Man oh man… I have been a member here a long time now so I just have to get this out there. This used to be a place I could come when I was younger for tremendous help. I give mad props to guys like Billy Kirkus, Justin Mabry, Colin Mayne, AHG, Eric Austin, Aaron Lewis, Jim Harville (Steve Todd), and I could name a handful more - sorry if I left your name out. But these guys always answered my questions and helped me get started with collecting, taught me who to deal with, techniques to use with painting/hairing, etc. I cannot thank them enough! As a matter of fact I’ve always been the type of guy to offer assistance to anyone that PM’s me with questions b/c I’ve been in the game since 2001 and enjoy returning the favor.
Now let me get right down to it. Why are so many people secretive when it comes to help with finding good hair fiber for Myers masks? We all know where to find mohair, camel, alpaca, etc. But lately we’ve seen things called super hair, magic hair, hero hair, kirk hair, etc. Most of the artists that use these hair fibers do a great job and I admire their work. But whenever I ask where I can purchase the hair, I either get 1)ignored 2)the runaround 3)a BS answer
I know that I am not the only one in this boat b/c many others have come to me asking where to get these hair fibers. I wish I could help them, but I’m still stuck purchasing mohair for everything (nice, but I want something a little better). Heck, I’m not asking for your winning lottery ticket, your SSN, or any trade secrets at all. Just some links, company names, or phone numbers would be helpful.
We all want our masks to look as accurate as possible. So why is it so many keep it a secret? We’re all here to help each other out… I think?
So does anyone here have any links?
The only I’ve used are coppermoose, thewoolery, and forestfibres. Most of them just carry tons of wool, mohair, and alpaca.
Warlock, I agree–and its not limited to hair either. Ive asked people thru pm for painting tips, sculpting tips - u name it, and except for a few guys (Nils and Heretic come to mind - they never hesitated to help me out) there seems to be this idea that they are giving out their grandmother’s secret cookie recipe! The funny thing is that most of these guys got this information the same way - its not likely they invented these techniques or stumbled on these hair dealers on their own! Ive come here less and less over the last few years because it’s gotten further away from a “family” feeling and closer to a feeling of rivalries, greediness, and trying to outdo one another. There just isnt that friendly passing of knowledge from collector to collector anymore and it sucks.
I understand the competition part of it when you’re talking about fulltime maskmakers - those guys that do it for a living (Justin, Sam, etc.) and that’s their only source of income. Funny thing is, those are the guys most willing to help. But I’m not trying to compete with anyone. This is a hobby for me above everything, as I’m just a huge Myers nut! I probably have finished a total of 8 Myers masks in my life. And when I get going, there is no way I’ll end up doing more than 2-3 Myers a month… still not enough to hurt anyone. If anything, I’d rather work with other artists to help them. I never mind exchanging tips and tricks… that’s the fun of it all!
I don’t know why every one’s keeping the hair a secret, but for me, I’ve been using this great hair I first found in party city, it was a beard with very nice hair, I was so suprised how nicely it works with all my masks, and it mattes down just the hero when ironed, you can get it online since the Halloween stuff is gone from the store, but once you try it you won’t go back, its just so easy to style.
Chad, I dont mind giving info that I have…Not that I have much right now. For me Im going to do my copy up for my self. If no one gives me info, I will figure it out myself. Trial and error. This is why I have fully explained how to do certain things. Not that it has to do with hair specifically, but I have taken the time for tutorials for Myers busts and photography tips…We will get there man. We will get there together.
Oh yeah Matt, you’ve always done a great job w/ your tutorials. A lot of aspiring photographers and fans alike really look up to you for your willingness to help out. There are tons of good guys on this forum with a wealth of knowledge who are also willing to help. But it seems I’ve reached a brick wall lately in regards to hair fibers. I would post exact pics of what hair I’m talking about, but it would look like I’m singling guys out and that isn’t my intention here.
Yeah it seems like more and more competition every day. Id like to thank you Chad you helped me out through a pm with the eycuts. I know how to do them but when My trusty blade broke it seemed like a dead end . They just didnt make em like that any more. Id also like to get my hands on some special hair but now it seems to be a trade secret or something.
I surly don’t mind helping most anyone here even though I remember a person or two that chose not to tell me about a hair find once before. I specifically remember one person that told me that they found some great fiber but due to the lenghty hunt, they prefered to withold the source I just talked with Matthew last night on the phone sharing all kinds of painting info I have. I always give people my phone number so they can call me and I help them out. Right guys? But… I don’t forget the ones that gave me the runaround either. My Magic hair (as I call it) is mohair prepped in a certain chemical manner that took me quite awhile to figure out on my own. Then the way it’s applied is the other half of the magic. But… it’s just good mahair and no rocket science, just lenghty trial and error on my part.
Again, I will help anyone here as much as I can and even use hours of my cell talk time a month doing so. I even post super up close pics of my eye cuts for folks to reference. I actually had one artist PM me once and tell me to take down some close up pics of their mask work so no one could get a grip on their eye cuts No, seriously!
PM me if anyone wants to call me and I will be glad to share any measly mask knowledge that I have.
_Indeed you did my friend. I appreciate the help my friend. James is one of the most helpful people I know along with my Tommy (myers 04) Chad (WarLock)
Nik has helped me when I asked as so did Mike(AHG). All these guys are assets to this community._
Like anything else, it’s all about competition. Why do some mask makers charge $1500-2000 for certain pieces? Because they can. Why do some hobbiests safely guard their findings on hair selection? Because they can. True, some mask makers depend on their craft as a main source of income, so it would most certainly benefit them – however, the obverse definitely applies here… I’d be willing to bet that some [not all] of the well-experienced artists out there are probably doing better than I am in terms of annual income. Let’s face it, if one can be so bold as to complete a limited run of masks and sell them at $1000-2000 each… that’s quite significant in my book. You can go back & forth about the community & friendly competition, but if it’s money we’re talking about, than that’s business, not personal.
Why does Valspar own the patent on the lining material of soda/beer cans? Because they can… and it’s perhaps their greatest source of income as an entity. We may all be in this together, but the playing field isn’t level. If we could all afford KH or DB masks, then of course, let the secrets fly – and we’d surely have the finest Myers/Kirk replicas out there. In the meantime, why wouldn’t someone closely protect what they found? It’s ironic that people are complaining about something as seemingly feeble as “hair”, yet if someone complains about the cost of mere “latex”, they’re shunned and told to stop whining.
First and foremost, I don’t mean to direct any form of negativity to anyone or any place on this board… just merely stating my opinion. That said, a thread such as this will undoubtedly be split into 2 groups weighing in on it: artists and consumers.
How can someone say “so and so should share this or share that”? …not one person or group has any obligation to do so. Case in point, why is it that we see so much of the following:
My New H1/H2 : NAG/JC/AHG/MCS/ABC/XYZ/etc./etc.
…because EACH artist is known for their own specialties. Why then couldn’t you add the SuperHair hobbiest onto that list of skilled painters, sculptors, eye-cutters, etc., etc.?
Sure, if ONE person could create a KH sculpt, with DB detail, JC eyes, AHG paint, SuperHair [and so on…], then I suppose ALL of our searches would be over for the perfect Myers replica - and there would be no need to welcome the many talents of many individual artists. In reality, such is not the case… until that time comes, respect all who bring something to this table in hopes of helping others out. Securing a source for hair and charging for that insight is no different than someone charging for a re-paint, eye-cutting, weathering… or anything else.
Your right, no one has to share anything. Maybe I just have higher expectations of people. I need to realize that this is all just a big business like everything else in life. And conform like the rest of em. SuperDuperNappyHair, here we come!
. They just didnt make em like that any more. Id also like to get my hands on some special hair but now it seems to be a trade secret or something.
I just talked with Matthew last night on the phone sharing all kinds of painting info I have. I always give people my phone number so they can call me and I help them out. Right guys? But… I don’t forget the ones that gave me the runaround either. My Magic hair (as I call it) is mohair prepped in a certain chemical manner that took me quite awhile to figure out on my own. Then the way it’s applied is the other half of the magic. But… it’s just good mahair and no rocket science, just lenghty trial and error on my part.
