is there another tail maker coming?

[Mermaid Momo]

I don't know if this video was posted here already, or if this company has gone public yet (as in started selling tails and their name circulating, although they say they haven't decided on a company name yet)They only have 2 videos posted on the profile so far, both of the tails.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erpoOVQ3FNo
I hope they'll post an update video on their tails.

[AniaR]

hmm. good find! It's weird they don't look silicone to me... but that's what it says it is. *shrug* the flowy fin isn't really my taste, but cool to have another maker in the community!

[Blondie]

I like the floppy-ness to the tails, but it looks like they're struggling to get momentum when they swim :\ almost like the monofin isn't doing it for them.

[Mermaid Momo]

but it looks like they're struggling to get momentum when they swim :\ almost like the monofin isn't doing it for them.
i noticed that too. At first i thought that there wasn't a monofin in the tails,but i can see the outline of them in the fluke, so my guess is that the models haven't had enough practice. (look at how one of the girls is trying to kick, doggy paddle style instead of like a dolphin) and the tails don't look like silicone to me either, i've started to notice that scales on latex (mostly ALEX tails) sort of have a frayed look to them while casted silicone and latex have a more crisp outline to them. So my guess is that the tails aren't silicon, or maybe they're made with silicon caulking.

[Ashe]

Nice to have a new tailmaker emerging! :) Let's just hope those models can get a bit more practice in there, eh? :)

[Mermaid Annariea]

those tails look like theyre heavy. or is it just that the models arent used to swimming in a tail? also, the waistlines keep flopping open, so maybe theres a lot of drag from water in their tails thats slowing them down. im not sure. i like how the flukes look like leaves though. very pretty.

[Prince Calypso]

I think the tails are beautiful, though they could use work (alot of it)
but the design is very nice and the flukes are unique and very beautiful
Its great to see another emerging tail maker coming onto the scene.
i really want to see more from them and wonder how much they are gonna be saleing these tails for

[Ayla of Duluth]

I think those do look like silicone tails, but it looks like they were cast thin, at least in the fluke. It reminds me of one of our members who made the yellow, orange, and blue fluke. very flimsy.
I think they're having trouble swimming in the tails because they're trying to swim strictly with their legs, when they should be leading with their torso. Their upper body isn't moving. They definitely need more practice, but I do love the tails. Floppy fluke isn't my style either, but the scales look nice.
Edit: At around 4:15, you can see the girl has the right technique down, leading with her torso. She hauls it across the pool.

[spottedcatfish]

They are interesting. The fluke reminds me of a huge leaf. I like the design but the models look like they are having trouble swimming in them.

[MerAnthony]

I love the look . But I would like to know who makes them.

[Mermaid Saphira]

Such a unique and unusual design. They still need (alot) of work though...

[AniaR]

My silicone tail is the thinnest cast silicone tail from actual real silicone in existence i'm pretty sure. And mine doesn't do that. I think silicone caulking is more what it could be. Also, in terms of the models swimming, it looks like the tails are getting air from the drag in the waist. I swam just like that no matter how hard I practised when I was in my mertailor tail. I am watching the models go through exactly what I did, as soon as they get going their butts float to the top and eventually they go with it. When I got my silicone tail with the bigger monofin it made a big difference for me, but it still took me a long time to get to the bottom of the pool and I only stayed there as long as I kept moving. Once I got my weight belt it made a huge difference for me! But yeah, if you look at my old videos, I'm swimming the exact same way lol

[Mermaid Momo]

The description of the other video made by them says that the tails weren't made to the model's sizes (I'm thinking the tail makers probably made all the tails using one set of measurements that for some reason didn't fit one of their models. Maybe they used their own measurements?) I love how floppy the fluke is too and it's leaf looking texture thing it has going on. Maybe if I write them a message about the tails we can get more info on them?

[AniaR]

Invite them to join the forum! :)

[Finfolk Productions]

Hey everyone! These are MY tails, and I'm so happy that you all have questions I can answer! My sister and I have finally settled on a name, Finfolk Productions, for our tails and props, though we do not yet have a website! We are making tails for the public, but have been working on a client to client basis.

These tails were some that we made for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival for their 2012 season. This video was AFTER the season had been completed, so the tails went through a LOT of wear and tear. They ARE Dragonskin Silicone, but sadly they lost a lot of their coloring with use. (We used a power based metallic that wore off with all of the use they encountered, something that we are working on!) In fact, there is LOTS that we are improving, as these are the first tails that we ever made! Several of them did turn out a bit thick, and no, they were NOT made to fit us specifically (they fit the original models beautifully) which is why there is some gaping and what not going on in the video. This was also the first time we ever swam in them (they were used to perform in a smallish tank and on land) so we admittedly all look a little silly. Haha!

A little about us!
We're twins and business partners in this endevour! We're 20 year old college students pursuing the arts, and we FEED off each others creativity! Until we made these tails, we actually knew little to nothing of the mer community, nor the extent of tail makers and performers. This was an entirely new kind of project for both of us, and we based everything off of guesstimation and experimentation. We had nothing to go off of except some hints we found online, and things we figured out on our own. As such, there are things, like I said that we are working on improving. Live and learn, eh? :) We're based out of the midwestern U.S. (Minneapolis, Minnesota, to be exact!) And we are SO excited to begin perfecting our techniques and building our business! (Looks like mernetwork is the perfect place for us to find a kind, helping community!)

Thank you all for your interest!
Abby & Bryn Roberts of Finfolk Productions

[Finfolk Productions]

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[Mermaid Celissa]

Wow! I love those pictures!

[Finfolk Productions]

Also, I wanted to mention that these were a RUSH job. The festival contacted us VERY last minute about the project, and so we had an extraordinarily small amount of time to not only experiment and learn, but to make functional (if not entirely perfect) tails for this production. They are imperfect, but loved, and there is no where to go but up! :D

[Finfolk Productions]

And just one more. The first tail of the five that we made! This was very early in the festival's season. As you can see the tank in incomplete unlike in the previously posted photos.
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[Mermaid Annariea]

AWESOME, so there IS another tailmaker!! welcome to the mermaiding world :D

[Aquatarian]

Great! Can't wait to see more of your work. The tails look great. Update us with your website and media pages when they become available.:)

[Mermaid Saphira]

Welcome to the world of mermaids Finfolk Productions! :D

[Finfolk Productions]

Great! Can't wait to see more of your work. The tails look great. Update us with your website and media pages when they become available.:)

Absolutely! We will very likely be having a Kickstarter Fundraiser started soon to launch our new designs and creations, and we will happily keep you all posted!

[Ashe]

Gorgeous tails, Abby and Bryn! Great work and welcome to Mernetwork! :)

[Mermaid Dottie]

I love how utterly HUMONGOUS the flukes are, and I really like the texture in the second picture you posted.

[AniaR]

Thanks so much for joining and welcome to the forum! I apologize if we come off critical or harsh, many members of the forum have had bad experiences with people lying about materials etc so I think we all tend to err on the side of caution. That being said, considering you had to figure out how to do them, on a time crunch... they're awesome. Very good for your first batch. You'll find a lot of really great tips in the tail making section of the forum that may help you as you further develop yourselves. Welcome, again!

[Morticia Mermaid]

I must say, good luck with the Kickstarter. I tried to do one when I first started making tails earlier this year, but didn't get much help at all (and took forever to get the wording right because they technically don't allow small business funding). Best thing you can do is to start putting money into it, which is what I have been working on.

[Finfolk Productions]

We're sorry to hear that! :( We've had some friends and associates use it with major success (not necessarily mermaid related, but creative projects of similar sorts.) Lots of careful planning and crossing out fingers that we can have a successful project! :)

[Finfolk Productions]

Thanks so much for joining and welcome to the forum! I apologize if we come off critical or harsh, many members of the forum have had bad experiences with people lying about materials etc so I think we all tend to err on the side of caution. That being said, considering you had to figure out how to do them, on a time crunch... they're awesome. Very good for your first batch. You'll find a lot of really great tips in the tail making section of the forum that may help you as you further develop yourselves. Welcome, again!

Yes, our friend Mermaid Meko has directed us to some of the threads here, and they have been great! Definitely going to do a major sift through for info that will be beneficial to us. And no worries, on the whole people have been very kind and complimentary. It's good to get honest, constructive criticism! We want to be among the biggest and the best, and the only way to get there is to take all feedback into account

[Mermaid Vezella]

Gorgeous tails! Love the leaf-type design on the fluke!

[Prince Calypso]

Welcome to our ever growing community of mermaids and tail makers. it great to see mermaids and tail making becoming such a large scale interest your tails are uniquely beautiful and unlike any out there on the market at the moment and i simply adore them. I can't wait to see you guys get better with time.
Do you have any idea what a starting price range for your tails might be?

[Mermaid Momo]

Welcome ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

[Rain]

;D I absolutely love the flukes. Welcome to the community!

[roamingmer]

Just an observation for cost cutting - decent 3d printers for home use come in at around 3k (ouch) but im sure if you look around there may be ways to 3d print more flexible scales ready for colouring.

[Finfolk Productions]

Finally got a facebook page up and running! Hopefully a website soon, but go ahead and like our page and spread the word! :D

http://www.facebook.com/FinfolkProductions

[-Annwyn-]

I really like these tails. I love the fluke design (I believe someone else had also referred to it as like a lettuce leaf!) and I am a sucker for a soft, flowing fluke. These tails also have a sort of Le Belle Epoque romanticism about them. Also, swimming 200 feet in 20 seconds is not the main priority for some mers, at least, not myself. IMHO the stiffer a fluke is the less 'natural' it looks. Best of luck, Bryn and Abbey. Be honest, show integrity, let your prices reflect your artisan-ship and may your business prosper!

[Mermaid Evolet]

I totally love these tails, especially the blue one
and the new fluke design is gorgeous
although these "flowing" tails arn't really my thing... but when I think twice, I could live with that ;)

[Morticia Mermaid]

I'm not trying to be rude. But you should REALLY work out all the issues and kinks before you provide a price list and start selling. It's NOT cool to use a customers tail as an experiment. Seen FAR too many tail makers do that.

[Ashe]

^ Agreeing with Lexia here, but all in friendliness and helpful tips :)

Edit: I just checked out your Facebook page and it is looking great! :thumbs-up:

[Ayla of Duluth]

I love your tails! They're so unique and beautiful :)

[Finfolk Productions]

We HAVE worked on the issues and kinks! We would never start making tails for the public otherwise! :)

[Finfolk Productions]

And we would never EVER "experiment" on a customers tail. That would be terrible form, we agree! Good thing that won't be happening. :)

[Morticia Mermaid]

So I just noticed that I was banned from your page. Can I ask why? All I did was try to clear up my confusion about just how many tails you have made, and now I've been blocked?

[Finfolk Productions]

Wow. So I just noticed that I was banned from your page. Can I ask why? All I did was try to clear up my confusion about just how many tails you have made, and now I've been blocked? Was going to share the pictures of your tails with a friend who is interested in looking at them, but whatever I guess. Nice to know your company will ban people from your page all because they are asking questions about how many tails you've made.

Just thought everyone should know that. All I did was try to clear up my confusion about how many tails they had actually made (still not sure if its 5 for a show, 6 for cilentele, or 11 total, never got that cleared up), and now apparently I have been blocked from their page. So if you've got questions, probably best to keep them to yourself.

Lexia, I answered ALL of your questions. We have several moderators on the sight, its possible that you were blocked by mistake. I will try to clear it up and for GOODNESS SAKE I have really tried my best to be friendly and answer your questions.

[Finfolk Productions]

Furthermore, I really have no idea how this personal miscommunication between you and I turned into what it has. I'm sorry that there was any confusion about any of your questions, and I honestly tried my best to answer what it was you were trying to figure out! I'm sorry you became confused! I don't want any bad blood with anyone, especially in this community. Can't we be friendly? I'm trying to have you unblocked as we speak, it was one of the other moderators who did it because there was a clear miscommunication and the thread was getting lengthy and confusing for all involved.

[Finfolk Productions]

You are unblocked. There is an automatic setting that blocks users when a comment is removed. Sheesh. I apologize!

[AniaR]

You are unblocked. There is an automatic setting that blocks users when a comment is removed. Sheesh. I apologize!

This is true, I accidentally blocked someone when trying to delete a thread that we discussed me deleting, and it'll block people if anyone marks their comment as spam, and sometimes auto-blocks because a person posts profanity depending on the settings.

[Morticia Mermaid]

Thanks! I really do like the flukes. Are you guys planning on offering different scale options? The scales on the ones I've seen so far are a bit big for my taste ^^

[Finfolk Productions]

Lexia, yes! We have MANY styles and ideas planned for our future portfolio tails. We can't wait to share our creations with all of you! :D

[Morticia Mermaid]

Can't wait to see them

[Finfolk Productions]

Thank you, Ayla. These tails are just the first few of many to come. We're so happy to have the Mer community to support and watch us as we grow as a business. :)

[Dacora]

Im not too crazy about the big "veins" in the fluke, the small detailed ones look nice from what I can see. I cant wait to see what scale designs you have as I like more rounded scales. I LOVE the flow of the fluke though, its so beautiful. Ill be watching you guys grow as I save up for a silicone tail. :3

[Mermaid Wesley]

drooling over here! I am looking forward to seeing more from you and possibly buying a tail in the future! I love the scale shapes and though i'm iffy on the fluidity of the fluke. Its looking great and WELCOME TO MERNETWORK

[Finfolk Productions]

drooling over here! I am looking forward to seeing more from you and possibly buying a tail in the future! I love the scale shapes and though i'm iffy on the fluidity of the fluke. Its looking great and WELCOME TO MERNETWORK
Thank you so much! We are currently expanding our designs to offer all sorts of different options, from scales to flukes! Be sure to like our facebook page, which will soon be updated with an FAQ among other things!

[seagirls626]

Your tails are gorgeous! :D

[Natalie the Mermaid]

your tails look great! Welcome!

[Mermaid Danielle]

The fluke designs are stunning!

[Sammi Ray]

I saw those videos a while back and was wondering the same thing who made them! Well done, especially since it was a rush job! Amazing work :)

[Tasha Mermaid]

ooooo new tail makers :D....welcome to mernetwork :D .....i love your flowy flukes they give a more realistic look in my opinion (although i am wondering what they would be like to swim in) i also like the veining on the flukes and think overall the tails are beautiful, i do agree with Lexia about the scales looking a tad to big, but i noticed you said there are other designs :) ....cant wait to find out your prices, oh and your new pink and blue tail modelled by Mermaid Mixi is gorgeous :D