I know that this may have already been discussed many times, but I’ve been lookingt at 3d scanning technology a bit lately and it got me thinking about the 98 proto. It’s been an agreed fact that the Don Post 98 is a 3d scanned of a 75 Kirk that Don Post Jr. had, but was a 3d scan that detailed possible in the 90s? And how would they even make copies of the scan? 3d printed objects from new 3d printers still have print lines all over the object and smoothing them would make the object lose detail so I don’t think they would be able to make something as detailed as the 98 proto from 3d scanning in 1998?
I don’t think it’s a 3D scan at all. The technology in 98 was so new and SO expensive for something as big as a mask, plus there’s no way it would be precise enough to hold that much crisp detail with NO print lines. And it’s not that they smoothed them away, because then much detail would be lost. I think with the evidence we have/using logic that the '98 protos are either A. Left over castings from a 75 Kirk Mold, B. Master casts from a 75K mold taken before it was stolen, or C. Recast copies of an Original kirk. Then the actual production 98 and 99’s were bloated recasts of those original 98 protos.
I agree with Nathan, and it’s worth pointing out that the mask you have pictured is a 1998 prototype mask (likely from an original '75 mold). The masks commonly produced during that time period were not this version with the painted eyes, but a much less detailed version with the eyes cut out. The common '98 and '99 masks may be scans or enlargements. Billy Kirkus would know more about this.
