G.I. Joe Classified Series

[NORM]

But widening sheaths increases the risk of the blade falling out and getting lost. I’d rather have paint rubbed blades than missing blades.

 

[Damien]

But widening sheaths increases the risk of the blade falling out and getting lost. I’d rather have paint rubbed blades than missing blades.

I've done it quite a few times and only had a problem once. It just depends on how aggressive you are and how much patience you have. If you're getting paint rub, it's way too tight. You can usually loosen it up a bit without losing actual retention.
But yeah, there's a risk there you'll mess it up. Just gotta weigh the options and decide what matters more. And how the blade sits matters too. If it's one of those upside-down knife sheaths on a vest... you gotta be real sure you're not gonna mess that up. But like a hip-scabbard for a sword? Probably doesn't matter if the retention isn't perfect.

 

[Spongyblue]

At some point I just say F it. When parts fall out and disappear, they go to the fairy land that has my socks, my Matt Trakker and my phone number because Julie must have lost it because she said she we give me a call.

 

[docsilence]

In my experience - storing bladed weapons in their scabbards/sheaths isn't really going to cause any more damage than not doing so - the damage is being caused by moving the weapon in and out so whatever causes you to do that more often is going to be more of an issue. And in my experience (I've customized a LOT of stuff relevant to this), painting and sealing isn't really going to help at all. In fact, it may be worse. If the bladed item is -already- thick enough that there's enough friction to rub the paint off, then it's definitely going to make it worse if you add more paint thickness (and the thickness of a sealer over that).

In general, the super dangerous automotive-level paint Chinese companies use on action figures is already more robust than most US commercially-available paints with sealer applied. If the factory paint is rubbing off, it's almost a certainty that yours will too, even with a sealer.

You may find more success in trying to widen the sheath/scabbard to create less friction. I've done this in the past by carving down a popsicle stick to size/shape, heating up the sheath, and forcing the popsicle stick into it. Do that a few times over the course of several days and you can stretch out the sheath enough to fix the problem. If you're fairly precise with it, you can avoid making it too loose and having the sword/knife fall out.

Thanks for this - and also for the funny-but-terrifying description of the paint used on all our action figures. I kind of think sometimes it's that I've left a softer plastic knife against a softer plastic sheath and they glom onto each other rather than it being the in-out friction, but as you say, my Vallejo model color paints probably aren't the survive-a-nuclear-explosion stuff the factories are slathering on these guys.

 

[Damien]

Thanks for this - and also for the funny-but-terrifying description of the paint used on all our action figures. I kind of think sometimes it's that I've left a softer plastic knife against a softer plastic sheath and they glom onto each other rather than it being the in-out friction, but as you say, my Vallejo model color paints probably aren't the survive-a-nuclear-explosion stuff the factories are slathering on these guys.

There's definitely variables here. Depending on the type of plastic and the paint, you could definitely end up transferring some paint due to heat/humidity. Besides strict climate control, the only way to really avoid that is to never have the knife in the sheath. But also, if there isn't significant friction to begin with, then you don't have such strong contact in order to cause the transfer, or as much of it.

As for paint - that's just a huge factor. Toy factories don't even use a sealer agent on painted products, and your paint + sealer can't even begin to compete. Their stuff is super toxic during application, to the point where I don't -think- it's even legal to own/use in the US. We don't like to talk about that because ... I mean.. we're all benefiting from the exploitation of Chinese workers and their inability to have safe working conditions. But it's still true.

 

[docsilence]

Speaking of being particular about Classified equipment, I just found a stray silencer on the ground in front of my Joes… any idea who this goes with? I’m usually extremely careful about the small parts and but this one must’ve rolled away.

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[Spongyblue]

I think that goes with the bow that comes with Gnawhyde and others

 

[docsilence]

I think that goes with the bow that comes with Gnawhyde and others

I think that’s gotta be it—I was actually just messing with Shadow Tracker and Vypra the other day. I bet it’s from one of them. Just gotta figure out whose bow is missing a scope. Thanks!


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[Ru1977]

I think that’s gotta be it—I was actually just messing with Shadow Tracker and Vypra the other day. I bet it’s from one of them. Just gotta figure out whose bow is missing a scope. Thanks!


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Shadow Tracker, of those two. Storm Shadow V2 also has that kind of bow.

 

[Trunks3540]

If you seal the paint with super glue it tends to hold better then sealer. I do that for most of my blade and joint paints. But it doesn't always work. Usually super glue kinda turns the paint into almost just a sheet. So if one bit peels off, usually all of it will and you have to repaint it. I've only had to repaint maybe 2 or 3 I sealed with glue. But, at the same time, I don't put the weapons in the sheath over and over. It was a huge pain for the power ranger figures. All those blasters and daggers and shit that would go into their holsters and they painted them instead of cast them. So I ended up repainting a bunch of white, silver, and black on power ranger weapons and sealing those with glue too. Guns and blades. Also, super glue makes the surface smoother, able to slide better. Perfect for sliding into sheaths and holsters. Will it hold up over time? Probably if I don't mess with it much. But nothing lasts forever. Don't know if it'll last for a long period of use.

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[mrboshek]

I heard Pulse pushed the SNAKE to 9/1. That's a disappointment. It was July 1 the last time I looked about a week ago

Is anyone buying Hasbro products from HK stores? Besides Robot Kingdom, I have no idea who carries Hasbro over there. All the stores I'm familiar with are oriented around 1/6 or small companies.

 

[Damien]

But nothing lasts forever.

Ultimately - this.
There's no guaranteed way to make your action figures or their accessories last forever.
Something I learned in construction and served me well over the years, including in customizing, is so obvious but sometimes we don't think about; you can't fix a mechanical issue with a cosmetic solution. Paint rub is always a mechanical issue - slapping more paint on it just temporarily fixes the result of the issue, it doesn't fix the issue itself.

 

[docsilence]

Shadow Tracker, of those two. Storm Shadow V2 also has that kind of bow.

Turns out it went with Gnawgahyde - must've popped off while I was reorganizing the 'noks.

Ultimately - this.
There's no guaranteed way to make your action figures or their accessories last forever.
Something I learned in construction and served me well over the years, including in customizing, is so obvious but sometimes we don't think about; you can't fix a mechanical issue with a cosmetic solution. Paint rub is always a mechanical issue - slapping more paint on it just temporarily fixes the result of the issue, it doesn't fix the issue itself.

It's funny, I'm relatively new with collecting (I didn't start until I was in my 40s) and I'm only now having to learn that these things are going to break down and fall apart and that's okay. (This heat wave warped a few of my Joes weapons and my neurotic behavior kicked in trying to FIX ALL THE THINGS and we really can't.)

 

[mrboshek]

I put the knives in their sheathes with the thought I might not pull them out again because contact between soft painted plastic and other plastic hasn't always work out well for me. I already mentioned Nightcrawler and CC's swords leaving paint marks while stored in a baggie. I forget which Masterverse I had an issue with storing their weapon on his back. I had a number of problems with Jakks women wrestlers. Their long hair would sometimes melt the paint of their outfits. Mattel UE Ronda Rousey bugged me because her interchangeable jacket lifted the paint off her shirt.

With that being said, I also have had figures haphazardly thrown in boxes for nearly 40 years without an issue.

 

[Damien]

With that being said, I also have had figures haphazardly thrown in boxes for nearly 40 years without an issue.

Me too. And to your point - my MOTUC Blade had INSTANT paint transfer from his belt loops to the blade of his sword. Why? Who fuckin' knows.

I put the knives in their sheathes with the thought I might not pull them out again because contact between soft painted plastic and other plastic hasn't always work out well for me.

For me it's just because... I don't need to pull them out again, most times. I tend to consider the sheathed knives on action figures more of a design element than an actual accessory. Usually they can barely hold their knives because the handles are too small. And usually they have more interesting 'main' weapons to be carrying on display. So the knives are more there to make the figure look cooler than to be held and used. Being able to remove and use the knives is definitely a -good- thing. I'm not advocating for fixed/sculpted-in accessories. But realistically, 99% of the time they'll go in the sheath and never come out.

Turns out it went with Gnawgahyde - must've popped off while I was reorganizing the 'noks.

It's funny, I'm relatively new with collecting (I didn't start until I was in my 40s) and I'm only now having to learn that these things are going to break down and fall apart and that's okay. (This heat wave warped a few of my Joes weapons and my neurotic behavior kicked in trying to FIX ALL THE THINGS and we really can't.)

I think we all struggle with this on some level; that fight between wanting to preserve these things we love and recognizing that we really CAN'T preserve them -and- enjoy them. It's one or the other (if the former is an option at all - sometimes it isn't). The worst feeling is when a toy fails on you and that toy is a hingepoint for that collection. If my Black Series Luke Skywalker falls apart or turns yellow - I have to decide to either replace him, or get rid of the rest of the figures I only own as part of an ANH display, because having him is, to me, essential to that display.

I've transitioned a lot in recent years to less 'toy museum' and more 'stuff I want to play with.' That is, treating my toys like toys. Because they are.