Q. Where can I get Elbow Pads?

Equipment Uniforms
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**“Where can I get those elbow pads like in the movie?”

“I got them but they’re white, how do I make them look like in the movie?”**

These two questions come up quite a bit here on the GBFans forum so I thought I’d try and clear up some of the confusion.

As some of you may already know, the original pads were customized volleyball kneepads made by Markwort and are no longer available from them in that style. Thankfully there are a few substitutes out there that are very close in style to the original pads. If total accuracy is a factor, then it is important to purchase the large or “adult” size pads for both accurate size and comfort regardless of whether the seller states that “the kids/youth size makes an ideal elbow pad for an adult”. Medium/small/youth sizes tend to be very tight on the arm when worn with a uniform and the bubble is smaller than those used in the films. When customizing your pads to match the film, gray dye is most commonly used but many fans have opted to use gray fabric paint instead of dye, the reason being that the elastic/fabric armbands and the foam bubble sometimes do not take dyes very well. Another solution to changing the color of the bubble is using gray spraypaint or primer. Those with airbrushes can concoct a mixture to give an even closer match. Since these pads are meant to be used in physical sports with a lot of movement involved, they have several extra inches of elastic fabric on each end, designed to keep the pad in place during play. This needs to be removed for accuracy’s sake. The simplest solution is to roll and tuck the excess fabric under the armband. The most accurate method is to cut the excess material off and either hem the edges or singe them with a lighter and apply some sort of anti-fray solution such as Dritz Fray Check. The small black patch on the inside of the armband is black elastic fabric. It is unknown why the patch is there in the films, possible reasons include covering a hole or brand emblem.

Here are a few shots of the armpads taken from the first Ghostbusters:

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** There are three different companies at this time that offer accurate pads:**

Century Judo Kneepads

Century Judo Kneepads can be purchased either directly from Century Martial Arts, or from KarateDepot.com. Although the item page at Karate Depot shows a clean pad with no logo, it does have the same small latex “Century” logo as shown here. This can be removed with a razor blade (slowly and carefully, don’t hack it off) leaving no noticeable scarring after the pads have been painted. The armband on this brand takes gray fabric dye better than the Pro Series 3Pc. pads but perhaps not as well as the Defender pads.

UPDATE: Karatesupply.com has these pads for $15.99+shipping: http://www.karatesupply.com/Judo-Knee-Pads_p_801.html

                       UK residents can get them here: http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/MMA-Fight-Store-UK__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Pro Series 3Pc. Volleyball Kneepads

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Pro Series 3Pc. kneepads can be purchased from Cannon Sports either directly or through their sale on Amazon.com. These pads, while having an accurate bubble and being comfortable on the arm, have a hole on the inside of the armband and the band does not take gray dye well(see picture below). Fabric paint on the armband and a black patch to cover the hole is the best way to bring this brand of pad to a screen-accurate appearance.

Defender Volleyball Kneepads

image Defender Volleyball Kneepads closely resemble the pads used in the film but can be difficult to find. They are currently sold only by an eBay seller known as typj. The most accurate size is large but they have been out of stock in that size for quite some time. They do have large black pads but these have proven difficult to get to a screen accurate appearance. The armband on these pads takes gray dye very well.

Martin Volleyball Kneepads

Martin Volleyball Kneepads can be purchased from KM Sports’ eBay store or from Recreation technology LLC. These pads are accurate as far as appearance but the Martin logo has proven very difficult to remove and is very noticeable when painted over.

Here are some examples of the pads I own and have customized:

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This picture is to show the size difference between medium/youth and large/adult:

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For the rest of yous guys, feel free to post pics of your own pads and a little background on how you painted/dyed them

Links in this post may be affiliate links. Purchases made through them help support this site at no additional cost to you.

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Thanks kind, just got my defender pads in the mail today so perfect timing!! :slight_smile:

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So I take it you got the medium size? How do they fit?

I’d love to see pics of them after you paint or dye them

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Yeah I did get the medium, they are slightly tight but not too the point of being uncomfetable

Once i’ve cut the excess off and stretch them over a bottle they should be a lot better but im not too fazed.

I’ll dye them over the next few days and post a pic

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This topic is great! Should cut down on the homework/looking at old posts some of us had to do a couple years back! :smiley:

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Im extremely pleased with the way my elbow pads turned out last year!

I trimmed off quite a fair bit of the elastic material so they were screen accurate, i also find that they fitted better around my elbows after they were trimmed down

I tried dyeing them at first but like alot of the other guys found out on here the material just doesnt take to the dye very well so i opted for using light gray spray primer paint & i gave them both two coatings, spraying very lightly one bubble at a time

The only thing i havent done is include the black patch on the inside but this is something im ok with, am i right in thinking none of the elbow pads in GB2 had the black patch? If that is correct then definately leaving my pads as they are :cool:

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Here are my Defender pads after dying

I found if I rinsed them in water after the dye the colour wouldn’t stay in the bubble so I just went straight from the dye to in front of a heater for a few hours, the colour stayed in but not as grey as I would have liked.

I was thinking I might try some black ink in the creases and around to give them that dirty look, Any other ideas?

Hey Hasford how did the pads take to the paint, where they sticky afterwoods or rub off in anyway?

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ode2kenobi I have a theory about the pads. They are dyed like you have done, the padded area is sprayed seperately with gray primer or fabric paint with the rest of the elastic covered as to avoid bleeding.. Then I think possibly gone over with something darker in the grooves possibly but it could just be the lighting on film or maybe different pads worn during the filming,

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N_ozKEpiQps/SN0wsOOVtDI/AAAAAAAAAl0/GDLicaXu7gY/s1600-h/GB06.jpg

Ray’s pads look like they MAY have been darkened a bit in the grooves but the pads black centres look larger in this pic that the topics pics a few posts above. I’m about to do my defenders and have been umming and ahhhing as to what course of action to take but that’s what I’m going to try.

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I have found that applying black or preferably a very dark gray to the white of the crevices and then lightly misting the raised portions of the bubble with a lighter gray helps to make the details really “pop”. The experimental stages of this method can be seen in the pics I posted. Try and apply the dark color only in the very bottom of the crevice, any more and your attempt to darken them will become obvious, this is all about subtlety.

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Hi Ode2kenobi, in answer to your question a few spaces above, yeah after i spray painted my elbow pads they were sticky/tacky for quite a few days afterwards but none of the paint has rubbed off, they still look as fine as when i first sprayed them

I wouldnt wear them for at least a week or more after you spray them (if you decide to do that, that is) but again just lightly touch them to feel how sticky they are before wearing them :slight_smile:

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two more sources have been found. check out the first post

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Vinny, this is a GREAT thread!!! Thanks a lot for the info!

jose

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I have just found a possible UK source on eBay, I don’t know how regular they have stock but they don’t seem to bad. The only bit I don’t like is the hole in the centre, but you could put some black tape over it and it will make it more accurate :slight_smile:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Knee-pad-pair-Large-Black-BNIB-v%2Fb-or-5-a-side_W0QQitemZ110360176023QQcmdZViewItem

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Good find! those are the right style but you’re gonna have to paint them heavily if you want screen-accurate gray pads. Also, that hole on the inside armband is the perfect reason to sew the acreen-accurate black patch on the inner arm.

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Yeah, I was going to go with the Grey primer spray paint route, it seems to have worked out well for other people. I must admit trying to source relatively accurate parts is a complete pain in the UK and no doubt many other places too.

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i’m absolutely horrible with spray paint, i just got my white defenders and was going to dye them with 1 box of pearl grey

any recommendations for newbs when it comes to spray painting the pads?

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Keep the can about 2 feet away from the pads and mist them with a dark grey primer. MIST. Don’t coat them in paint.

90% of spray paint errors occur because the paint was applied too thickly. Thin, even coats are what you want on most things; even thinner for elbow pads.

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Vinny, Jordan’s(niceshootintex) first set were the martins and he said that the “Martin” is impossible to remove. Also the lettering is really noticeable when painted. so while they look the part, they are a pain in the ass in the long run. We both have the cannon sports ones now.

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hmmm i just got my defenders in the mail

should i try dying them first, putting them in front of a heater after

and after all that is settled THEN hit them with dark grey primer?

or should i just hit them with the dark grey primer and skip out on dying them?

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hey did you try using a sanding drum on a dremel? I have a pair of gloves i use on my Clone costume and had writing that was a PITA to remove till zip very lightly with a sanding drum.

we just ordered a couple pairs of these so will let you know.