18 replies to this topic

[Crazejason]

I have a dark red noble Komau

 

backstory: i remember finding this in a huge bin of parts i got from a garage sale 6 years ago. i remembered noting the odd colour but never thought back twice... me and my buddies just said "cool" and went on with our bionicle loving lives. 

 

4 days ago: i was cleaning my room and i found a Kopaka canister in my closet, and inside was my old kanohi collection :') after looking through them and feeling the rush of nostalgia i saw this again. now im really curious about it, i know enough bionicle lore, legends and information to know that this mask isnt normal. Ive been lurking the internet for the last few days and i cant find a single thing on it. BUT i did find something interestingly similar in this thread: http://www.bzpower.c...058&hl=official at the bottom it mentions a dark blue Matatu. i cant find anything on the dark blue Matatu either. 

 

The mask itself: Ive done all the tests on BZPower, held up to light, put in hot water, paint thinner, nail polish remover, nothing worked. Im 100% sure this is molded red plastic. Compared to my other Komaus there are a few differences.

1. the "knobs" on the bottom of its "nose" are less defined

2. The inside (back) of the mask is missing the "nose" detail 

3. the biggest thing: There are no codes or engravings on the back at all (that the originals have) but theres is a stamp that says shows +1

4: it is not a solid colour, it is a dark red plastic with copper sparkles in it.

The last thing leads me to believe this isnt a misprint, but a protoype

hopefully these pics will show what i am talking about

 

Sorry that 1 pic is sideways.

EDIT: pic was repeated

Edited by Crazejason, Jan 18 2013 - 10:12 AM.

[-Sidorak-]

A prototype is the most plausible explanation. Perhaps it was a fan-made mask (I think a member here, Flintsmith, made masks in that color) or a misprinted copper Komau (though this seems unlikely). I'd like to have it for my collection, if you'd be interested in selling or trading it.

[Tommy_]

Maybe from a fake LEGO copy company, like BELA?

[Dual Matrix]

Well I googled it and found this picture: 
 
 
That's it right?
 
It's from this blog: http://www.bzpower.c...=blog&blogid=82, the owner Toa Lhikan Hordika, a dedicated collector will most likely be able to tell you the background and worth of this Kanohi, I'm sure it's worth a lot! You're a lucky man.

Edited by Dual Matrix, Jan 18 2013 - 11:59 AM.

[Crazejason]

wow, guess my googling skills are inferior  . Thanks alot ill make sure to pm him and ask. Although it seems to be a different shade of red and lacking orange sparkles. As for flintsmith, ive seen his stuff, he made casts of real masks if im not mistaken? so this would have the stamps if it were one of his customs.

[toa electro]

How much u willing to sell this ? I have a movie edition kraakan and ill trade

Yes quite a good find you have there good sir yes indeed!
Please PM me I would very much love to buy/barter from you sir craze Jason, I have many sets and things.
Looking forward to your message
-the purple one

[Tazakk]

I agree with -Sidorak-, this seems to be a prototype. The lack of code would lead me to believe that this would have been one of the earlier tests they would have made, since most of the prototypes we've seen are from a phase with codes printed onto the front of the kanohi. If this is a prototype, it probably completely predates the idea of codes.

 

Also, you say the kanohi is dark red. By that, do you mean more like the mask in Dual Matrix's photo (which is different from your kanohi, but still similar enough that the one could have been made with the end product of the other in mind), or more like the dark red color seen on the BIONICLE sets after 2004? If it is the latter, I would go with -Sidorak-'s other theory that this was fan-made, since that color did not exist in 2001.

 

In either case, you have a rare kanohi on your hands. Congratulations!

[GBV]

Cool! I do think it is a prototype because it doesn't have a code on the back.

[Flaredrick: Forgotten One]

Well it's not everyday that you find a prototype mask with you.

[Crazejason]

Hello all sorry for the late reply, i have just gotten back from vacation. Time to answer some questions,
I have talked to Toa Lhikan Hordika, and no that is not it, what he has is a copper Komau with weird lighting. forgot to ask about the Blue Matatu though...
 
The code thing is what gets me the most, if it were a custom i dont see why you would spend so much time and effort deleting that little stamp. and i dont think that kid i bought that parts bin from was THAT into kanohis to go out and buy/make a custom. But hey, you never know 
 
As for selling it, i dont feel comfortable making any deals without knowing better what it is for sure... plus is kinda has some sentimental attachment to me.
 
As for the plastic, no it is not like the 2004+ red at all, it doesnt have that soft, almost rubbery feel of the new plastic its that solid hard feeling of the old colours. Plus those orange sparkles change the plastic completely.
 
 
Oh and to Toa Electro, sorry i am not ignoring you, i dont have premission to PM yet as i am a new member, if you see this my email is in my profile. Feel free to message me this way.

[Onua39]

Send a picture to the Lego company and ask them. If it is a prototype they will know.

[Crazejason]

theyre the same size, wierd angles. so nobody knows anything about this for sure? does anyone know where i could get some info on this?

[Dual Matrix]

I dont know, I remember reading some articles about the white huna, It never really cleared, and if Toa Lhikan Hordika didn't recognise it, I really don't know. The white huna was sent to a staffie to prove it wasn't fake.

Couldn't this be from a bootleg bionicle?

[Crazejason]

Bootleg is just as plausible as prototype seeing how nobody knows anything about this. How does one "send this to a staffie" to verify? if anyone knows anything about this they would.. 
EDIT* i have send an email to Lego, ill update as soon as i get a reply.
 
 
Good news friends! i have received a reply from Lego:
 
 
 
Dear Jason,

Thanks for getting in touch with us.

We believe that you truly have found a unique piece. I was able to find that we did make a mask in that red color
but I was unable to locate any set that it came with. Unfortunately I was unable to find any more
information than that.

I hope that this helps you out in any way.

Please let us know if you need anything else. Happy building! Peter LEGO Consumer Services

So.... not a bootleg... the plot thickens...
EDIT: copy and paste made weird spacing. fixed it.

Edited by Black Six, Jan 30 2013 - 10:48 PM.

[Electric Turahk]

While that isn't 100% verification that it is not a fake...

That certainly does lend credence to its legitimacy.

Just like the origins of the white Huna and dark blue Matatu remain shrouded in mystery, it is likely that the same will hold true for this particular mask. Nonetheless, I do feel that you have an obviously rare and potentially valuable piece of the BIONICE legacy.

So congrats.

My personal theory is that, given the glitter in the plastic, it is probably a prototype copper Komau. Regardless, it is fairly unique amongst prototypes/misprints for that very reason.

~|ET|~

[Crazejason]

I agree 100%, Turahk. Ive sent another email seeing if they can find ANY more info on this thing. If it really is made by Lego, i agree, copper Komau prototype is logical. But that blue matatu also looks "sparkly" and is also slightly off from its metru colour counterpart, i beleive its a metru prototype.... the other masks might be out there somewhere

EDIT: if i were to send this to a staffie, could they get anymore info on this? ive sent more emails but the only thing they know is that this mask was produced in this weird colour but they dont know why or how many.

Edited by Crazejason, Feb 03 2013 - 01:57 PM.

[Enax the epic]

Congrats!

Are you gonna sell it, or keep it? 

[Black Six]

Revival.
Thread closed.