Tech Deck’s “Toy Machine” & “Pig” Exposing Two More Hot Southern California Skate Companies
Written: Aug 18 '03 (Updated Aug 23 '03)
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Pros: Two cool designs from two hot San Diego skate companies.
Cons: Jump rings flat out suck, pointed pig ears can be dangerous.
The Bottom Line: Tag your gear, perk up your backpack and show off your local colors with Tech Decks High Tech Toy Machine set.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Tech Deck "Toy Machine" Metal High Tech Clip [Gen1... |
While I’ll openly admit I don’t know much about Toy Machine as a company, I will say that I love their designs and logos. Living in an area rich with skate rats and extreme sport enthusiasts, I am often the recipient of cool items they leave behind when they are too drunk, stoned or injured to realize they’ve left their gear some place. That’s not to say that all the ‘local’ skaters are into drugs or drinking – in fact from what I’ve seen it’s a small percentage. In any event, I’ve found sweatshirts, decks, wheels, t-shirts and other paraphernalia on my property – often things they’ve left behind, forgotten about or ‘spaced’. Not being a complete kill joy, if someone comes knocking asking if I found something I will return it to them – but not before I put them through a little mental torment. “What color did you say it was? How many scratched on it? What size was it?”. Not enough to be considered harassment, but enough that they’ll think twice about using my property as their own personal changing room or pit stop.
It only made sense that I’d get a little excited when I saw that theToy Machine and Pig companies were represented in the Tech Deck High Tech line up. I was familiar with some of the other names and logos when I looked over the set at the ComiCon but as soon as I saw the Toy Machine Monster – not to mention the Pig Head - I let out a little squeal of delight [no pun intended]. Who can resist an angry war pig or a cool but oafish looking monster? I know I can’t. This set is part of the first generation of High Tech clips that Tech Deck released a few years ago. Most of the sets are hard to find these days but it’s not impossible to come across them at smaller toy stores or events like the ComiCon. This set is a little different from others because it combines two different company logos into one set. Still, for the price and the quality you are getting – it is one hell of a steal.
Toy Machine Monster
One of the many variations of the monster that is featured on Toy Machine merchandise, this one is the coolest in my opinion. The two and a half in square clip is silver on black, not black on silver [as shown in the photo]. Looking a lot like any of a number of comic book monsters, this one is both scary and pretty darn cute at the same time. The color version of the monster is usually shown in red with yellow horns but the black and silver variation is still pretty impressive. The ‘dead monster’ is another version of this character and I am hoping that if Toy Machine releases another High Tech clip set, they’ll feature him. The front of the clip is smooth and has no pitting or deep etching for the background, this means that it needs a little more care and sadly will scratch easier than others.
Pig Head
One of the most intricate shapes in the entire first generation series, the Pig Head is one hell of an impressive clip. Some of the early sets were released “as is” meaning the face of the pig was black and the background was silver [as shown in the photo]. Later editions had the pigs face in silver and the background in black to show off more of the design. Either way, this clip is a great addition to anyone into the skate scene, especially if you are from Southern California and want to show off your local colors. The only drawback to this design is the two small pointy ears; these could do some real damage to skin and clothing. This is a clip that I’d reserve for the older crowd since smaller kids could really get torn up from it.
Things To Know
The photos shown in the product description are shown in reverse, meaning that instead of the image being black on silver, it is silver on black. This was done to give the product the best possible representation and so you could see all the detail of the product. As I have mentioned in almost all of the other Tech Deck High Tech clip reviews, the jump ring that connect the clip to the chain as well as the chain to the logo are a little on the weak side – one of the true design flaws of the entire series. Any type hard tugging or pulling will result in the rings pulling apart which means you risk losing one of the pieces if it isn’t fixed. The solution is pretty simple, take a needle nosed pair of pliers and squeeze the ring back into place. This might take a little bit of pressure to get the ring to close completely – but it is a simple fix it trick.
Generation 1 Tech Deck Series
Included in the first series of Tech Clips are the following sets:
World Industries [3961], Blind [3962], Toy Machine [3963], Foundation [3964], Alien Workshop [3966], Santa Cruz [3967], Dregs [3968] and New Deal [3969]. These were all two clip sets that were first released in 1999 then again in 2000 as companion products to the Tech Deck line of fingerboards, stickers and accessories.
The Bottom Line
This is a great set for anyone that is into the Southern California skate scene – and a must have for San Diego skaters. The suggested retail price of $4.99 might seem a little high for clips but I can guarantee that once you see these up close you’ll appreciate the amount of detail and overall quality that comes with them. You can check the Tech Deck website to see if they still have these available – the last time I checked they had a few of the sets on sale for $1.99 – at that price you can’t afford to pass up getting a few sets. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on both of the designs but my personal pick has to be the monsters – they need love too you know.
To learn more about the Toy Machine line of clothing, decks, videos and the team, visit their official site at: www.toymachine.com. For information about Pig products – check out this URL: www.411vm.com/company/Company21.html. Want to learn more bout Tech Deck? Check out www.techdeck.com
As always, thanks for the visit …
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): ==free==
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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