The Inspiration and Construction

I came across Ray Park's stunt costume on EBay. I had to have it for may humble display. Since I liked the idea of staying married purchasing this costume was not an option. So I started out making my own. I purchased a mannequin on EBay. That's weird I know but I did it anyway! Of course it arrived just as my father in law had come over to borrow some tools. Printed on the side of the box MALE MANNEQUIN.

Great Stuff was used to seal the hollow neck and form the severed look.

I ended up not using the red cape pictured and decided to just paint the inside of the black cape red.

I went with the "rotten" look. Towards the end of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow the Hessian's uniform begins to rot. I thought this was a great look and would help disguise anything I could not replicate. I achieved the look using Great Stuff - the foam filler available at home improvement stores. I just smeared it everywhere with a brush than painted over it when dried.
I discarded the mannequins hands and purchased "gripping" hands from http://www.ghostride.com/.

Materials used: LL Bean jacket, black ski pants, Zorro /Musketeer gloves and crinkly cape from http://www.halloweenmart.com/. Cowboy boots from EBay, real leather from the Tandy Leather Company which made up the chest plate, belt, cape collar and decorative axes on gloves. The boot tops were made using pleather. Belt buckle also purchased from Tandy.

It can also be a costume. I've never tried it on, parts of things but never the whole thing. I imagine it would be uncomfortable after a period of time but wearable. While making it I wanted that costume option. It won't provide the illusion of being headless obviously but some fake contact lenses, pointed teeth, growing my hair out and up... maybe than I could pass as Christopher Walken. Neighbors would love that......