Approximating a 'Kimber Pro'

the living tribunal · Post by **the living tribunal** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 6:15 pm

I think waiting for a 'Kimber Pro' is perhaps barking up the wrong tree, as it's not how KD work. However, there are literally thousands of head/body combinations from various manufacturers that can be obtained in a similar skin tone to Kimber. So as a practical matter, how would we configure a doll from a different manufacturer that is as close as possible to a Kimber in looks but has all the usual upgrades?

My poor Kim is badly damaged, cosmetically, and needs replacing without destroying her essential identity. I get that many folks see the head as her 'soul', so what I'm suggesting here might not work for them but as "a cosmic super being who deals in Soul Transference Rituals", I have no problem with Kim's new body (including head) being slightly different as long as it's close enough; after all, if she is happy as a Barbie, I'm sure she will cope

So how could I replicate my girl as closely as possible for around £1500 with all the usual upgrades and better TPE mix, but to a similar design as a real Kimber? Well it's been alleged several times that AiBei are the ODM that actually make Kimbers; certainly their 158 blue elf has noticeable similarities; even the head is similar (though not the same). So maybe an AiBei 158 something would be a good starting point. However, their website isn't as easy to use as most of the regular TDF vendors and it's a certainty that one or more of the usual suspects (WM, IT, et. al.) makes a 158D or 158DD doll; so the question is one of heads.

WM#326 has the 'cute dippy blonde' look about her, so she is one possibility; she doesn't look too much like Kimber but has a similar 'ethos' and with the right make up and a T&T set, could be made to resemble 'Kimber's toothy leer' up to a point.

I will keep looking; but in the meantime, does anyone have any ideas about this?

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 8:16 pm

the living tribunal
better TPE mix. Ouch!

The materials are very good as far as I am concerned
Solid breasts on a doll suit me, but not everyone else has the same view

it's been alleged several times that AiBei are the ODM that actually make Kimbers
Team Kimber are the only ones who can refute that with certainty, Kimber Doll is run by a brilliant team of Aussies
One skeleton, one flaming good mold and a some really good chemical engineers
While diesel smelling toys were still being produced, the Kimber has never (in my experience) ever had that issue

the living tribunal · Post by **the living tribunal** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:45 am

I'd be the first to defend Kimbers for what they are: the best bang for the buck (literally

). For the price, Kim was an amazing bargain and a huge step up over the inflatables of my past; if Kimber Doll made a 'Kimber+' with boned fingers, but no other changes, I'd buy one right away. However you don't have to condemn the 'good' in order to acknowledge that there can be a 'better'.

So what I'm asking for in this thread is not the whether to or the why but the how. TDF has 10s of 1000s of members, of which a sizeable chunk have dolls in the region of 155-165cm and C-E size breasts, and some nerdy geeks knowledgeable enthusiasts have an encyclopedic knowledge of heads. So putting aside the discussion on how good Kimbers are in their own right, please can anyone suggest good head/body combinations from the boutique manufacturers, so my girl can live again as a Kimber-like full-size doll, but with fingers that actually grip stuff?

Maviarab · Post by **Maviarab** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 7:13 am

Kimber-like...with other body/head combiniations? Not really a discussion for the Kimber thread is it?

As for Kimbers issues...she is a very cheap doll that far exceeds dolls 5x timers her price point (which also have all the same faults).

the living tribunal · Post by **the living tribunal** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 8:41 am

Maviarab wrote: ↑Tue Jul 05, 2022 7:13 am Kimber-like...with other body/head combiniations? Not really a discussion for the Kimber thread is it?

That did occur to me, but since the intent is to get as close to Kim as possible with boned fingers and such, I'd argue that this is the best place for it even if only by default.

Remember, the idea is an "improved Kimber", whch definitely would belong here; the use of other parts is an unfortunate but necessary compromise. If I somehow got hold of boned hands, cut Kim open, replaced the hand skeletons, then sealed her up, she would still be a Kimber, just an improved one; there's nothing contradictory about liking someone and yet being aware of their faults. Indeed, this is something we can only work around with real partners but can actually solve with dolls.

I mean, if they did make a 'Kimber Pro', I would have already bought one

If a moderator or admin feels this should be somewhere else, then I'm sure they will act; so to keep this thread on topic, does anyone have any suggestions for the most Kimber-looking head by the likes of WM, JY, AB, IT, etc.?

Honcho · Post by **Honcho** » Mon Jul 11, 2022 5:36 pm

Hi LT.

I don't have the answer for you but I do you what you mean, and what effect your looking for. I think all you can do is search and search and search until you find the head your looking for. You could also send a pic of the Kimber head to vendors to see if they have anything similar (Some wont know what a Kimber looks like I'm sure). They should respond with ideas if it means a sale of a head, or better still a whole doll!

Xbot · Post by **Xbot** » Sat Aug 27, 2022 1:39 am

Just buy a doll with Kimber skin tone and attach head. The Kimber head isn’t very replaceable because they shaped it with a chin and jaw line but no jaw. Most TDF manufacturers shape heads with a full jaw and chin. This reshape gives Kimber her signature look imo.

Joe Bin · Post by **Joe Bin** » Sun Aug 28, 2022 3:42 am

I agree with Xbot.
If you have no issues with Kimber's head, then just put the Kimber head on a body of your choice.

the living tribunal · Post by **the living tribunal** » Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:58 am

Thanks xbot & Joe Bin. I never realised the bit about a jaw line, too subtle for me to notice, but I can see it now. There are potential sources of new or near-mint Kimber heads from some guys in the UK, so will consider doing this. Just a case of hoping I can match the skin tone closely enough.

Xbot · Post by **Xbot** » Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:30 pm

Here is a little help with color matching. A shot of Kimber and IT samples. The Kimber isn’t powdered to show how she looks next to a pure sample. Included a shot of my IT157(powdered) next to Kim(unpowered).

the living tribunal · Post by **the living tribunal** » Sat Sep 03, 2022 6:44 am

Thanks xbot. I still haven't ruled out replacing my Kim like for like; but if I go ahead with this, will almost certainly be buying WM, as they are what I know and are they introducing new tech hand skeletons in October. I know little about IT, do they have any advantages to other doll brands?

Steveo888 · Post by **Steveo888** » Sun Sep 04, 2022 2:54 pm

My first doll was a Kimber, and then I wanted to "go pro" for my second doll and I did A LOT of research. Particularly I wanted hollow or gel breasts, and slightly larger, but otherwise I really liked my Kimber. I checked the "in-stock" pages of all of the TDF preferred vendors (not wanting to deal with shipping overseas uncertainty, which seems to be better by now), and also of a couple other vendors. One of the other vendors had some hot Aibei dolls which are not generally approved by TDF, due to some look-alikes to other brands they sell, so I did not know much about them, but I did hear that there is some confidence that the Kimber dolls are made in the Aibei factory. Hopefully I am not perpetuating a mistruth by simply posting what I thought I read somewhere, but anyway... Browsing the aibeigirls website I did find one or two dolls that had the EXACT same face as Kimber (crazy to see that one was on a muscular female body after being so familiar with Kimber's delicate curves!). And with further browsing I think you might find that there are some body types similar to Kimber, but not exactly, but you can get gel breast and other options. There may be debate as to if aibeigirls are "pro" or have all the top options that others have, but there are some options there. And you pay 3X the cost of a Kimber, so there is that. I know that there is some ire on this board against aibei because of their look-alike dolls, and I do not endorse that, so don't go there. But there does seem to be a tie between Kimber and Aibei and I am just following that line of thought.

the living tribunal · Post by **the living tribunal** » Sun Sep 04, 2022 3:43 pm

I did have a look at Aibei, and also at dolls of manufacturers that have links with them (e.g., AF), but none of them have WM style articulated fingers. PDutus has a doll called Patsy, a 166 'fit' doll by JY IIRC, who with the right wig looks almost like Kimber if she were 32 yo instead of 22 yo; sadly, she is an old design and has only wired fingers like her sisters & cousins.

As for the rest, if you search the forums, including the UK forum if you're a member there, you can see opinions from people who know much more about dolls than I do; it seems very very likely that Aibei make Kimbers; they started out as an ODM for other manufacturers and only in the last few years have been selling their own dolls. I don't know the legal situation, but many of their dolls resemble others because they make them!

Post by **The Doll Man** » Sun Sep 04, 2022 5:27 pm

Maviarab wrote: Kimber-like...with other body/head combiniations? Not really a discussion for the Kimber thread is it?

As for Kimbers issues...she is a very cheap doll that far exceeds dolls 5x timers her price point (which also have all the same faults).

Honcho · Post by **Honcho** » Sun Sep 04, 2022 6:34 pm

Tribute has been looking at upgrading his Kimber for a long time, and since he is still discussing it just shows how difficult, if not impossible it is to replace such a remarkable doll. I have a Kimber too and she is the sweatiest thing, but her hands are shocking. They are just a floppy mass of loose flesh now, all the wires have pulled out of the wrists and most have broken, some have stuck out of her skin so I've had to slide out with a pair of pliers to stop been stabbed by them. Yea, the hands are the only let down in an otherwise great, if not almost perfect doll.

See this vid I made of dressing a doll to see what I mean about her hands... in one shot she looks like a zombie with her arms infront of her with her hands flopping lol.

So I am looking at replacing her body, but keeping her head as I feel this is her very soul, and I love Kimberely's personality she has developed over the last 9 months or so. I will be getting a similar shaped body, try to get same colour skin but she can wear a scarf if not completely matched, gel breasts but most important, articulated fingers. I been promising her this for weeks now lol.

Cost, Kimber £500, new body for her from another manufacturer £1500! Big difference and is why Kimber will likely never have better hands, not until the cost is price matched with what they have now.

Would I get a Kimber again. Yes. But I would be very nervous about those really delicate hands. But at the price you could replace the body every year LOL.