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Wolverine Costume with Retractable Claws

Wolverine Costume with Retractable Claws
This year's theme for Halloween was super heroes, so around the beginning of October I set out to design a Wolverine costume. The outfit is based on the X-Men movies, because it's a lot easier to look cool in black leather than yellow spandex. The claws I based on the comic books, with thin claw-like blades coming out of studs on the backs of my hands rather than knives coming out from between my knuckles as they did in the movies. That was both because I like the more animal look of the original and because it made it a lot easier to make the claws retractable.
 
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Step 1Grow a beard

Grow a beard
Step one: start growing a beard. Depending on how hairy you are, you'll want to leave anywhere from a month to 14 years to do this step. It can't hurt to start putting on muscles at this point too, but I find I grow hair a lot faster than I grow muscle.
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40 comments
Sep 9, 2011. 9:20 AMmyydogtag says:
Don't forget your wolverine dogtags from http://www.mydogtag.com/wolverine
Oct 12, 2010. 8:21 AMylpihs says:
My friend you really look like Wolverine :D
Sep 5, 2010. 7:48 AMskipernicus says:
A good way to make you hair stay in an unnatural configuration is to use hairspray coupled with a blow dryer. Go slowly, one section at a time.
Sep 4, 2010. 9:31 PMimakebigpoops says:
you should have made a willy wonka suit... you look more like gene wilder haha
Sep 16, 2009. 4:42 PMsoulcalibur says:
only intiresting thing i see is those claws....
Mar 14, 2010. 5:49 PMJyssa says:
are you kidding??? Maybe you should actually LOOK at the rest of it too: this is a brillo instructable!! He looks very Hugh Jackman-as-Wolverine-esque. It's pretty damn hot!

The claws are awesome in their own right, yes - but the rest of the costume takes them from "interesting" to plain AWESOME.

Kudos, Bug!! :)
Sep 18, 2009. 3:37 PMjayfly95 says:
If your gonna put down a well put together idea, at least hide the umm.. things? you made. Cmon, you should be more disappointed with what you made yourself instead. Good job Bug!, looks great
Jan 28, 2010. 6:06 PMmg0930mg says:
What do you mean by "um" things?
Jan 28, 2010. 5:36 PMtexter9 says:
Ther like brothers!!!!!
Oct 17, 2009. 7:56 PMflipmee says:
i literally LOLed when i read this first step xDD
Oct 11, 2009. 6:53 PM_-MacGyver-_ says:
wow you actually look alot like him to begin with

nice work!
Sep 30, 2009. 6:08 PMdenzey55 says:
Oh so cool man,I was going to buy a costume but once i found this i decided i would just make it
Sep 29, 2009. 5:37 PMPie_eata says:
great instructable. well done and laid out.
Sep 19, 2009. 3:07 PMsoulcalibur says:
i'm trying to combine different, yet somewhat simular things to make a new costume. i'm looking some kind of glove right now.
Aug 27, 2009. 9:08 AMHoaxinmi says:
wow great job. my brother made some out of foam board and a leather glove. didn't retract though.
Jun 21, 2009. 6:38 AMknex gun maker says:
sweet wolverine coppied ur style man u didnt copy his
May 21, 2009. 2:40 AMkshivamsh says:
You look similar to wolverine and did a nice work.Good instructable
May 19, 2009. 4:38 PMelbaloo83 says:
are you that guy from "bones"
Feb 25, 2009. 7:34 PMjamiespark says:
also some moded vamp teeth would improve it he has curiously sharp teeth
Dec 23, 2008. 6:49 PMbobhill125 says:
my uncle used copper for claws an painted it silver
Nov 18, 2008. 10:16 AMTrekmogui says:
Awesome! Just one thing missing... MAKE A ANGRY FACE! xD
Nov 10, 2008. 9:07 PMBrother_D says:
"...and I already owned the leather pants." ... No comment.
Nov 9, 2008. 12:18 PMTachyon says:
Now for someone to do a Mystique costume. ;')
Feb 17, 2010. 1:48 PMgeoper2 says:
nice and u can add a detail ... the cigar hehe details make the difference ;)
Nov 6, 2008. 7:14 PMBats22 says:
Very nicely done, Dr. Bug! Man... I should find an excuse to make it out to the Bay Area for some Halloween sometime!
Nov 6, 2008. 3:42 PMfloorwaxdesserttopping says:
Very cool. But needs something instead of dowels which don't look quite sntichy enough (;
Nov 6, 2008. 12:30 PMcamilaustral says:
wow thats really good! and i don't care about automatic claws, i think this ones work great! thank you very much! :)
Nov 4, 2008. 4:51 PMimrobot says:
could you try to make the claws automated so come out by a button or fist clench
Nov 2, 2008. 10:57 AMsumlittlepunk says:
you, my friend, are hairy. sweet beard though.
Nov 3, 2008. 10:21 AM says:
lol
Nov 3, 2008. 7:08 AMeskimojo says:
If you're willing to go the extra mile for an effective look, pomade is the way to go. Murray's(the cheapest:yet very effective) will get you there:WARNING it's nearly impossible to get all pomade out in a single night or even week sometimes. You can get pomades that are water/soap washable but most of them don't hold as well.
Nov 2, 2008. 8:55 PMdkfa says:
Some one should do an Assassin's creed retractable dagger/blade
Nov 2, 2008. 3:00 PMpindalanderz says:
You should make the claws with switchblade mechanisms... that would be way cool. otherwise though, great instructable! 5/5.
Nov 2, 2008. 11:38 AMChard says:
Nice work, maybe ill put up an instractable for my beast costume i did a year or so back, cost less than £20! that said i was picking blue fluff out of my dreadlocks for weeks. 2nd hand store leather jackets are awesome!
Nov 2, 2008. 2:34 PMarctic_tortus says:
Best i've seen yet on the X-men front guys :) this is my mate and i as V and Rouge, my attempt was rather rushed, poorly carried out and by the end of the night i looked like an off duty builder! but with a bit more effort and a little less alcohol it could be easily transformed i'm sure! for the next party i'll put up an istuctable. XXX
Nov 2, 2008. 9:19 AMmg0930mg says:
Nice! Might do this next year.
Nov 2, 2008. 6:09 AMjessyratfink says:
This is so good! You rarely see a Wolverine costume this nice! You, sir, are a hero! :D Most guys end up looking like Frank Quietly's version of Wolvie, all lumpy and deformed. :P
Nov 2, 2008. 2:32 AMThe Jamalam says:
really good! shame halloween was 2 days ago :( 4.5 stars!

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