SPEY LABS

[ since 2023 ]

glasgow, scotland

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Hello, I'm a fursuit maker from Scotland who goes by the name Spey in the fandom.

I’m interested in exploring the unique intersection of craft, design, performance, and self-expression that occurs in fursuiting.

SPEY

Spey 2.52

Spey is the character I use to prototype new suit tech. She is the reason I got into fursuit making in the first place!

I needed a suit that was flexible for dancing, was passively cooled to allow for many hours of continuous suiting including the ability to wear full outfits over the suit, dextrous enough and with good eyesight and hearing to be independent from handlers if necessary, and also expressive to enhance performance. In effect, a suit that would feel as natural as possible.

To aid the range of expression (and because I'm fascinated by mechanics) I've developed a set of three mechanical motions for the face; a simple jaw hinge with adjustable tension, a tongue that can be stuck out, and eyelids which can be independently operated by facial muscles (the eyelids can also be set to one of three expressive angles; grumpy, neutral, and innocent).

The overall style blends realism and illustration, and takes cues from various existing suit styles such as western and kemono. This has resulted in a suit with slim five-finger handpaws, a form fitting head and body with proportional padding, and glossy eyes.

Spey is currently on the 2.52 version of her fullsuit. All tech developed for her suit that is (reasonably) successful will be implemented in future commissions! You can read about her current features and patch notes / planned research below.

I have recently set up a telegram announcements channel where you can follow along with commission and premade updates: t.me/speylabs

Otherwise I make general announcements on instagram, bsky, twitter, and tiktok.

Questions can be answered in the telegram channel, dms over instagram, or via spey@speylabs.com (less frequently checked).

The Spey Labs System

FURSUITS

In addition to this, the suits utilise standard components such as:

× YKK No.8 Vislon Zippers

× Gütermann Thread

× Polycotton Bias Tape

Bases

Spey Labs heads are built over standardised mask forms which are attached to an underlying harness that contains the mechanisms, face padding, and head straps. These bases represent various creature families and help ensure consistency across commissions. I'm slowly developing new bases to add to this collection; commissioners also have the opportunity to request new bases if their species isn't represented.

HEAD

PADDING

BODYSUIT

× 3D printed base

× Fleece cover

× All parts (including mechanisms) are screwed together

× Movable jaw

× Painted mouth roof

× Pushable ‘gums / jowls’ over upper teeth

× Three position (grumpy / neutral / innocent) eyelids with blinking mechanism

× Removable magnetic follow-me eyes with clear plastic domes

× Removable magnetic middle-distance eyes clear plastic domes

× Good vision, with no central blind spot

× Two USB fans and ductwork for ventilation inside the head

× Hidden open exhaust vent around face

× Hidden open exhaust vent in eyes

× Light up follow-me eyes

× Stick-out tongue mechanism

× 3D printed springy ears

× Hidden back zipper for getting in and out of head

× Adjustable head strap to balance the mask

× Strategic, velcro-attached face padding

× Pockets for batteries

× Fur 'hood / cowl' (including ears) is mechanically detachable from the mask, for ease of cleaning

× Detachable airtex mesh lining for 'hood / cowl'

× Bias lined zippers and raw edges

× 3D printed, breathable, and flexible padding, tailored to body scan

× Density of padding varies according to need

× Airtex and spacer mesh padding cover and vest (to keep padding in place)

× Faux fur, fleece, and lycra bodysuit is form fitting and highly flexible

× Fully bonded bodysuit (hand-paws and feet-paws are attached)

× Hidden access zippers for both feet and hands

× Hidden back zipper for getting in and out of suit

× Slim, five-finger hand-paws with pop-in hand-paw claws

× Hand-paws are touch screen compatible (after a few mins usage)

× 3D printed detachable outdoor pawpads on feet-paws, connected to removable printed insole

× Removable, breathable slippers for feet

× Bias lined zippers and raw edges

× Choice of plantigrade or digitigrade

PERFORM × STYLE × PLAY × DANCE × EXPLORE × IDENTIFY ×

Become a Creature

PERFORM × STYLE × PLAY × DANCE × EXPLORE × IDENTIFY ×

The design of a Spey Labs suit is very much form-follows-function. The primary objective is to have them feel as natural as possible while allowing the wearer maximum comfort.

COMMS

I'm more than happy to work with all body-types and creatures! There will be certain stylistic and construction elements that will remain consistent across my work, such as the combination of moisture-wicking sports fabric (currently, lycra), fleece, and faux fur, the head bases and glossy eyes, the slim handpaws, the form fitting bodysuit, and the proportional digitigrade legs with the heel-disguising fur (or plantigrade legs without). Certain parts of the head bases (teeth, horns, etc) can be modified.

Please do note that certain mechanical components, such as the eye blinking, are not 100% reliable. I'm just one person from a non-mechanical background, rather than a whole R&D team (I wish), but I've tried to include as many adjustments as possible so we can get it calibrated for you.

CAPRINAE

Note that I don't work with duct tape dummies, but rather 3D body scans (as I'm developing a fully digital pipeline for suit making). There's plenty open-source or affordable possibilities for this, and the technology is being improved yearly, so we can work together to set you up if you need some guidance. If you live in or near a city there's a high likelihood a 3D scanning company or makerspace will be able to scan your body accurately for a reasonable fee! Building the suit onto an accurate 3D model of you means that we can make sure the suit proportions are finetuned before we commit to production.

Price and Availability

Current total costs:

× Head - £4000

× Fullsuit - £8000

This does not include shipping, which is calculated separately. Please note, depending on your country you may need to pay customs duty etc.

There are certain things - like wings, body spikes, custom orders of NFT fur, large amounts of hand-tied kanekalon, or heavily padded suits - which may add extra cost depending on complexity and overheads, but I'll let you know if this is the case.

Payments are as follows:

× 25% deposit to secure a spot

× 25% for the development and completion of a 3D model

× 25% for the development of parts from the model

× 25% on final assembly

I don't currently take payment plans, so your best bet is to have the money saved ahead of time. Payments are via WISE.com (if international) or a simple bank transfer (if domestic (UK)).

There is an approximate 6 month turnaround for fullsuits, and 4 month turnaround for heads. If you wish to have the suit completed faster, I am happy to discuss a priority fee but there are limits to how fast I can order fur / other materials / deal with life events. Regular suit updates are given over telegram (though I may from time to time send extra things), and you are free to contact me during the week.

Head commissions open when the current set are almost finished, and are chosen on an application basis; I will select clients based on compatibility while balancing out complexity across a set (but this is not a reflection of how wonderful I think your creatures are <3). Work will then begin when admin is sorted out and the current set are finished.

Currently I am not in a position to undertake regular fullsuit commissions, as such I will be auctioning rare slots until I have a more stable set up.