The human mind is fickle. When I was buying direct from Hinton Hunt in the early 1970s I can remember the dissapointment of receiving a Jiffy Bag full of figures, halfheartedly wrapped in newspaper with loose bits rattling around. The figures that weren't beyond repair were covered in ridiculous amounts of flash metal that took literally hours to remove. In those days there was no point in trying to complain or leave a bad review (there were no reviews) and you just had to suck it up and be greatful that at least the packet had arrived.
Fast forward to now and I have a warm glow of nostalgia to see figures with their original flash attached. This doesn't happen often as the majority of the figures in my collection have been prepped and painted by others and then stripped and repainted by me. Most of the flash is therefore missing although it is always a surprise to see how many people in the past have just painted over great chunks of it.
 |
| AN.85 Austrian Uhlan (Lancer) (mounted) charging. |
So I've been very excited to start prepping a unit of 'virgin' Austrian Uhlan Lancers that have never been painted and still have all the flash attached. I've had these figures for a very long time and I thought that, with the recent growth spurt of the Austrian infantry, it was time to start thinking about adding more cavalry.
Meanwhile work on the Grenadiers continues and I have just completed a 'company' with green facings to add to the combined Grenadier Battalion.
 |
| I like the idea of having a unit with mixed facing colours. |
And last, but not least, Goya sent me this picture of a recently completed Austrian unit for his own forces. This is IR1 Franz 1. These are more of Don's old troops that have been very sympathetically restored and rebased by the great master.
 |
| The rank and file are AN4 but the command figures are Hinton Compatriots. The flag apparently has the design etched on it and Goya has done a fab job with this. |
I like the Barber Shop pole effect on the flag staff and will be nicking this idea for my Grenadiers!
10 comments:
Lovely painted figures, yes the joys of flash.
Hours of work to clean up a regiment for painting.
Kids today don't know how lucky they are.
However have we replaced metal flash with
3D printed flash 😀.
Willz.
Yup, don't know they're born!
When I saw the title I thought you’d found a new hobby… My dad had the same attitude to my Airfix stuff he painted and so long as the figures could stand up that was enough. I had a French infantryman with a huge clump of plastic on the end of his musket which my dad passed off as a ‘muzzle flash’. In which I suppose he was correct…
No new hobby just trying some click-bait!
Very interesting to see the miniature in it's original form and that is a fair bit of flash on it. Nice work on the grenadier and the unit that Goya has done is a cracker, lovely figures and very well painted.
Ha! Barber's pole was exactly what sprang into my mind when I saw the photo.
I like the green facings on the latest grenadiers (what's next pink?) but not so keen on the uhlan's flash, not everything was better back then.
Thanks Donnie. One plus about the flash is it proves the figures are genuine as nobody would go to the trouble of recasting with all that attached!
Next is a rather nice deep yellow/orange. Of course things were better back then we should all be campaigning to ‘Make wargaming great again!”
I'm trying, I should have my latest unit ready to post on Sunday.
I could go into a Monty Python Yorkshireman sketch routine about having to remove flash with a blunt screwdriver and my bare teeth by candlelight....but decided not to.
I look forward to see your evolving Austrian Army!
Post a Comment