|
~What is the
difference between rehairing and re-rooting?
The terms
“rehairing” and “re-rooting” are
interchangeable in the customizing community. I’eve primarily
used the word “rehairing” on this website to avoid
confusion.
~When is rehairing appropriate?
Rehairing is
appropriate when:
- You are
creating a custom pony
- You wish to
restore hair that has become dry or frizzy
- Your pony has
part or all of its hair cut
- You wish to
restore a rare and/or foreign pony that has been
damaged
~Does rehairing
affect the value of a pony?
This
depends on what you plan to do with your rehaired pony. Often there
are
three situations.
- The
pony is for your personal collection: many people prefer their personal
ponies to be in excellent shape with beautiful hair.
- You
plan to list the pony for sale: some buyers prefer ponies that have
been
restored, while others prefer ponies that are not restored, even if
this means the pony has haircuts/hair damage. Often a customer’s
preference is determined by the rarity of the pony. Whether or not the
customer collects pristine-looking ponies or prefers them in original
condition is up to them.
- The
pony is a rare and/or foreign: it has long been a matter of debate
whether rare ponies--such as Argentinans, who are infamous for their
poor hair quality--should be restored. The answer is simply that it
comes down to a matter of preference. Some collectors feel that
rehairing a rare pony interferes with its originality and decreases its
value. Others (such as myself) prefer their rare ponies to be in the
best shape possible, which includes damaged hair being replaced. Such
collectors feel as though improving a rare pony’s appearance
results in increased value and more enjoyable display.
~Does
rehairing damage the pony?
If done
incorrectly, rehairing can
damage a pony; however, this is extremely unlikely when the job is done
by an experienced customizer. The rehairing
process itself does not cause any damage to the pony’s head,
body, or plug holes. When damage does occur, it is usually because the
customizer removes the head of
the pony with an Xacto knife. More times than not, this method results
in marred and uneven plastic around the seal of the pony's neck.
Whenever
possible, I do not use an
Xacto knife when breaking the glue seal of a pony's neck. I first
attempt to remove the head using a method that is non-damaging
to the pony.
~Does my pony
need both her mane and tail replaced?
Only if you would like both to be
replaced! I can do a variety of jobs,
including forelock replacement, tail replacement, rehairing a small
section of the mane, or re-rooting both the mane and tail!
~What method will be used to rehair my pony?
Most likely I will use a tension rooting tool, a reliable,
effective method of rehairing. I
no longer rehair full manes using the traditional needle and thread
method because of the amount of work involved. I found that the
time and effort simply wasn't worth the price of a commission. However,
I understand that some ponies may need partial reparation, and a
customer may want to use matching donor hair. Thus Istill do
partial mane
replacements this way (up to 15 plugs).
~What are
different types of hair?
1. Synthetic: Synthetic
hair is factory-made plastic fibers that resemble human hair.
However,
synthetic hair is not limited to natural colors; it can be found in
every color of the rainbow. It is easily brushable but does not
always style well.
a. Nylon: Nylon fibers
are lightweight, soft, and shiny. Nylon hair is
used by
Hasbro for both G1s and G3s My Little Pony toys. Nylon hair takes
to styling very well.
b. Saran: Saran
fibers are thicker than most other types and lays limp. It is easily
combable but is slightly waxy in feel, and cannot be cut to a short
length easily as it will be difficult to style downwards. Saran
hair takes to styling poorly but is not as affected by high heat
as other fibers.
c. Kanekelon: Kanekelon fibers are shiny,
silky, and stiffer than saran or nylon. It is most often used for
straight
hair. Kanekelon fibers takes to styling moderately to poorly
and will
crimp or melt under high heat settings; however, it can be worked with
on low heat settings.
d. Yaki: Yaki
fibers are either straight or crimped (more often the latter) and are lower quality
than Toyokalon and Kanekelon. However, the fibers
are lighter in weight and fuller, which can create a unique
look if not ironed straight. It that
takes to styling moderately well but can melt under high heat settings.
e. Toyokalon: Toyokalon fibers are soft and
straight, and are higher quality than Yaki but less so than Kanekelon.
2. Other: many
unique sources of hair include
G3
box handles, jump ropes, dollar store wigs, yarn, embroidery
floss, etc.
3. Donor: Donor hair is not a
specific type of hair, but instead refers to hair that has been
harvested from another pony. Donor hair from
G1s
is 20+ years old and usually damaged to some degree. I have
rehaired ponies with frizzy and dry hair upon the customer's request,
and have been disappointed in the finished results. Often length on
donor hair is lost
when it is salvaged, thus resulting in shorter plugs. Because of
these reasons, I prefer to use hair from one of the above sources.
However,
sometimes a pony in need of a partial restoration may already have
damaged hair (Argies are a common example). In this case damaged donor
hair will blend in more accurately with the rest of the mane/tail.
~What hair
will be used to rehair my pony?
Hair will be used from my stock. If I do not carry the hair
the customer wants, he or she is responsible for providing the
hair.
~How do you
know which color to use?
I will use whichever color you like! Just
take a look at my hair supply and choose which you like best. I
have also created a My Little Pony Hair Matching Guide which
accurately describes which colors in my supply match Hasbro's colors.
~Why do you
stock mostly nylon hair?
Hasbro used nylon hair on vintage G1 ponies, and
also uses on their current G3 line. When working on ponies with
damaged, missing, or cut plugs, having a large supply of nylon hair is
useful because I can accurately match 90% of hair colors so that the
rerooted hair blends in almost seamlessly.
Above
you can see the identical properties of nylon hair: left is
a tail made by myself from four blended colors; right is the
actual
pony's tail. The actual tail was taken from Raindrop
(German).
~Do you work with curly hair?
Yes.
Curly hair only requires one row of plugs for a full, plush mane;
two rows would result in a big messy 'fro! The commission charge
remains the same for both straight and nylon hair. I do not stock
much curly hair; that which is in stock is the same price as straight
hair. A more extensive selection is available through
Dollyhair in both nylon and saran, which I can special order at the
customer's expense.
~Do you
provide other hair-related services like curling, re-pinking, dying,
etc?
Not
at this time.
~Do you provide any other My Little Pony
related services?
Yes! I take custom
commissions (please visit the link in the Additional Links
box to the left of each page). I also touch up eyes and symbols
for a small fee. Although I do not yet have photos of eyes and
symbols I have re-touched, I have performed these services for
customers in the past who have been very pleased. If
this service interests you, please make
note of it on your form and we'll work something out. :)
~Do you
rehair dolls?
No, but Tina at www.dollyhair.com
can refer you to someone who does.
~How does a
rehairing commission work?
1. You send your pony
(and hair if necessary) to me.
2. I complete the
commission
in a timely
manner, and send frequent updates to let you know how your pony is
coming along!
3. I provide
photographs to ensure
that your pony is satisfactory before shipping.
4. I quote return
shipping and return your pony to you in a well-padded box!
|
