Citizen Brick Review on Brother's Brick

It seems the folks at Citizen Brick set Nannan up with some printed minifigures, bricks, and tiles. In turn, Nannan has put together a review of their products on The Brothers Brick.

If you've been considering a purchase, but wanted a the opinion of an unbiased third-party...well now you have it! I personally think that there's a lot of potential from this relatively new company, given the inventive and witty nature of their products to date.

You can see the full review on The Brother's Brick, or just cut to the chase and visit Citizen Brick today.

Huw Reviews a New Star Wars Minifig App

Brickset has nice little review of a new iPhone app that helps LEGO Star Wars fans keep track of their minifig collections on the go - SWMinis.

The review was nicely done and very informative. The screen shots from the SWMinis website also appear attractive and well designed. At a price point of $1.99 USD, this seems like a great addition to both your iPhone app and minifig collection.

You can read the full review by Huw on Brickset.

CustomMinifigs.com Product Review

Shilo (Omicron) has put up an informative review of the second wave of custom minifigures from CustomMinifigs.com. Great 360 views and a rundown on the details of each fig.

You can find the review on the BrickForge forums or on Eurobricks.

You can also find these customs designed and produced by Shmails and Armothe at CustomMinifigs.com.

Custom Crazy Overview at Brick Blogger

Akunthita has been busy checking out all of the smaller custom houses of late, and recently he made a purchase at Custom Crazy. Akunthita covers all the main points, helping those on the fence answer questions before buying. You can see the full review at The Brick Blogger.

We hope to be getting items from Custom Crazy in the near future for a review. If there are any questions about these items you would like to see covered in the review, please just let me know.

Si-Dan Review at The Brick Blogger

Akunthita has a nice review of Si-Dan Toys items on The Brick Blogger. Really gives you a good sense of several Si-Dan items and where you can find them.

There's also a focus article on the samurai helmet which would go well with your Series 3 Samurai or Ninjago minifigures.

You can see the articles at The Brick Blogger. You can also pick up some of these items at FireStar Toys, along with a wide selection of custom minifig accessories from other custom houses.

Minifigure Review - Police Minifigure Collection

Starting this year we will be showcasing minifigures in a one off fashion - we will review them separately from a larger overall play theme. They will be cataloged in a 'miscellaneous' section of the minifigure guides. This will be the first of those reviews focusing on the minifigures and elements of LEGO City set 7279, Police Minifigure Collection.

The overall set contains 57 pieces in total including four minifigures, a minifig scale dog, and several unique elements. We will start with the two police minifigures.

The first police figure contains elements that have appeared with many minifigures in the past, including the helmet, head and legs. The torso, however, features new print on both the front and back. The back of the torso has the word 'POLICE', a nice feature for creating SWAT teams or adding diversity to your tactical police force. I've already seen a few people switching the arms around on this torso to have the 'POLICE' on the front of the fig.

The second police figure is similar in that many of the individual parts have appeared with previous figs. The white cap with the short brim style is a relatively new color for this part, first appearing in sets in 2010.

Although not a minifigure, there is a third member of this miniature police force - a german shepard. A new dog mold with a nice facial print, this hound has a footprint (literally) of 2x3 studs. Similar to other dogs of the past, it has a single, open stud  on the back. The head is also stationary and does not move.

Now that we've covered the 'cops' lets turn our eye to the 'robbers'. The first thief is similar to the police in that most of the elements (hat, head, and legs) have been readily available in other sets of the past. The torso does feature a new print. resembling a light blueish gray jacket over a striped prison shirt. On the back of the torso, the jacket has a cinch.

The second thief does not have any new or unique parts, as all the items have been available in other sets before. Now that we've covered the minifigures, we can turn our attention to several unique elements.

There are four key elements we will discuss, the backpack/bag, crowbar, flashlight, and handcuffs. Although I originally thought the flashlight was a new element, it was just a black light saber handle with a trans yellow round plate. The hand cuffs are made of the newer, rubbery material (2008) but they have been widely available since that time.

The crowbar is a brand new element to the 2011 City Police sets. The crowbar comes in red and measures 3.1 cm or approximately 4L in length. Both ends are tapered, with one of the ends being curved. Prior to this part, the only way to get a minifig compatible crowbar was through custom house BrickForge.

The back pack or bag is also a brand new element this year. Attaching on the minifig via the head post, this back pack has an open cavity that allows you to place items inside. As shown here you can fit two 1x2 tiles or similar sized objects inside (like the two $100 bills that come with the set). There's a connection hole on the bottom of the bag as seen above. The bag is only available in dark tan to date.

The remaining parts in the set go towards building an ATM unit and police ATV, both pictured above. Given that this is primarily a minifigure blog, we won't go into too much detail here. We will just share the final, constructed models.

All in all, this is a nice small set providing some unique elements not previously available. The double sided police and criminal torsos, the new dog, as well as the back pack and crowbar elements are the real draws here.

This set's MSRP is $9.99 and should be widely available at retailers who carry LEGO brand products world wide. You can also pick this item up at LEGO Shop at Home (US| Canada| UK) today!

Product Review - BrickTW 2011 Body Gear

A little over a year ago, custom house BrickTW took notice of small blog that featured their products and photos by customizer Tigerggyy. They sent me their first round of products which were the first series of product reviews to be showcased here on this site in May 2010. Nearly a year has gone by since I first discovered BrickTW, and I'm happy to be bringing you a review of their new 2011 body gear, a subset of their recently released line.

We will be covering eight items in all, including three new sets of armor, three sets of clothing, a new body enhancement piece, and skirt. Although BrickTW has primarily focused on the armor and weapons of ancient China, they continue to be innovators with their designs. This will be evident in the female clothing options and the Zhu Bajie body piece.

We will start with the three new sets of armor - Bamboo Raft Battle Gear, Terra Cotta Warrior, and Three Kingdoms Soldier. Each piece has solid ABS construction and fits firmly on the torso once the head is attached. The footprint of the body gear does not inhibit full arm movement. The longer profile of the piece, does prevent the legs from bending through their full range of motion, but this was a minor issue. The items shown here are in Tan, but the part also comes in Black, Brown, and Dark Gray.

BrickTW Bamboo Raft Armor (Tan)

BrickTW Terra Cotta Warrior Armor (Tan)

BrickTW Three Kingdoms Soldier Armor (Tan)

The next three selections are various forms of civilian clothing for men and women - the Male Civilian Clothing, Female Civilian Clothing, and Regular Female Clothing.

The Male Civilian Clothing has a similar look a feel as that of the previous armor pieces. Instead of  plates or rods, however, there are two curved lines to indicate the hem of a tunic.

The Female Civilian Clothing has a longer footprint, like the armor and  Male Civilian Clothes, but is a different style of 'skirt' compared to the other, longer pieces. Here is where the inventiveness of BrickTW shines through. No longer do female minifigs need to have profiles that are stuck in two dimensions! There is a 'bust' at the top of the torso to better resemble a woman's figure.

The Regular Female Clothing is similar to the Civilian Clothes, except the part finishes mid torso. This could represent a midriff style top or be used to blend with a torso design underneath. This part also features a curvier top to better represent the female form.

All three body gear pieces do not inhibit a full range of arm movement.The Male and Female Civilian Clothes do prevent the legs from moving through their full range of motion. As with the armor, any time a part extends much beyond the hips, this will tend to happen.

The pieces are shown here in Tan, but also come in Black, Brown, and Dark Gray.

BrickTW Male Civilian Clothing (Tan)

BrickTW Female Civilian Clothing (Tan)

BrickTW Regular Female Clothing (Tan)

This next piece is also just as original. Zhu Bajie is a character from the classic Chinese novel 'Journey Into the West'. He was one of the three helpers of the hero Xuanzang along with Sun Wukong (The Monkey King) and Sha Wujing. He is often depicted as a half-man, half-pig monster who often gets into trouble due to his gluttony, laziness, and tendency to chase pretty women.

The Zhu Bajie body gear resembles a large man with a round belly. This would appeal to those who felt the Series 3 Sumo Wrestler needed more...'heft'. The footprint of this piece fits within the torso and does not restrict arm movement. This item is shown here in Tan, but also comes in Black, Brown, and Dark Gray.

BrickTW Zhu Bajie (Tan)

The final piece has the most custom potential of all, the BrickTW skirt. At first glance the application of this part seems limited; it's a skirt for female minifigures. However, it can have applications with your Samurai and swordsmen too. Would you like a kama that has more flow on your clone commanders? A little modification and you are good to go.

The skirt fits on the hip posts and is secured once the torso is applied. The connection was good with solid ABS construction. The part thickness at the top near the hips causes the torso to ride a little higher on the hip posts. As a result the connection is not as firm as it would be without the skirt. Again, a minor issue as the connection holds and the leg and torso assemblies stay together.

The skirt is flared at the bottom to allow for leg movement, although it does inhibit a full range of motion. This range of motion is even more constrained than what was seen with the longer armor and clothing designs. Why? The skirt extends even lower on the leg of the minifigure. The further any molded part extends down the front or back of a minifig leg, it will naturally inhibit movement. Based on my measurements, you can expect a range of motion (total front to back) covering an arc of 15 to 25 degrees.

The item here is shown in Tan, but is also available in Black, Brown, and Dark Gray.

BrickTW Skirt (Tan)

All of these parts are recommended buys. Solid ABS construction and firm connections all around. Many of the pieces are inventive and can add a unique look to your custom creations. The longer armor pieces and the skirt can inhibit a full range of leg movement; however, this does not significantly impact play value and is viewed as a minor issue. Check out the full range of BrickTW items today!

Additional Stats - BrickTW Body Gear
Websites: http://shop.bricktw.com/ and http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=bricktw
Location: Taiwan, Taipei
International Shipping: Yes (see the websites above for details)
Colors: Black, Brown, Dark Gray, and Tan (all items reviewed)
Retail Price: $1.80 USD (all items reviewed)

CustomMinifigs.com Review on Eurobricks

Have you considered picking up figs from CustomMinifig.com, the new venture from Shmails and Armothe, but wanted to see more before you buy? Shilo (Omicron) has an extensive review of several of these figures on Eurobricks. Nice 360 views of each fig, a run down of all the accessories you get with each purchase - a solid comprehensive review.

You can see more of the review on Eurobricks, or just cut out the middle man and head on over to CustomMinifigs.com now.

Product Review - BrickForge Soldier's Gear

Today’s product review focuses on several new items from custom house BrickForge that we are classifying under a common theme of ‘soldiers gear’. Although we compare many of the items here to items used by military groups during World War II, they can have a wide variety of uses and purposes no matter what theme or subject area. The items under review today include the Backpack,Ammo Pouches, Canteen, Shovel, and Grease Gun.

BrickForge Soldier's Helmet (Sand Green)

Another recent release which could easily fall under the ‘soldier’s gear’ category is the BrickForge soldier helmet. This was reviewed recently with other military headgear which can be found here.

It is our objective to provide everyone with enough information to decide which of these products are right for you.

BrickForge Backpack (Dark Tan)

The BrickForge backpack is not modeled or styled after any particular backpack or rucksack. This accessory has applications for your military minifigures, as well as for campers, adventurers, and mountain climbers. 

The backpack is hollow on the inside allowing for storage of small accessories, but does not open. It attaches to the minifigure via the head post as shown.

The BrickForge backpack is unique in that it has two clips on each side allowing for additional accessories to be added. The picture here shows both the shovel and canteen attached; however, any accessory that can be held in a minifigure hand should be able to clip on.

The backpack sits higher on the minifigure’s back so it can be used with other BrickForge accessories like the centaur bodies or to allow for ammo pouches to sit beneath. The top of the pack is also low enough to not only work with various military and soldier helmets, but also other LEGO head gear which come down to the back of the figure's neck. This is not possible with the standard LEGO rucksack with bedroll.

The backpack comes in seven colors - Black, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan, Reddish Brown, Tan, and White.

BrickForge Ammo Pouches (Dark Tan)

The BrickForge ammo pouches are a new accessory with a lot of custom potential. The packs attach to the minifigure by a single torso post. They can be arranged to sit toward the front, side, or back. You can even place two going in different directions without any problems.

Ideally you would want to place one pouch on each side. When only one pouch is in place, there’s a gap on the opposite side between the hip and the torso.

When the ammo pouch is in the side position, it can obstruct full arm movement. The picture above shows how far the arm can go back in this case. The ammo pouches are sold individually and come in seven colors - Black, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan, Reddish Brown, Tan, and White.

BrickForge Canteen (Silver)

The BrickForge canteen is styled after a general type used by the US military. The canteen is one solid piece, with connection points on either side and on the cap. The canteen can attach to the backpack via the cap (as shown above). The canteen comes in five colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver.

BrickForge Shovel (Silver)

The BrickForge shovel is modeled after portable military entrenching tools often carried by infantry soldiers. The piece itself, measures 2.5 cm in length with 1.3 cm of that being the handle. The handle is not long enough for the minifig to grip with two hands, only one. As with the canteen, the shovel can attach to the backpack via the handle (as shown above). The shovel comes in five colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver.

M3 sub-machine gun and BrickForge Grease Gun (Dark Blueish Gray)

The BrickForge grease gun is based on the M3 sub-machine gun used by US soldiers during World War II. The M3 was an automatic, air-cooled blowback-operated weapon that fired from an open bolt. The design of the M3 was initiated when the US Army noticed the effectiveness of sub-machine guns being used in Western Europe, such as the British Sten gun. The nickname ‘grease gun’ came from the weapon’s resemblance to the mechanics tool.

The BrickForge grease gun has two primary connection points - the handle of the gun and along the body. The gun measures 2.0 cm in length and 1.3 cm from top to bottom. The gun can only be held by a single hand. The grease gun comes in four colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, and Silver.

In summary, all of these parts are recommended buys. All of the parts we've covered had firm connections and solid ABS construction. These are great accessories to add additional details to your military style minifigures or other custom creations.

Additional Stats - BrickForge Backpack
Website: www.brickforge.com
Location: United States
International Shipping: Yes (see store for details)
Colors: Black, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan, Reddish Brown, Tan, and White
Retail Price: $1.50 USD

Additional Stats - BrickForge Ammo Pouch
Colors: Black (sold out), Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan (sold out), Reddish Brown, Tan, and White
Retail Price: $0.75 USD

Additional Stats - BrickForge Canteen
Colors: Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver
Retail Price: $1.00 USD

Additional Stats - BrickForge Shovel
Colors: Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver
Retail Price: $1.00 USD

Additional Stats - BrickForge Grease Gun
Colors: Black (sold out), Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, and Silver
Retail Price: $1.00 USD

Reference photos and historical information provided by Wikipedia.

BrickArms Product Reviews Collected

This collects the product review articles conducted for BrickArms products. Each of the links below connect to the original articles.

As we conduct more reviews in the future, they will be collected here.

• Military Helmet Overview

Arealight Customs Product Reviews Collected

This post collects the product review articles for custom house Arealight Customs. Each of the links below connect to the original articles.

As we conduct more reviews in the future, they will be collected here.

• Arealight Clone Trooper Helmets
• Arealight Mando Helmet and Jet Pack Set

Product Review - Military Helmet Overview

With the recent release by BrickArms of the Modern Combat Helmet (MCH) and Brodie I thought it would be a good time to conduct an overview of modern military head gear from BrickArms, BrickForge, and LEGO. There are other custom houses that provide similar designs, such as Woody's Minifig Customs and Amazing Armory Ltd., but they are not part of this review.

The helmets under review today include the BrickArms M1 Pot Helmet, Modern Combat Helmet, Brodie, and Stahlhelm; the BrickForge Solider and Military Helmets; and the LEGO 'pot' helmet that came with the Toy Story Army Men. It is the purpose of the review, not to say which of these elements is 'better or worse', only to provide the facts that help determine which products are right for you.

Many will note that both LEGO and BrickForge have a beret which could also be classified as military head gear. Those items have been reviewed previously and can be found here.

The M1 Pot Helmet was used widely by the American military starting in World War II until the mid 80s, where it was replaced by the combat helmet from the Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT) package. In fact the M1 was a replacement for the M1917 Steel Helmet, or Brodie! This iconic helmet design is popular among military memorabilia collectors and have inspired similar helmet designs for military factions around the world.

The three minifig designs based on the M1 Pot Helmet we will review include LEGO part bb406, Toy Story Army Helmet, the BrickForge Soldier Helmet, and the BrickArms M1 Pot. Each of the 360 product shots below show front, side, and back profiles. There is also a front profile with a minifigure face to give you a sense of how much of a minifig's expression will be visible with the helmet on. The minifigure head used for all items is from the Series 2 Karate Master.

LEGO Toy Story Army Helmet (Green)

BrickForge Soldier Helmet (Sand Green)

BrickArms M1 Steel Pot (Gunmetal)

All three products are made of ABS plastic and had a firm connection to the minifigure head. As can be seen in the profiles above, the LEGO design has a more pronounced arch to the front brim, likely to show off more of the facial print. Both the BrickArms and BrickForge helmets were nearly identical in every way, except the rim of the BrickArms helmet is more angular while the BrickForge item has a rounded rim.

The color selection is most limited for the LEGO helmet, only being available to date in green. The BrickForge Soldier Helmet is currently available in five colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Bluish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver. The BrickArms M1 Steel Pot is currently available in Black, Gunmetal, and Olive Drab Green.

Currently BrickArms and Brickforge offer a modern, military style combat helmet used by troops today. The design itself is based on a series of helmets that resemble the PASGT helmet, the Modular Integrated Communications Helmet (MICH), the Marines Lightweight Helmet, and the SPECTRA helmet used by UN forces (seen here). All of these designs were meant to be an improvement in comfort and ballistics stopping power for the soldier. Often these helmets are augmented by covers that can provide additional camouflage for different combat environments.

Both the BrickArms Modern Combat Helmet (MCH) and BrickForge Military Helmet are made of ABS plastic. The grip of both of these helmets was quite firm. The main difference in the design of these two products is that the BrickArms MCH has a more pronounced area around the 'ears', which can be seen in the side view product shots.

BrickArms Modern Combat Helmet (Dark Tan)

BrickForge Military Helmet (Dark Tan)

The BrickArms MCH is currently available in five colors - Black, Dark Gray, Dark Tan, Gunmetal, and Tan. The BrickForge Military Helmet is currently available in Blue, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Green, Dark Tan, Gold, Green, Medium Blue, Red, Reddish Brown, Sand Green, Silver, Tan, Trans Green, and White. The helmet also comes in Black, with and without SWAT print, but these offerings are currently sold out.

The M1917 Steel Helmet, or Brodie, was one of the first metal helmets used in modern warfare. At the beginning of World War I, many combatants only had a cloth or leather cap which offered little or no protection against projectiles. The design was patented in 1915 by John L. Brodie of London when the original French design was found difficult to manufacture. The helmet was primarily designed to protect a soldier's head from both bullets and fragmentation falling from above. The Brodie was used until the early to mid 1940's by the British and American forces until replaced by the Mk III Turtle Helmet and M1 Pot, respectively.

BrickArms Brodie Helmet (Tan)

BrickArms is the only custom house (of the three we are evaluating) who currently provides a Brodie style helmet. True to it's namesake, the Brodie rides high on the minifigure's head giving plenty of clearance around the head. This design has the least amount of coverage for the facial print, allowing a clear view of facial expressions. Again, the product is made of ABS and has a firm connection with the minifigure head. The BrickArms Brodie is currently available in Black, Dark Gray, Dark Tan, Gunmetal, and Tan.

If the Brodie was the British answer to insufficient head gear in World War I, the Stahlhelm, or 'steel helmet', was the German response. Prior to the Stahlhelm, German soliders wore the Picklehaube - a boiled leather helmet with distinctive metal spike on top. The Stahlhelm was designed by Dr. Friedrich Schwerd of the Technical Institute of Hanover after conducting studies on the injuries incurred during trench warfare. Unlike the Brodie, the Stahlhelm provided suitable protection for both the head and neck. The Stahlhelm underwent modifications through the years, but the basic design was used through the conclusion of World War II.

BrickArms Stahlhelm (Dark Gray)

Once again, BrickArms is the only provider (of the three) who makes a minifigure-scale Stahlhelm. The distinctive styling is maintained, while still leaving good clearance for the face. There were no issues with connections. ABS quality all around and available in five colors - Black, Dark Gray, Gunmetal, Tan, and White.

In summary all of the products reviewed today are recommended buys. There were no issues with any of the products, whatsoever. The decisions largely come down to styling preference, color choice, and price. The BrickForge items (Soldier and Military Helmets) are priced at $1.50 USD per piece. The BrickArms items (M1 Pot, MCH, Brodie, and Stahlhelm) are priced at $1.25 USD per piece. The LEGO Toy Story Army Helmet has an average price on BrickLink of $1.43 USD ranging between $0.68 and $2.19. No matter how you look at it, customers are winners all around with these quality items available.

Additional Stats - BrickArms Helmets
Website: www.brickarms.com
Location: United States
International Shipping: Not directly, but resellers are available
Products & Colors: M1 Pot Helmet (Black, Gunmetal, and Olive Drab Green), Modern Combat Helmet (Black, Dark Gray, Dark Tan, Gunmetal, and Tan), Brodie (Black, Dark Gray, Dark Tan, Gunmetal, and Tan), and Stahlhelm (Black, Dark Gray, Gunmetal, Tan, and White)
Retail Price: $1.25 USD

Additional Stats - BrickForge Helmets
Website: www.brickforge.com
Location: United States
International Shipping: Yes (see store for details)
Products & Colors: Soldier Helmet (Black, Bronze, Dark Bluish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver) and Military Helmet (Blue, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Green, Dark Tan, Gold, Green, Medium Blue, Red, Reddish Brown, Sand Green, Silver, Tan, Trans Green, and White)
Retail Price: $1.50 USD

Additional Stats - LEGO Toy Story Army Helmet
Locations: www.bricklink.com or wherever LEGO sets are sold
Colors: Green
Average BrickLink Price: $1.43 USD (12/1/10)

Reference pictures and historical information provided by Wikipedia.