'd to the inside of the flak vest.
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[IndustrialSizeEd (Ed Cook)]

Mine are attached to the flight suit with snaps.
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[1969LZ ()]

Thanks for the input on how you attach the straps to the flak vest. The only other question I guess I have is what type of material the majority of you use to make the ejection straps? The options I have available to me are: 2" Polyester Seat Belt Material @ .52 a foot (Grey), or 2" Heavyweight Polypropylene @ .27 a foot (Silver Grey). It doesn't matter to me which one is easier to work with, just which one is most accurate in referrence to the "film."

[Darth Lars]

I have been told that the belt is only slightly darker than the ejection straps, which if true means that they are probably not of the same material.

I know that the ejection straps are ribbed, and that they are attached under the jacket on the ESB version of the costume.

[1969LZ ()]

I would like to apologize to everyone on the delay of my ejection strap and belt build up, but I have had a bit of a wild December. On the 15th I graduated with my Master of Arts in Communication and on the 18th my wife gave birth to our second daughter. Our groups film project has been put on hold till January but I hope to everything completed on my end by Jaunuary 1. I will keep everyone posted as to my progress and will include pictures at that time. I thank you for your patience and have a safe and happy holiday season.