Shingeki no Kyojin Blades

I came across this piece of artwork while searching for physical models of the Shingeki no Kyojin handgrips and blades. When I first saw the image, I thought it was a photo of some handmade props, not a 3D rendering.

The model is very faithful to the design as seen in the anime series "Shingeki no Kyojin" ("Attack on Titan"), in particular the detail drawing on the "Information we can share so far..." slide. Many, many models and drawings are variations of one sort or another - not these.

What makes these models stand out is the detail, not just of the elements of the actual design, but the textures and damage. The metal parts of the handgrip look like machined metal; the crosshatched grips look like rubber. But it's the damage that really sets them apart: the damaged areas aren't texture maps, but are actually modeled. Portions of the rubber grips are missing; part of the metal around the trigger guard, on the blade release, and other places has been taken away. Another realistic detail is where the damage ISN'T - the blade is undamaged since it is replaceable (this is a story element - they discard worn blades), and the release cable and air hose are new since they would likely be parts replaced during maintenance. This is a thoughtful element - most people who seek to create a battle-damaged version may not think about this and put wear and tear on everything.

I do not know what package this is modeled in, so I'm limited on commenting on technique. But to model these with such smooth curves and including the damage with such fine detail will require creating a model with an extremely high poly count. These can be very difficult to work with unless the package is designed to handle them, so I'm guessing perhaps 3D Studio Max. Regardless of the package, this work demonstrates that the artist has full command of it.

Being a 3D modeler and animator myself, I fully recognize the work that the artist had to put in on this model. But a 3D model that is so realistic that it initially fooled an experienced 3D modeler? That got my attention!