Ringdoll Sol is one hot guy! Sol is one of the company’s most popular Ring Grown sculpts, and the line has been a popular choice with international collectors. The 72 cm tall boy was the first Ring Grown line doll (along with Kay) released by the company back in January 2011. Several full-sets of Sol have been released by Ringdoll.
My Sol doll was ordered in tan resin with the first full-set created for him by the company. In addition to the doll, fist hands and two accessories were added to the order, an ornate cane and an “electronic eye”. Thing went a bit awry with Sol’s delivery. He was sent by a shipping company used by Ringdoll, and he made it to New York customs. At that point, the tracking site stated that there was an incomplete address on the package, and it was returned to China. It took several weeks before the doll was returned to the company and then re-sent with the corrected information.
The second time he was shipped, Sol was successfully delivered to my home. Despite his adventures, he arrived completely unscathed. The doll was contained within a fold-out box. My Sol is cast in a coffee and cream color resin with a nice even tone.(Note: my camera makes Sol appear more orange than his actual resin color.) He casting seams have been removed, and the areas where he has been sanded are virtually undetectable from the rest of the resin surface. The resin is smooth but not overly shiny. Although his upper thigh joints have a tendency to swivel, I had little difficulty standing the doll after removing him from his packaging.
Ringdolls all currently come with face-ups for both full-sets and for basic dolls. Sol’s face-up was decently painted with feathery eyebrows and lower lashes in a dark grey, with grey and reddish shading around the eyes. Therea touch of dark paint added to the corners of the mouth, but it is subtle, not the dark spots seen on some face-ups. Eyelashes were not included. The glass eyes sent with the doll are a pale blue.
A small surprise awaited me when unpacking my items, I did not know about one unusual detail on the doll. Some large male Chinese dolls come with resin “manhood” parts that attach to the doll with magnets. Sol’s has a “manhood” part that is a separate piece that is attached to his body with a thin elastic cord. A few lines for “hair” are etched in the surface above this part.
Sol’s outfit is stylish and flamboyant, typical of the fashions that Ringdoll creates. Doll artist Huang Shan designs the doll outfits as well as dolls. The inspiration of manga, anime and game characters are noticeably apparent in both the doll and the clothing. The set I received included stretchy black trousers with sewn-on suspenders, an elaborate lined long jacket made with black pleather and snakeskin print material with fur trim, a matching hat, and a pair of elaborate silver and black boots with both laces and buckles. The outfit looked just like the company photos save for one small detail. The suspenders on my set are a bit loose. I may tighten them in the future by trimming the ends and and re-sewing them at the back buckle.
The cane that I included with my order is made with black resin end pieces attached to a black plastic pipe (I am not sure if this pipe is resin or another type of plastic). The details of the cane are highlighted with silver paint. The other item, the electronic eye, is also black with silver paint. The eye includes a battery and installs just like any other doll eye. There is an on/off button that is meant to be at the top of the eye. The light in the eye can then be turned off and on by removing the head-cap and pressing the button. It is an ingenious little device!
Sol poses reasonably well, but his head slips a bit and the thigh joints tend to revolve when I wanted them to stay in place. These problems could be reduced with sueding or perhaps some silicon kips discs. The doll is very close in size to my Angell Studio Bicheng An. Sol fit into an Angell Studio outfit even though his arms and legs are a little more muscular. Sol has double jointed knees and elbows. The arms easily bend to allow the doll to touch his face and the back of his head. The knees are ingeniously constructed with a kneecap piece that slides when the knee is bent. Double jointed knees are often the hardest to make aesthetically pleasing while bending. The knee construction for the Ring Grown boys is definitely one of the more successful attempts. The waist joints work but are somewhat limited in how far the chest and hips can tilt. What the torso lacks in maneuverability, it more than makes up for in sculptural quality. Sol is well muscled but not heavily so. His silhouette is long and lean.
Finally, I compared Sol to my Ring Teenager doll Pan. I was surprised at the difference in the two dolls. Pan is more abstract in his appearance and his high forehead and slender body are quite different from Sol’s. Sol is more vigorous and natural in appearance. His limbs include veining and more accurately sculpted muscles.
While I did have a little bit of a wait before Sol arrived, I couldn’t be happier with him. He gives off a bad boy attitude, and it will be fun coming up with some alternate looks for him.
Photos above: Sol head with eyes installed, Sol with “electronic eye”, posing double jointed arms.
Previous article on the company:HERE.
Ringdoll company website
The dolls of Ringdoll may be purchased through the company or through their authorized retailers
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