Custome K&C (1 Viewer)

[Ranger]

Did some of the members have a custome made figure or vehicle done by Andy and his crew??

Best regards,

Ian

 

[jazzeum]

Ian,

I believe Louis has. However, I don't think Andy does those kinds of things anymore.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I have a few custom made vehicles ( a wood and metal Tiger in three color camouflage, a wood and metal Iwo Sherman, an 8th Army Sherman, a Humber Staff Car, an SAS Land Rover, and an 8th Army Priest) and one custom made figure (an early Guards Camel Corps Officer custom done as a mounted Highland Officer which was not, however, done at my request). Early on, when K&C was a very small operation, Andy did custom stuff for good collectors, but with the exception of dioramas, they do not do custom stuff today. The closest a good collector can get to custom stuff today is the rare occasions when K&C decides to sell off a prototype of a vehicle it has decided not to put into production, or custom makes a vehicle for a diorama it then chooses to sell.

 

[jazzeum]

Here are two of the best (or at least my favorites) in Louis' collection, the Humber and the 8th Army Sherman.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Here are two of the best (or at least my favorites) in Louis' collection, the Humber and the 8th Army Sherman.

I really like the 8th army sherman. Only one of them? Too bad.

Is it a basic K&C Sherman with an 8th army paint job?

Terry

 

[Louis Badolato]

I really like the 8th army sherman. Only one of them? Too bad.

Is it a basic K&C Sherman with an 8th army paint job?

Terry

When the Iwo Sherman came out in polystone (the first Polystone Tank) I didn't like it, but I was unable at that point to find one of the older wood and metal Shermans (it took me another couple of years to find the three older wood and metal Shermans [1991 U.S., 1991 Highland Division British, 1996 30 Corps. British] in my collection). I pestered Andy to make me a wood Sherman and a wood Stug (another story entirely). Finally Andy agreed to make me the Sherman, and he had 5 wood copies of the Iwo Sherman made. I bought the first, and later, after I had seen a prototype of a shell damaged 8th Army Sherman from a factory in Vietnam on a desert diorama (which no amount of negotiation could get Andy to part with) asked Andy to duplicate the exact marking and shell damage on one of the other four wood and metal Shermans. He agreed, and you see the results above.

The paint job is exceptional, with weathering you didn't normally see on the wood and metal or resin and metal vehicles (which, except for the Vietnam M113 and M48 Duster, looked pristine), and of course the details like the bogie wheels and tracks are completely crisp and clean, unlike the early polystone counterpart.

I have since been reliably informed (I think by Gary Binder) that it is not historically accurate, as the Caunter camouflage (tan, green and blue) was no longer used when the first Shermans arrived in North Africa, but I don't care, it is one of my favorite pieces.

 

[Njja]

Andy has certainly produced some unique and wonderful items over the years!

He certainly has a unique imagination and vision.