[YES] Erras the Armored Dragon Partial by CFStudios The item being reviewed is 7 years old and may not reflect the makers current style, or work. General Information Please note that this review is from an older version of the site. The page layout differs slightly from the current version because of this. Reviewer Information Reviewer Twitter: DDShillyshally Relationship With Maker The maker was NOT a friend when the item was purchased, but they ARE a friend now Prior Experience I own a fullsuit and I am a novice partial maker Informed Maker of Issues There were no issues at all! Wear Time 6 hours Maker & Project Information Maker PoeProductions Commission Information Type: Fursuit > Partial Style: Toony Shipped From: USA Species Eastern Dragon Found in Reptilia (?) Made in Year 2019 Transaction Information 2200 USD paid in a lump sum Filed under $1000 - $2999 as a Lump Sum. Estimated Completion Time (ETA) Accuracy YES - the ETA was accurate Date of Review 27 September 2019 Project Timeline Contact Date May 2019 Completion/Ship Date May 2019 Item Completion Time (?) Pre-Made Item Being Reviewed Erras the Armored Dragon Partial in a toony style bought as a pre-made. Photos of Completed Product Head Wear Satisfaction First off, the construction of CFStudio’s fursuits are straight up inconceivable, and I mean that in the best way possible. They are so seamless and fluid that you can hardly tell they were made from multiple patterned pieces. Erras is no different. The interior of the head is lined up to the very tip of the neck with thick, cooling sports lycra; even the lining is seamless as ever. It’s the form of work you see from industry-grade seamsters which, of course, are precisely what CFStudios is made up of. Wearing the headpiece is extraordinarily satisfying. While the head itself is about a pound in weight, it feels like you’re wearing nothing, thanks to the soft lining. The mouth is huge yet not so much so that my mouth is exposed. Neither the minky tongue nor the multiple fleece teeth impede on the incredible ventilation. I can easily fit a water bottle into the mouth if I so choose. The vision is surprisingly great despite how small the eyes are. Due to the Armor Foam squaring off some of the peripheral vision, CFStudios had the brilliant idea of making all of the eye thick aida mesh, rather than just the iris. This allows for wide vision in a head that for all intents and purposes shouldn’t have that good of such. There is a hidden zipper in the back of the head for a snug fit. And boy, is it snug—but not uncomfortably so! This secures the head to my face and prevents sagging or flopping around. Visual Satisfaction Despite short pile furs being used on Erras’ face, it’s difficult to tell where the seams on the face are. The emerald and white beaver furs are luxurious and soft; even the white Monster used for her eyebrows, mane, and beard are nice to touch. The minky neck, horns, whiskers, and ear interiors are smooth as butter, and if you’re a maker, you’d know how fussy minky can be to keep wrinkle-free! With that being said, the neck scales are just a teeny bit asymmetrical on the seamline, but I’ll be honest, I don’t care. No one’s literally going to be breathing down my neck so that they’d notice, hahaha. It actually took me a couple months to notice this myself. There’s a small bit of drybrushing where the white of her muzzle meets the emerald green fur, and while it’s stiff, it’s not crunchy and hasn’t come off at all upon washing. Erras’ overall facial expression depends on if she has her armor attached or not. With it on, she looks a bit intimidating and more regal. Without it, she’s a lovable doofus with half-lidded eyes and a big smile. I love both expressions, so I alternate keeping the armor on or off. The overall shape of the head is nice and defined. You wouldn’t mistake this character for anything other than an Eastern dragon. CFStudios has an incredible attention to detail in that regard. Special Attachments and Features Obviously, Erras has plated armor that attaches to her face. This is CFStudios’ one of a kind “Armor Foam,” and it’s some costume maker witchcraft, I swear. It’s highly durable and from a distance imitates real metal because of the shine the paint gives off. Besides Erras’ overall design and color scheme, the unique armor (which I am not sure if CF has ever introduced in a non-cosplay mascot/fursuit before) instantly sold me. The armor attaches via holes that the whiskers slide into as well as high quality fabric string that ties around the base of the skull. Hands and Feet Wear Satisfaction This costume does not come with feetpaws, so handpaws are the focus here. CFStudios is the premier maker of any type of scaled or avian-related costume parts. The way they’re able to manipulate minky is kind of terrifying to a novice maker like me. As such, the handpaws are delightful. They’re huge, bappy, puffy, and sewn to perfection. A seam popping on these handpaws will happen when hell freezes over. They are lined, unlike my other suit’s pair of handpaws, due to being made entirely of minky. I wear Under Armour gloves regardless of the fact to keep the lining from becoming nasty. Visual Satisfaction I implore you, reader, to go down to any convention CF is dealing at and get yourself a pair of their avian/scaled handpaws. Look at these things. They’re the cutest and cleanest non-mammal handpaws I’ve ever seen. Their huge size gives the overall character an air of approachability (which is super funny since I gave the character a gnarly personality in my artwork). The minky “scales” are appliqued onto the rest of the hand. Really, really lovely touch! Special Attachments and Features Like the head, the handpaws come with a pair of Armor Foam gauntlets that simply slide on and off the wrist. They fit decently well when I’m wearing the handpaws, but I must be careful to store the gauntlets in a safe place since when the handpaws are not being worn, the gauntlets can slip off. Armor Foam is still foam and it can become bent if I handle the suit like a caveman. Tails Wear Satisfaction The tail attaches to a standard-size belt via two elastic loops. Because the tail is a floor-dragger, these belt loops need to be sturdily sewn to the fleece base, and CF didn’t skimp out on this, either. I never feel like the tail is in danger of being worn down, heavily dirtied, or falling apart, despite it being trampled on by fellow congoers who didn’t see me coming. This is a solid, solid costume piece. It’s enormous, measuring around a meter long or so, and yet carrying it with my hands or even just letting drag on the (indoor) ground is easy as ever; there is no foam in the core, it is pure polyfil. Visual Satisfaction I LOVE the design and execution of this tail piece. The minky underside scales, like the head and handpaws, are shaped so well that they look like real reptilian belly scales. White beaver is used in tandem with the emerald beaver (or is it is bunny? Again, I’m a novice maker) and it is seamless. You might think the white Monster fur at the tip and top of the tail would get insanely dirty from dragging on the ground but it… hasn’t? I’ve worn this thing for around six hours total, tail dragging around and all, and nah, there’s barely any indication of grime or staining. Warlock magic! Overall Product Satisfaction How well does everything fit together and match up? Erras looks as though she’s a real anthropomorphic dragon come to life. The costume fits like a dream; this was an ambitious project and CF executed it pretty much perfectly. She fits to form a cohesive whole and that’s all I can ask of a partial fursuit! Overall Project Quality The highest praise I can give CFStudios is for their professional-grade craftsmanship. This duo of makers have worked with the gosh-darn Jim Henson Company. If that doesn’t give you an idea of how skilled and hard-working they are, I don’t know what does. Despite Erras being a mini partial (for now, at least) she is a cohesive costume. There are no bumps, blemishes, or fatal errors on any of the pieces. There’s a reason why their convention table partials sell out so fast—the toucan/tiger gryphon partial I was originally eyeballing sold within a few minutes of BLFC’s Dealers Den opening—and that’s because CFStudios is among the most respected makers working right now. At this point in time, their costumes might just be some of the sturdiest due to their use of serging seams and detailed patterning. Purchase Process Initial Contact This was a premade costume purchased at a convention, so my “initial contact” was walking up to them and saying, “hey, I love your work, I want this, here’s the moolah!” They were super enthusiastic to have me purchase Erras as she was the last of the three partials to sell at the bustling convention. Maker Response Time Since I have had no issues with the costume whatsoever, this doesn’t necessarily apply. I will say that I have submitted quote forms for potential commissions in the future, and their response time to that is lightning fast. They promise to answer quote forms on a certain day and they do so! Maker Professionalism If you want an idea of CFStudios’ professionalism, take a gander at their website, especially their Terms of Service. That page is gargantuan and packed with all the information you could ever need on the company and buying process. As for our interaction at the BLFC Dealers’ Den, it felt like I was talking to friends and a business at the same time. That might sound strange at first but it felt amazing. I’m a Patron of CFStudios and got to see their premade partials before the general public so I could get a good idea of what I wanted. I want to voice that they are just as professional in real life as they are in e-mails. A few goofy jokes in the conversation, but otherwise completely business casual. Once you purchase a CF costume you are allowed into the suiter Telegram chat and it’s a wonderful little environment. 🙂 Project Completion Time Not applicable due to it being a premade. However, the partial was cranked out in tandem with the other two within a couple months, which is crazy due to its quality! Rating FursuitReview rates by asking the question: Would you recommend this maker? YES This review has been marked with a positive rating. This means the reviewer would recommend PoeProductions. Final Comments Do me a favor and look at the other reviews on this site of CFStudios fursuits. All overwhelmingly positive with very few complaints from any of the suiters. These reviews spawned my interest in CFStudios which has now become a loyal following of the business. In the future, I hope to commission this duo for Erras’ full costume, or at least get another costume entirely! Lovely service, professional-grade product quality, and the company itself is run by two people who clearly care with all their hearts about what they do. CFStudios is, without a doubt, a top of the line fursuit making business. 🙂 Are you the maker of this item? Would you like to leave an official response? Click here. In case the button above doesn't work, you can click here to launch the maker response form.
