Thursday 11 June 2015

Memory lapse

Last weekend I was clearing out some things in my parent’s house and in a box in the bottom of a cupboard I found a 54mm Hinton Hunt Caledonian warrior. The figure (as you can see) was painted quite well with shading and a nice chamfered flocked wooden base. I remember that I bought this figure from the Hinton Hunt shop in Camden Passage in 1973 (for more on that click here).

What I can’t remember at all was painting it! It’s odd because for it to still be in my parent’s house it must have been painted before I left home at the age of nineteen. With it was a made up Airfix kit of a Waterloo Coldstream guardsman that I do remember painting (and darn fiddly it was) but done without shading.

This is weird because the shading technique used on the Caledonian is much closer to stuff I painted later on and what dim recollection I do have of trying to paint that figure was that I made a right pigs ear of it.

Anyway, there you have it – the only 54mm Hinton Hunt figure in my collection!

12 comments:

MSFoy said...

You made a very nice job of it - maybe you should go back to painting while smoking banned substances? You've done it now - I'll have to keep going back to my boxes of Spaniards, so see if I've painted them already, but have forgotten. Unfortunately, that isn't as funny now as it used to be - I'll definitely give the spliff a try, though.

Super, and unusual, figure - good to see it.

Thanks - Tony

Stryker said...

Tony - not spliffs, this is what happens when you breath in Humbrol fumes whilst listening to "Tales from topographic oceans" by Yes with your bedroom door shut...

MSFoy said...

Forgot to ask...

Not wishing to pile on any pressure here, but are there any definite dates for the Vintage Waterloo game yet? I mean the Big Day is next week. If you've already mentioned this, and I missed it, please just sigh and move on.

Stryker said...

Tony - I'm hoping to get together with Roy on the 18th for a dry run but due to the fact that my daughter is now several days overdue with her first baby we may have to dash up to Scotland at a moments notice so I may not make it. We haven't got a firm date for the main event yet but I'm thinking July/August.

Phil said...

A splendid figure!

lewisgunner said...

Is he a Hinton Hunt or a Lasset?? Heih does look very much like one of a range of barbarians that John Tassel sculpted!

Anonymous said...

A link to a Lasset!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LASSET-GERMAN-TOY-SOLDIER-/231591436308?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_101&hash=item35ebece014

As you will see, this time he is a Germanic Warrior đŸ˜€

I will have a go at Waterloo with whatever I have got on Thursday. If your daughter is still delaying we may see you. As requested I will try for photos, but without your figures it will lack somewhat,
Roy

the Archduke said...

It was probably the painting fairies, lurking in the background of the picture disguised as carabiniers. Hope they'll be ready for Waterloo. I saw the "re-enactment" at Beating Retreat at the Horseguards on Wednesday. Interesting to note that the "French" were outnumbered by about 3:1, and looked defeated before the bangs began. I was also intrigued to note that their best dressed member was a Russian gunner..... So if you're short of Frenchmen............

Stryker said...

Roy - I bought him in the HH shop in Camden Passage and he came in Hinton Hunt box. Looking at the Lasset pictures they seem more slender than mine. Would HH have been selling Lasset in their shop?

Fingers crossed for Thursday!

Stryker said...

Archduke - 3:1 seems like good odds to me for an historical outcome!

lewisgunner said...

Interesting as to whether he was sold in the HH shop. I think the red haired chap who ran the shop brought in stock as well as HH. Hinton 54s have rather cruder facial features. Lassets have a smoother and less angular look.
One clue is that HH generally used a thin white wash as undercoat on 54s whereas Lasset used a sirt of shiny grey rather like Car spray undercoat.
He is definitely the same basic figure as the one in the ebay sale. Look at the leg bindings, at the number of bars across thevscabbard, at the moustache and at his brooch that closes the cloak. He is a Lasset and a nice one. When you come over I'll show you figures from both ranges, bring the Caledonian over and you can compare him. Nice figure, though, rather better sculpting than the comparable HHs.

Roy

Stryker said...

I do remember that he had a grey undercoat. This is sad because I wanted to think this was one remaining link to my old Hinton Hunt collection! However, whatever he is I do KNOW I bought him in Camden Passage!!!