I’ve made a decision to buy the NAG 75K Castle mask. It’s exactly what I am looking for and it looks exactly like how it did in the original 1978 movie. I just have two questions about it:
How much do they cost?
My head measures up to 23.5 inches. I want the mask to fit me well. Not too big or not too small. To have the right fit the way it did Nick Castle in the original movie, what size should I get? 24 or 24.5? Does Nikos make them in those sizes?
-$395
-You can request from Nikos which size fits your head best. We all have different head shapes and sizes
In the movie, the actual mask was rather small supposedly, and therefore when Nick wore it, his long face stretched the mask vertically, and in H2 when Dick Warlock wore it, his wider face stretched it horizontally. So you need to keep this in mind because if you truly want to get the mask to fit you as the real one did, it would have to be pretty small and snug on your head, which isn’t really comfortable, but also the stretch you give the mask will depend entirely on what size face you have, and if your face is wide, you will not achieve the 1978 Nick Castle look, but rather the H2 Dick Warlock look. On the other hand however, if you have a long face like Nick, you’re good to go. Regardless, the rule of thumb when it comes to mask size is it should be either half an inch or 1 inch larger than your head size, so for you with a head size of 23.5 inches, you would need either a mask size 24 inches or 24.5 inches for maximum comfort.
That’s why it doesn’t have to be snug if you want to achieve the 78 look and you have a wide face (and mine is wider than Dick’s), it has to be roomy enough to prevent stretching, I’d personally go for one inch larger, the 75k Castle is supposed to have the inbuilt Castle stretch no matter what type of head you have, that’s what I’m going for at least since I have a 24" head, Scott Kennard has got a 25" and looks great on him though he’s not the thin slick guy like Nick Castle used to be on his 30s. But if the OP has a 35,5 head it’s not going to be a big problem for him, even a TOTS mask should fit him well I guess…
Yes, I forgot to mention it but the 75k Castle does have a built in Castle stretch, so I would think his best bet is to go 1 inch larger as you said. That way, he will get max comfort, but also the Castle stretch.
So I Guess a 24.5 inch mask would be the right way to go then. Are you guys sure that won’t be too big? I don’t want my head to swim around in the mask and look like a Boggle head. Does Nikos make that mask in 24.5 inches?
Sorry to add a new wrinkle to this, but something else to consider from someone in a similar boat as you;
I have a 23.5 inch head as well, and my journey to find the perfect H1 was long and frustrating. From the NO Shat/Creep to the 2K, 98 Proto, 75K, Nightstalker, Vintage 75, Unleashed 75…(there may be others but memory fails at the moment), my journey finally ended with the 75K Castle. After trying on various masks and never seeing “it”; that look you associate with the way Michael looks in H1 that was never duplicated on screen again, I concluded my head size just wasn’t gonna pull it off. I seemed to “Warlock” every H1 mask I put on. Then, after having a conversation with Nik about sizing and whatnot he mentioned to me he has the 75K Castle in a larger 25" option.
I talked it over with James Carter to get his opinion, as my spot was coming up with him and I wanted to make this H1 count. James had the opinion the 25" was gonna be too big and it was his feeling I should consider a smaller option. And when James tells you something about a mask, any mask, your brain tends to kick you in the ass and order you to do whatever he says, and with good reason. The man has seen a mask or two and knows what he’s talking about. But, in this case, after having tried so many different masks and seeing my eyes practically pressed against the eye holes and having virtually no extra room inside, I went with my gut and ordered the 25" Castle and I specified a “slightly thicker pull” to try to avoid having too much room on the inside. And even then, if the mask was too big, I could easily remedy by wearing a beanie. But, what you can’t fix is it being too small which I had been through too many times, so I pulled the trigger on that 25, and Brother, it was the best decision I could’ve possibly made. The mask fits PERFECT and finally, I feel like I capture the essence of Nick Castle when I wear it. I don’t even need the beanie. I just put it on and go. It slides right on with no problem and is easy to take off. This is my H1 grail, and I wouldn’t sell it for $5,000. It took me five years, but I finally got there.
There was an initial worry about would this mask be too big and make my head look too large for my body. I wear size 48 in Red Kap coveralls, as I have more of a Jason body than vintage Michael, and the large Castle mask is perfectly proportioned and blends right in with the rest of me. I love it and I’m so glad I rolled the dice on the large version. I feel like anything less would’ve just missed the look I was hoping for.
Here’s a worn shot. Ignore the hair. I didn’t really spend any time on it before I got a few test shots. Hope this helps you make a decision, and good luck.
And you have a 23,5 head which is kinda avarage, logic is simple, we don’t have Nick Castle 's head, so we need a roomy mask to prevent stretching and distortion.