Michigan Mandos based in North Carolina making props and helmets that aren’t from the Mandalorian…? You got it! Let us explain:
Michigan Mandos started off as a cosplay page. Before we made any props or had any dreams of running a 3D printed props business, we were just looking for a fun way to document our progress as we slowly assembled Din Djarin & Bo-Katan Kryze cosplays. Hence, the name Michigan Mandos. After a less than satisfactory experience as a buyer on Etsy, we decided to try making our cosplays ourselves. As they say, the rest is history. A few early tests of Beskar armor got us excited, and then we found ourselves fully diving into 3D printing props with far too many rabbit holes to get distracted by. We didn’t think we’d be able to print full, wearable helmets… but after upgrading our 3D printer, we gave it a shot with a couple of Peacemaker helmets… and never looked back. We opened an Etsy shop a few months later (named Michigan Mandos) and the business took off from there.
We moved to North Carolina in 2024, and kept the name so as not to have to make a new Etsy shop. The irony is we haven’t made much progress on our Mandalorian cosplays… but we’ll get back to that eventually. For now, we’re focused on making the best props we possibly can for other cosplayers. We’re passionate about the products and enjoy the work of making them. There’s always something new to learn, and the options of what to create are endless. When you purchase one of our products, not only are you purchasing from a shop that cares tremendously about item quality (both in the materials used as well as the overall finished product) and accuracy to source material, you’re also purchasing from two people who are part of the same community of cosplayers and con-goers. We put the same level of care and attention into the work for customers that we would for our own projects. We don’t make these props because we have to - we make them because we love to.
Matt is the driving force behind Michigan Mandos. Whether it’s researching new techniques and products, deep diving references for accuracy, or off sanding and painting, he’s the hands behind each and every order. Becca is typically behind the camera, responsible for product photography and video editing, and does her very best to showcase each product as beautifully and true to life as possible.
Matt & Becca currently reside in North Carolina with their dog, Kratos, their cat Raven, and their three 3D printers (Fred, New George, and Ignotus).