For as long as there have been Wolverine figures in Marvel Legends, people have been coming up with alternatives to the claw situation.
When Hasbro finally relinquished any remnant parts from previous Wolverine bodies and came up with a brand new body for the diminutive mutant, he came complete with a brand new plug-and-play claw setup. Instead of being stuck with a set of permanently extended claws, you could remove some, all or none of the claws on either hand, creating a whole other level of play value to what was the best Wolverine yet.
I loved it. But, like with anything, there is always room for improvement. I didn’t quite know I needed improvement until I got a look at the Can of Beams claws.
Can of Beams has been putting out add-on effects parts for a variety of lines and figures for quite a while. I’ve been an admirer of many of them, but as I’m not usually a display person, I’ve never felt the real need to buy any of them. That’s not a hit on their quality or coolness, but more a statement on my own proclivities.
I was tempted when the first version of claws came out, but again, I was pretty satisfied with what Hasbro was putting out, so I didn’t jump on board.
That was before I saw the second style of claws. While the first style was a straight blade that was more or less a real metal version of the Hasbro claws, the second style—with the very gradual curve down the length of the claw—smacked every nostalgia bone I had. This was the shape of Wolverine’s claws in my head. Immediately, the straight claws that have come with Hasbro’s Wolverine now felt too straight, missing that curve that had carved out a notch in my mental image of Wolverine ever since childhood.
Sure, you could say that it makes more sense for a straight blade to be hidden away in his forearm than a curved one, but you can’t argue with feel.
Of all the Wolverines I have, the factory claws that came with the Retro wave “stealth” Wolverine were the sloppiest. I could never get them to seat straight in their holes. I could have glued them in, but that would negate the ability to have only a handful of them extended. And as one of maybe five people who were really really eager for and happy to get this costume, that just could not stand. So I took the dive and ordered a set of the style 2 claws.
They instantly transform this figure into pure magic. This is my second favorite costume behind the brown one, and now he’s got the claw silhouette that I want for him.
The claws are stainless steel and very well done. As I said, they feature a very gradual curve that evokes the classic Wolverine look to me. The claws are all identical to each other, and the metal gives the figure an instant dynamic that the factory claws can’t compare.
Can of Beams has an instructional video on the site for proper insertion of the claws. They say to prime the claws by popping them in and out of each hole, but I went ahead and heated the fist up and slid the claws in. Once the hands cooled, they gripped the claws nice and tight. No leaning or tilting to the side, no wobbling. The claws are sturdy, with a nice sheen that adds a touch of realism to this plastic figure.
The only possible con is that there is a little bit more chunkiness to them in comparison to the factory claws, but the overall vibe offsets that complaint so much that it’s reduced to a minor quibble. These claws instantly catapulted a figure that I have been waiting quite a while for into a whole new category. As soon as I popped them in and got a look at them I ordered another pair to use with my brown costume Wolverine. At $13 plus shipping the price feels reasonable for what you get, considering most of us don’t have chunks of metal and laser-cutting machinery at home.
If you’re satisfied with the Hasbro claws, then this item isn’t necessarily a must-have, but if there’s this nagging feeling that the claws that each Wolverine figure comes with don’t quite have that “feel” to them that you remember from certain comics, then this is an excellent option.
You can order them here.
