[YES] Hemlock's Dire Wolf Skulldog Head by The Pyrate Cove The item being reviewed is 5 years old and may not reflect the makers current style, or work. Maker Information The Pyrate Cove Year of Project2021 Completion Time (?)1 - 3 Months ETA AccuracyThere was no ETA given An ETA is the Estimated Time of Arrival for a project. In other words, an estimated turnaround time. An ETA is not a deadline. Review Date25 January 2022 RelationshipThe maker is NOT a friendThis relationship was indicated by the reviewer at the time this review was written. Review InformationReviewerStagmutt Twitter: _stagmutt_ Prior ExperienceThis is my first fursuit. Wear Time35 Informed Maker of IssuesYes. It was advertised as fitting up to 23'' head size, and it was much too big for me (21''). I reached out to the maker to ask for the best solution. It was easily fixed by tightening the elastic and adding a bit of foam! Hemlock's head Positive ProjectThis item was a gift Initial Contact: March 23rd, 2021 Completion/Ship Date: April 2021 Shipping Origin: USA Type: Head Style: Realistic Padding: None Specialties: None SpeciesName: dire wolf skulldog Found in: Canidae, Skeletal(?) Features: None Photos of Completed Product Overall Initial ContactI don't even remember how I stumbled upon this maker or their suit raffle. All I remember is being super excited because I just so happened to have donated to one of the organizations included in the raffle earlier that same month. What are the odds? And even further, what are the odds I won?? Maker CommunicationThis maker is very nice and obviously cares a LOT about their work. They don't bite! If you're interested, I'd definitely reach out. We didn't talk a whole lot because there wasn't much to discuss with this being a premade and everything. Project Completion TimeI have no idea how long this head took. It was already done by the time I discovered it! Overall Project QualityI. love. this. head. I technically got it for free, as I won a donation raffle! Knowing that, I feel I have absolutely no right to complain about anything, and really, I don't have much to say besides some minor stuff! This is a wonderful quality head from a caring maker that honestly needs a lot more support. I cannot recommend them enough. I've seen them improve so much since becoming a part of their fursuit family! If you think THIS head looks good, you should definitely check out their newer stuff. Components Head Wear SatisfactionThe actual skull is quite heavy, so the elastic has to be very snug so that the moving jaw doesn't slide down and press into my throat. After a few hours of wear (unsurprisingly, usually in high heat), headaches can happen, though it usually isn't a problem at all. While the head itself isn't exactly lined, but the foam padding inside is! And it's pretty comfy. It's made of good sweat-wicking material, but I always wear a balaclava to extend the lifespan of this gorgeous head. I have nothing to complain about when it comes to ventilation. Airflow comes through the eyes and the mouth well, and even me, with my breathing issues, am just fine wearing for long periods of time! The vision is quite good. I can see out of the eyes nicely and can peak out of the mouth when I need to watch my feet. There's a pretty big blind spot in the middle, as to be expected, but I kind of prefer having to turn my head to the side to look at things better. I feel that it gives the suit character! As if he's curious and raising a brow while getting a closer look, you know? I've been able to wear it to multiple festivals for hours at a time in scorching heat and bitter cold with little to no issues! I love the mushrooms that were included with the head, but the magnets are unfortunately too weak to wear on most outings. Still, I keep them very safe and reserve them for photoshoots! Though, I love the look of the mushrooms, so I'm considering making plush versions with stronger magnets so that he can still sport his mushrooms outside of shoots. One thing I will mention, though, that probably isn't the fault of the maker since they didn't make the skull itself, is that after using the moving jaw for a bit, sometimes one or both screws will unscrew themselves and fall out. I had one fall out while at an outdoor festival and it was a nightmare to find. Still, all is well, and I just make sure that I am tightening the screws in between uses and when I take breaks! Visual SatisfactionI absolutely LOVE how this suit looks. I fell immediately head over heels with the character, and his importance rivals if not equals my main fursona that I've had for many years. The colors are out of the ordinary in the best way. I love the natural asymmetry of the skull and the crooked teeth that make him look like he always has a goofy grin. I love the little bits of moss growing over the skull. The neck piece is the perfect size to wear over or under clothes. The fur is sooo soft, and he looks handsome as ever whether it's brushed to be slick and smooth or ruffled to be the scraggly little creature he is. I just can't stress enough how much I love this head. Very minor issues: It arrived with some minor paint chipping on the brim of the nose and the teeth. The layers of paint also got squished by the jaw being closed, leaving little indents in the lower teeth. I don't mind these things overall though, and they're not too noticeable! The eye-mesh is VERY spaced out. Great for vision/ventilation, but not so great for aesthetic. When in good lighting or up close, you can see my real eyes right through the mesh. This is especially noticeable in photos, where it creates an uncanny valley effect that kinda freaks me out! I don't know what it is (probably growing up with FNaf), but seeing human eyes where they "shouldn't be" just unsettles me to my core. You'll notice in my photos, I've airbrushed the mesh out entirely to make it look like an empty eye socket. Of course this is up to personal preference, but I think I'll be changing out the eye-mesh at some point. Special FeaturesThe head came with magnetic mushroom attachments for the inner ears and top of the head. They are absolutely darling, but as mentioned before, they are unfortunately not strong enough to reliably be worn in public. They glow in the dark, are hand sculpted and painted with only the utmost love and care, and sit on the head very nicely for photos! They are very fragile though, so if I can't guarantee a safe environment, I don't bring them along. RatingFursuitReview 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 The Pyrate Cove. Final CommentsI highly recommend this maker! Their stuff is quality and full of love. They are definitely in my top 3 makers who I'd love to commission! I haven't been super active in the online furry community, but hope to change that very soon, so this suit will be showing up more! <3 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.
