[YES] Ven the Alligator by Snow Gryphon Suits The item being reviewed is 5 years old and may not reflect the makers current style, or work. Maker Information Snow Gryphon Suits (SGSUITS) Based in Nottingham. Crafting since 2012. Year of Project2021 Completion Time (?)13 - 23 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 Date11 December 2024 RelationshipThe maker WAS NOT a friend when the item was purchased, but they ARE a friend nowThis relationship was indicated by the reviewer at the time this review was written. Review InformationReviewerBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/venfursuit.bsky.social Prior ExperienceThis is my first fursuit Wear Time15+ hours Informed Maker of IssuesYes, the back spines discoloured during washing but the maker suggested a cleaning product that fixed it Ven Positive ProjectThis item was a commission Paid: A Payment Plan of $3000 - $4999 Initial Contact: January 2020 Completion/Ship Date: April 2021 Shipping Origin: Local pickup Type: Fullsuit Style: Toony Padding: Plush Specialties: None SpeciesName: Alligator Found in: Reptilia(?) Features: Spikes Concept Art Photos of Completed Product Overall Initial ContactI found them on Facebook Fursuit Makers group, SGSuits quote form was very easy to use and all instructions were clear and concise. Maker CommunicationCommunication with the maker was very good with clear and prompt responses. Working with SGSuits was very pleasant. Project Completion TimeThe suit was commissioned during lock down and took several months to complete. I was happy with the length of time it took for the suit to be completed. There was no set deadline for the suit. Overall Project QualityOverall I am incredibly happy with this suit. It is my first proper fursuit and I love wearing him and interacting with people in suit. SGSuits put in so much effort to this suit and they absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. Ven was their first oversized plush suit and first head with neck-based vision so there were bound to be a few issues here and there. But they have taken everything they learned from Ven to keep improving their craft and has since made several incredible suits, including a couple of convention mascot suits, Dylan for Confuzzled (Dylan is the perfected version of Ven's body type) and Britannia for UK Pony Con. Components Head Wear SatisfactionVen is a unique suit and the first plush suit SGSuits has created and a lot of lessons have been learned during and after his construction. Ven's head is built on top of a skateboard helmet with a vision mesh in the neck under the jaw line. It is oversized to match the scale of the plush suit. Are you satisfied with how it fits you? The helmet fits nicely with a chin strap, however due to Ven's large head and long snout it wants to tip forwards (I have added luggage straps on elastic to the back of the neck that attach it to the body suit to keep it pulled back but allows it to move freely). How is the ventilation? There isn't much ventilation as the head sits on top of my head with the neck fur surrounding me. The lining doesn't absorb sweat very well. A neck fan is a must to help with airflow and reduce sweating and a balaclava will help absorb sweat. How is the vision? Awful. Ven has a tiny mesh window under the jaw to see through which restricts vision to about 30 degrees, directly in front is blocked by the lower jaw unless I tip my head back. Visual SatisfactionI am 100% satisfied with how the head looks. It matches the concept perfectly. It is symmetrical, the shaving is even and the short-pile fur is a great substitute for scales. The expression is great. One-Piece Body Wear SatisfactionVen is a unique suit and the first plush suit SGSuits has created and a lot of lessons have been learned during and after his construction. The body suit is a heavy plush suit with padding across the entire body. Are you satisfied with how it fits you? The fit is a little off, however that is my fault as my duct tape dummy wasn't done perfectly, the arms and legs are a little short. Due to the nature of it being a plush suit, movement is restricted by all the padding, can't raise my arms and can't sit down. How is the quality and durability? Are the seams durable? Can you move without popping seams? I have worn it for 3 conventions and none of the seams have popped or even show signs of wear. The interior is lined and it absorbs sweat well. There is an embroidered makers tag on the interior. The only construction issue with the body suit is the back zip has broken. The plastic teeth can pop out and aren't replaceable making the zipper foot come off. I have sewn a heavier zip behind this zip to still allow the body suit to be used. The interior of the suit has multiple zips to allow access to the padding to remove it for cleaning. How is the airflow? Does air flow easily through your costume/clothing or is it immediately stuffy and hot? (Note: all fursuits will be hot, but is this one unexpectedly more hot?) Due to this being a plush suit it is incredibly hot with no airflow, there is about 4-6" of padding across the whole suit. Visual SatisfactionThe body suit looks fantastic, the spines running down the back are perfect. The suit is symmetrical. The short-pile fur is a great substitute for scales and gives it a glossy appearance. I am very satisfied with the choice of materials. The shape of the body doesn't quite match the concept, its a little more pear-shaped but I put this down to it being a plush suit and the first time SGSuit made this kind of body. They have since made padded suits with much more defined shapes to them. Hands Wear SatisfactionThe hands fit well, like the rest of the suit they are heavily padded and articulation isn't great. I can just about point in suit and give a thumbs up. They are supposed to be tucked into the body suit to help fill out the sleeve however the sleeve is a little short and if I over extend my arm there is a chance of it coming loose and showing skin. They are very durable and have had no issues with wear or popped seams so far. The interior is lined and absorbs sweat very well, however once I have been wearing the suit for a while the interior is saturated with sweat and it is not pleasant to remove them and put them back on if I need to towel off my face or have a drink. Visual SatisfactionThe hand paws look great. They are 3 finger hands with green plush claw tips and have a fleece pad on the palm.. They match the concept art quite well. Tail Wear SatisfactionThe tail is 5'6" long and zips to the body suit very securely. Due to its size it is quite heavy and drags on the floor. It is very well made, with no noticeable wear or damage even being a floor-dragger. Visual SatisfactionThe tail looks exactly like the reference with the black and white stripes and the large tail fins that stick up. I am completely satisfied with the tail. Feet Wear SatisfactionThe feet have comfortable shoes inside them so they are fairly comfortable to wear. These are large, oversized feet claws to match with the rest of the body suit and are the size of dinner plates (about 10-12" each). They have outdoor rubber grip on the soles. I haven't had any issues with seam popping, however the green vinyl claws have started to wear at the front where they have scraped on the ground whilst walking. Due to their large size and reduced visibility, it can be a little awkward to walk. Visual SatisfactionThe feet look great with large green vinyl claws. The gripping on the bottom gives good traction on most surfaces. They are a little oversized compared to the body suit but I think this is due to this suit being the first oversized plush suit. Special FeaturesNeck Vision – When I commissioned SGSuits to make the fursuit, I wanted Ven's inhuman proportions to work in reality due to his longer neck. SGSuits did some research and suggested a neck vision system, where the head is mounted above the wearer's head on a helmet and lets the user see out of a mesh on the neck. From the outside the mesh is almost invisible, The neck mesh does restrict the vision on the interior as it is only a small window and with the head on top it does partially block the vision. 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 Snow Gryphon Suits. Final CommentsI would absolutely recommend Snow Gryphon Suits to anyone, their work is incredible and they have only improved with every suit they create. 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.
