fujikuro

Are these just dead in the water? 

A bit out of the loop, having only just gotten my first Hi-Metal R's this Xmas.  Is the Spartan going to be some kind of exclusive?  

How about they just do some 1/60 scale enemy mechs and really surprise us all? Regult please. They have to know it would sell and sell BIG.

I am actually trying to determine whether or not the hinges on the newer valkyries from the 1J onward are using ABS or POM. Most of the toy is comprised of ABS, for example the chestplate, wings, lower arm, et al. The TV hands are made of POM, but the hinges may now be made out of POM too, but I don't know for sure. If it feels very rigid, compared to a piece like the wing, it might be POM. The Hikaru 1S is molded in a very light grey, if the hinge is brighter, that piece might be POM. POM tends to be a bit brighter than ABS. In the latest 1J pics I saw last night, the hinge definitely looked brighter than the bright white ABS. The bright white ABS had a warm tint, while the hinge was almost ultraviolent white. Neither were painted.

It's definitely the same material as the fingers on the hands, so it must be POM then. All I can tell you is it had no trouble taking a bit of stress while transforming. The VF-1J I have is all pure white on all the bits and pieces, so you can't tell by color. But by feel, there is a marked difference between it and the ABS parts.

on the basis of the joint being a different material from the rest of the valk, i'd say yes.

the shoulder hinges on my Hikaru 1s are definitely not ABS.

it looks & feels a lot like the YF 21's yellow head spike to me. it could be POM.

Not sure what the material is called, but it appears to be the same stuff that's used on the connector pieces on the fast pack accessories. It's a plastic with some flexibility to it and a bit of softness, but definitely not PVC. This being my first Yamato Valk purchase, I was very leery given the past problems of breakage that Yamato's had in what seems like all their transforming toys, but I've been very pleasantly surprised at the durability of the figure. Saying that, I'm a collector who is used to handling figures somewhat delicately. I never force a movement, and if something seems like it's not right, I go looking at the manual first.

Anyway, mine seems just fine and unlikely to break.