Is It Steampunk? Week 6: Steampunk Owl Sculpture

Welcome back for the newest edition of Is It Steampunk (About 9 hours late, my bad). On the docket today, this Steampunk Owl Sculture from Etsy Creator CedarMoon. Priced at $125, this sculpture stands at over 13 inches tall and is about 7 inches wide. The seller has a lot of other sculptures of different animals all with the same sort of stylings.

From the seller:
"SteamPunk Owl is a dapper handmade Victorian bird limited edition sculpture for book shelves and home decor. He is created with a large up-cycled plastic easter egg or papier mache egg, old and new gears (and wooden gears), screws nails, wire, copper paints and old earring for a monocle, a wind-up key from a junk drawer and assorted parts and pieces and junk drawer finds. He is not completely water resistant for outdoor life in a garden because that tends to dull some details with the extra clear coating. He comes with a top hat, monocle, vest and pocket watch to complete his outfit...all hand made."

And so it has come down to this. You've seen the product. You've read the introduction. But, Is Is Steampunk?

To vote, use the buttons at the bottom of the post. If you believe the item is indeed Steampunk, click "Stone Cold Steam." If, however, you think it is an imitator, click "Sahara Desert." Happy voting!

Is It Steampunk? Week 3: PVC Bustle Skirt

It's time to play Is It Steampunk?  It's the game where I post a picture of a real product for sale and you tell me if it's actually Steampunk or just another imitator.  Use the voting buttons at the bottom of the post to tell me if it is Stone-Cold Steam (Steampunk) or the Sahara Desert (Not Steampunk). Let's get started.

This week's product is by Etsy user GothicBurlesque and is called a "Slick Pvc Bustle Skirt STEAMPUNK Goth BURLESQUE."  It sells for $60.00 on Etsy 176 customer reviews with an almost 5-star average rating.

How about it Steampunkers?  Is It Steampunk?  Click those voting buttons or sound off in the comments below.  If not Steampunk, how would you describe it?

Sewor Steampunk Watch Review

I came across another unfamiliar watch brand on Etsy so I decided to do some snooping around. This particular watch was posted by user SchimmelsShop out of Gilbert, Arizona, USA. The watch has 1,036 reviews as of this posting and almost all of them are 5-Star.  I found this a little suspicious so I looked through the reviews and found that the reviews appear to be legit. A couple of the users complained that the leather band felt "Cheap" but for $35 they were okay with it and still gave it at least 4 stars.

The brand Sewor is a Chinese company (Which makes sense given that their brand name reads like Sewer).  Something must have been lost in translation.  Apart from Etsy in the United States, very few websites carry the brand. However, they are quite popular on Alibaba and Aliexpress, and you'll pay less than half the cost per unit.  Of course, you might have to buy at least 10. Etsy has become littered with resellers of Chinese products lately, which can be a good or bad thing. You're likely to pay less for a decent product (Even if you could get it cheaper elsewhere), but the point of Etsy is to be a marketplace for handmade or at least somewhat unique products that are not manufactured in bulk.

Doesn't this go against that very principle? I find it ironic when Steampunk items in particular are sold in mass quantities, eschewing the point of the genre: idolizing a simpler time with unique products that were singularly made for you. Is this unrealistic for the average consumer? Sure. But that doesn't mean we have to buy the same thing every Tom, Dick, and Jane are buying. At the very least, if someone's going to sell a product like this on Etsy, I would hope they would change the band for something they hand made. If you're going to go the commercial route, you might as well buy it for $15 on Aliexpress.

Trevor's Rating of the Sewor Watch: 80% (For a standard Chinese-made Steampunk-influenced watch that can be bought for $15 somewhere else. Please exercise those fingers and do a quick google search. An informed consumer will drive down prices on all products).

New Segment! Is It Steampunk?

It's Friday and it's the first day of my new segment: Is It Steampunk?  While perusing Etsy, I've found that a lot of the products listed as "Steampunk" are really anything but.  In the spirit of giving everything a fair shake, I've decided to start this weekly series where I'll post a picture and voting buttons and you, the reader, tells me if it's really Steampunk.  Sometimes they will be great representations of the Steampunk genre, and others...not so much.  So without wasting any more time, let's get into it!

Our first contender comes from enduredesigns and is labeled as "Upcycled Steampunk Clothing, King Louie Costume, Jungle Book, Monkey Costume, Headpiece, and Raffia Cape"...What a mouthful...

So, you tell me, is it Steampunk?  Use the voting buttons below.

Steampunk Altitude Mask

Coming to you from Etsy user OwlVsOctopus out of Albuquerque, NM is this interesting Steampunk Altitude Mask.  Now you can pilot your airship to greater heights without worries of suffocation!  TJ, the person behind OwlVsOctopus, has several great pieces of leather gear at his shop.

From his site: "I love working with wood and leather, bringing life back into old and broken things, adding age and character to new things. I love making custom restored-vintage straight razors and steampunk pieces so that they can reflect their owners, be they Gentlemen or Scoundrels (or, usually, equal parts of each)."

So far there are only 2 reviews of the shop for different products, but both are 5 star which is promising.  He's also got some cool bracers, masks, and a pretty sweet Dart Gun pictured below, right.  The Altitude mask retails for $120 while the Dart Gun goes for $180.  If anyone has any experience with this store owner, please leave your honest opinion in the comments section below!

Trevor's Rating of the Steampunk Altitude Mask: 85% (For a cool design with nice craftsmanship but with goggles that seem hard to see out through)

Steampunk Feature: Chanchala

In a new program I'm starting for The Steampunk Review, you could win the chance to have your shop featured on my blog!  It's simple, all you have to do is follow me on twitter: @TrevorSSchmidt to submit for your chance to be featured here!

Today's feature: Chanchala, is a shop out of Brighton, UK that creates Steampunk Jewelry, pins, and creatures.  According to her website, 'Chanchala' means 'ever-changing.'  Here are links to her Etsy, Website, Twitter, and Facebook.

I love the bee pin (at right).  It's sold for $39.15 on Etsy and his name is Eric.  Each one has unique watch movement, which I'm a big fan of.

About her shop, Chanchala says, "Most of my pieces incorporate found objects which are old and unwanted. My line of Steampunk jewellery began with a pile of old watch and clock parts which got caught in the 2004 Tsunami, courtesy of my Dad. He owns a shop in southern Sri Lanka which was badly damaged. There is so much joy in turning such a tragedy into beautiful pieces of history"

 I'm also a fan of this Fox Pin, sold for $35.74.

Be sure to check out Chanchala's wares and follow me on my Twitter for your chance to be featured right here on The Steampunk Review!

Steampunk Chattergrub Review

This item would definitely fall under the 'oddities' category.  It is a polymer clay creation straight from the mind of etsy user tinplatestudios.  A quick browse of their storefront revealed a ton of neat creations like the Chattergrub (shown at right) with the same odd and unique style.  This item is going for $45 on etsy which I don't think is half bad for what it is.  A person trying to create an evil laboratory would almost have to have this sitting on a shelf.

From the description: "If its darling little claws don't work their way into you, then its horrifying dentition will!  Mind your fingers!"

As of this writing the Chattergrub has 122 reviews with an average 5-star rating.  I did look through to see what the negative comments were.  One user described getting a product that didn't have as much detail as the one pictured here.  From all of the positive reviews, I'm going to go ahead and label that one a fluke.

Do any readers have experience with this item firsthand?  If so, leave a message in the comments!

Trevor's Rating of the Chattergrub: 94% (For a piece that would be great as a set prop in a Steampunk movie.  I'm crossing my fingers to see it happen after writing it here).

Steampunk Linear LED Watch

Rubbertoe Replicas is a company out of Cardiff, South Wales UK that principally makes props for the set of Doctor Who!  They also sell replicas of those set props on Etsy and their website.  Their Tan and Brass Linear LED Watch caught my eye so I decided to feature them here on The Steampunk Review.  This item is fully functioning and had a real leather strap held together by rivets, nuts, and bolts.  They claim the battery also had easy access.  By looks alone, this product is sure to grab the attention of passersby and set you apart from the hordes of "Winner" watches out there.  It's a little more expensive than the "Winner" variety at $139.95, but it would serve as a great talking piece.

I know from personal experience that when I walk around with my Doctor Who T-Shirt I get stopped several times in a day by a fellow Whovian.  If only my shirt were made by the actual prop makers for the show, I would have a lot more to talk about.

I would urge you to check out their website and learn a little more about the company.  Click that last link and you'll be brought to some of their set designs, large and small.  They made the TARDIS, the Daleks, and more.  My nerd alert has tripped.

Trevor's Rating of the Linear LED Watch: 93% (For an interesting design that would serve as a great conversation piece)

Steampunk Gatling Gun Review

Yes, you heard that right.  A Steampunk Gatling gun! This product comes straight from LaBoutiqueVapeur's Etsy shop, where I also found some other unique Steampunk weapons and lighting fixtures.

At $1,650.00, I think it's a bit out of my price range, but is fun to look at nonetheless.  It weighs 30 Ibs and contains mostly copper and brass parts.  A sewing machine makes up much of the body, which has moving parts that are fun to fiddle with.

About the barrel, the vendor said, "The barrel does not spin, non-firing, and the gauge is authentic, but decoration only. Orange tips at end of barrel are for weapon posting rules only...will be removed before shipping."

In my opinion, this shop is a fresh sight after all of the etsy vendors that have popped up in recent years selling Nerf guns that have been spray painted to look like copper and brass.  La Boutique Vapeur uses all real copper, brass, and antique parts, which is surely a factor in their price tag.

Trevor's Rating of the Steampunk Gatling Gun: 92% (For an awesome weapon that is, unfortunately for my pocketbook, too expensive.)

Steampunk Lightsaber Review

I couldn't pass this one up.  The Etsy vendor SynnSilver has created a work of art in his rendition of the classic lightsaber, with a steampunk twist.  The vendor is a Special FX artist, which explains the craftsmanship in the design.

Unfortunately, according to the vendor, it will not kill clones or toast your bread as you slice it.  Therefore, my rating of this product will reflect that inadequacy...

I think this would be a great cosplay item for conventions.  While at Comic-Con 2013 I saw several handmade lightsaber hilts, and this one ranks up there with some of the best.  If anyone has made one of their own, I'd love to see it!  Please post a link to a picture in the comments and I'll feature it in my next post.

Trevor's Rating of the Steampunk Lightsaber: 80% (For a good effort that would look good in cosplay, but one that will not kill clones...wtf?).

Jet Pack/Time Machine Review

It's that time again, for another review of stuff I find on Etsy from the Steampunk persuasion.  This time, I found a Steampunk Jet Pack that doubles as a Time Machine.  At a price of $699.00 this item is sure to work...for real.  Aethertech is the seller, and they had some interesting things to say about their product.

"It has a range of about five years if fully fueled. If one wishes to survive the trip through the temporal rift and hence the condensed lumeniferous aether, it is advised to employ both ocular protection and breathing apparatus. If properly fueled prior to transit, adequately protected during transit, and operated by an Aethertech Industries certified precognitive psychic, this device is guaranteed not to kill you our your money back!

Though the original device was engineered before Aethertech Industries received a charter, the design has been improved greatly since then. It burns aether ore, a curious material that simultaneously exists and does not exist. The source of aether ore is a closely guarded secret of Aethertech Industries and the Aether Brigade. One must refuel from a certified Aethertech Industries Supply Depot and Semi-rigid Dirigible Docking Station."

Sounds like a steal!  I do wish the Jet Pack looked a little more robust.  As it stands, it looks like it belongs at a tea party rather than in the hands of an adventurer.  I was thinking something that looks more like the Jet Pack from the Rocketeer would make for a more practical and fun experience.

Trevor's Rating of the Steampunk Jetpack: 84% (For a nice effort at a Jet Pack/Time Machine that only falls short in its lack of a robust appearance).

Sci Fi Super TESLA Steampunk Ray Gun

Was Shopping on Etsy today and found this Ray Gun

It costs $19.50 which isn't bad for handmade. Here's the seller's description:

"This one-of-a-kind gun appears to have been used often in the far future and then teleported back to our time for your fun and amusement. What is TESLA? It stands for Tera Energy Superconducting LInear Accelerator technology. Simple, eh? (The mechanism has been dismantled for your protection. We wouldn't want an entire civilation obliterated! )

This gun was meticulously hand painted with several layers to acheive its well worn old style appearance. It measures about 10 inches long and is perfect for the steampunk, goth, or sci fi enthusiast."

I tend to like the Steampunk products on Etsy because there are good stories to go with them. Steampunkers tend to be some of the most creative people I've met. A good writer would be able to fashion a novel out of the stories on etsy pages like this. Props.

Trevor's Rating of Sci Fi Super TESLA Ray Gun: 79%

Steampunk R2-D2

I found this Steampunk R2-D2 on Etsy just now. I thought, how awesome is that? It stands 13 inches tall by 8 inches wide and costs $140.00. It looks like a lot of work went into it and the detail is really nice. There is a lot of Star Wars Steampunk geekery out there but this one strikes me as one that wouldn't even look out of place if inserted into A New Hope.

I haven't found a lot of information on it, so I have to go by the pictures provided on etsy..You can see a couple of clock faces in R2's chest, which is pretty neat. What do you think of R2?

A link to R2 on etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/66674699/steampunk-r2?ref=sr_list_29&ga_search_query=steampunk&ga_shopname=trevorschmidt&ga_filter=&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_order=price_desc&ga_page=3

Trevor's Rating of the Steampunk R2-D2: 76%