Different Lego Plastics

[DanDanLegoman]

Hey guys.

I really hate the new pearled plastic used to make some Lego pieces. It partly ruins the experience of buying Lego sets for me, because the pearled plastic looks so cheap.

I love the new silver helmets in the castle sets. I like the silvery plastic pieces much better than the chrome pieces, because while the chrome pieces look very nice, the chrome can scratch off fairly easily.

I was looking at a pearled gold piece in one of the new pirates set, and it actually looked pretty nice on the sides where the pearling doesn't show. It doesn't look as nice as gold chrome, but it also doesn't rub off. So for playability, I prefer the non-chromed pieces. But I hate the pearled look!

So I have some questions:

1)Are the new silver helmets plated with something, or is that just the color of the plastic? Or are they some sort of "pearled" plastic that's mixed so well that you can't see the pearling?
2)Why can't they replace all the ugly pearled plastic with the same type of plastic they use on the new silver helmets?
3)Why use pearled plastic at all? It looks horrible. Is it supposed to look metallic? The pearled gold pieces in Pirates look metallic, but the pearled weapons in Castle do not. Is it a problem of the glittery stuff not mixing homogeneously with the plastic?

[Athos]

3)Why use pearled plastic at all? It looks horrible. Is it supposed to look metallic?

I don't like the pearl colors either. The castle weapons look like they're fighting with frozen milk sticks...

Steve

[Pluto]

The castle weapons look like they're fighting with frozen milk sticks...

Steve

Ahhh, but therein lies the beauty, no murder weapon to be found! The evidence simply melts away.

[Formendacil]

1)Are the new silver helmets plated with something, or is that just the color of the plastic? Or are they some sort of "pearled" plastic that's mixed so well that you can't see the pearling?
2)Why can't they replace all the ugly pearled plastic with the same type of plastic they use on the new silver helmets?
3)Why use pearled plastic at all? It looks horrible. Is it supposed to look metallic? The pearled gold pieces in Pirates look metallic, but the pearled weapons in Castle do not. Is it a problem of the glittery stuff not mixing homogeneously with the plastic?

Although I'm not the hugest fan of the pearled weapons, they make for some more variety, which is nice--and I like them as space! weapons.

Anyway, to your questions, from the best of my knowledge:

1)The silver helms are basically just spray-painted. I think they might be light bley underneath, but I'm on shaky ground as it is. Others would know better.

2)Probably BECAUSE it's painted--paint wears off. This is also why the visored helms are pearled rather than painted--the moving parts of the visor would wear off the silver, same as a fig's hands would on a spear.

3)Speculation here... but I imagine they are supposed to be metallic looking. No definitive statement anywhere, that I've seen.

[Traveler]

I too dislike pearled pieces., mainly because (as someone said) they look cheap and flimsy. I'm sure they're just as high quality ABS as other colors, but I associate their look with cheaply made toys.

[Baites]

I've gotten a few studs in the pearled colours and I agree, when up against my older studs, they look like either megablocs or I hired one of the many closes local tool & die shops to make me some pieces without knowning the correct ABS plastic to use.

In a few years, this will be a real problem as they start to make their way into yard sales. Then you'll really have to check for the Lego stamp to sort out the clone brands from the big box of bricks you just bought for $5 at a yard sale.

[Seriole]

I would agree with the pearl-silver color not being the best choice. Meh, it's a step up from this, though that isn't saying much

[DanDanLegoman]

1)The silver helms are basically just spray-painted. I think they might be light bley underneath, but I'm on shaky ground as it is. Others would know better.

Anyone brave enough to cut one of their nice silver pieces in half to test this hypothesis? I'm not!

I just got a Dwarf with a gold helmet and that one looks very nice too, despite not being chromed. I want to believe that it's gold all the way through. I also want to think it's not going to chip like chrome, even if it is painted on.