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kathytaylor Ruby Mountain Bears
Northern Nevada, USA
Posts: 1,467

I am working on my Challenge bear for outside my comfort zone, My husband thinks he is too heavy, I used plastic pellets and bb's. I think it weighs like lifelike, he says to heavy???It's not overweight  really but when you go to pick it up you go wow heavy! I think it feels like real life. What do you think, should I make it lighter??

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

I LOOOOOOOVE a heavy bear... one that takes both hand to lift and makes someone say "Wow, he's heavy!" when they pick him up. My bigger bears.... 18"..... weigh around 4 pounds.... almost as heavy as a bag of sugar! The reactions from collectors at shows is wonderful... and they almost always get adopted! (Sorry, Mr. Taylor..... this isn't helping your cause!) I say there is no such thing a bear that is too heavy.

But I'd also imagine that some of it is personal preference!

kathytaylor Ruby Mountain Bears
Northern Nevada, USA
Posts: 1,467

Okay , that's what I thought Daphne. Even my daughter smiles when she picks it up. Feels like a baby!!
so I will leave it Heavy, Okay I just weighed it  2lbs. at about 12 inches tall. So that is pretty good.

Tami E Tami Eveslage Original Teddy Bears
Milford Ohio
Posts: 2,367

Kathy, I like weighted bears and I think yours sounds like it is a perfect weight, but I do think "too heavy" is possible. A friend of mine has a bear in her collection which is about 12 inches and it is completely stuffed with sand. I don't know exactly what it weighs, but when I pick it up it feels like I am picking up a ROCK of similar size. I don't find a bear that feels like a rock appealing at all. Ya still gotta be able it hug it in my book.

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

Hmm Tami... wouldn't you think the fabric around it's joints would have the potential to be stressed/stretch and give out if 'played' with much??

I take back my statement... there IS such a thing as a bear that is too heavy. Guess I figured one would know when to stop with the weighting to still keep that teddy bear feel but perhaps not?

DebbieD Posts: 3,540

I've had the same comment from my hubby over one of my bears, but I didn't feel it was the right weight until it was very heavy.  It was probably one of the heaviest I've made.  The new owner was over the moon with it, and she loves the weight.

I'm another who aims for 'baby' weight with my larger nonjointed bears, and its hard to explain my little handsized bears, but holding one in the palm of your hand is a very grounding experience, very soothing.

I would not like a bear stuffed all the way with sand though!  Its not so much that it would be too heavy, as no give.  There's no stuffing, so what's the point?  It would be like trying to hug a stick of wood, or a rock ....not very cuddly in my opinion.

jenny Three O'clock Bears
warwickshire uk
Posts: 4,413
Website

No...I don't think they can ever be too heavy!! They can be too light!!! That's the one thing about buying bears online that you can't check..if I had picked up one or two of the bears I own before buying I'd have put them back despite liking their faces..I love a heavy bear. I make mine nice and heavy...it's part of the whole package...it's the main bit..the cuddle!!

I've edited this to add that I think it has to be in proportion with the size of the bear and not put a strain on seams, joints etc....but apart from that nice and heavy does it for me!!

fredbear Fred-i-Bear
Johannesburg
Posts: 2,243
Website

I like heavy bears, although one I made for my niece a few years lost his head. Chloe so loved this bear that she had to drag it by its head as she could not pick him up- it was given to her when she was two.
When I re attached the head, I did take out some of the pellets to make it easier for her to carry.

Lynette

kathytaylor Ruby Mountain Bears
Northern Nevada, USA
Posts: 1,467

thanks for the input, I think I like it with the weight. I love to make the mini's with the oooh factor. People pick up one and go " oh it's heavier than I thought." but you really can't overweight a mini. Not enough room in them.  :crackup:
I posted it's picture on the Comfort zone challenge.
And your right who wood want to hug a rock. This is nicely stuffed and weighted in the tummy to give it heft. I had to make leg armatures to get it to stand.

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