Fancy a Knight out in Agincourt? (4 Viewers)

[johnnybach]

Another small addition to my Knights, this time - with a rather interesting history.

The central standing figure below - is intended to portray Edward "The Black Prince" - here shown in his younger years, as a teenager, practicing his swordsmanship. He was just 16 years old at the Battle of Crecy, where he won his spurs, and I've been looking for a suitable casting to make him up before then.

I found this smaller scale (45mm) figure, which is a converted Courtney & Doran figure, dating from pre-1928 ( when their partnership was dissolved). I added the sword, shield and crown from casting spares from Dorset Soldiers - to make him up this way. I've added in two of my recently completed 54mm Knights, to show how small he is in comparison - which is just what I wanted to show this youthful figure. Note that he isn't wearing full armour or helmet - which is intended to indicate thathe is at fighting practice. jb

 

[aujj65]

Very smart looking figures - nice painting JB! {bravo}}

Jeff

 

[nmrocks]

Very Nice group JB, almost as nice as that large flat knight set! ^&grin
Ray

 

[johnnybach]

Very Nice group JB, almost as nice as that large flat knight set! ^&grin
Ray

Cheers.................And a lot easier Ray:salute::

Not really "a group" though Ray. Lord Lutterel is being armed for a joust, by his wife and daughter-in-law - - though The young black Prince would have recognised the Oriflam at Crecy in a year or two's time ( when he was 16) - though it wasn't carried by this knight ( Mesire Miles de Noyen) - but the one you liked earlier on in this thread, Sir Gui de Tremoille. jb

 

[johnnybach]

Not EXACTLY an Agincourt knight, this time - but certainly one that is within easy reach - as literally thousands of these can be found very easily - and at low cost too.

My idea to do some of these, grew out of the small problem that usually comes up, when either friends with children, or my own grandchildren visit. Kids are always keen to have a look at some of my collection - and the urge for them to handle "something", is always evident.

With this in mind, I found a couple of old hollowcast Knights on e-bay recently - which were advertised by a seller with other items I wanted. They were two Johillco Knights with arm holding a lance. Produced both pre and post-war, they are a very common figure to be found - and are often a bit shabby - having not been produced for many years. Priced at just 99 pence for two - I thought that they would be perfect - to let the kids actually touch and even play with, after looking at my others ( which I'd rather them NOT touch!). So.............I bid on them at that price - and was surprised to find that I was the only bidder. As I bought other items too - the postage was combined - and I was the new owner for just less than 50 pence each!!

I've painted one up below, whilst the other is more or less as found ( except that I've removed what was left of the original paint - which wasn't much).

I've shown both below - and note that I have increased the armament on my "new" version, by adding a sword in scabbard and a shield ( with fanciful design) - as well as adding a solid base. This will increase robustness - and hopefully provide some added "playability factor" for him.

So..... an ideal touchable/playable knight - now ready for my next show and tell session!!!{sm4} I'll do something with the other one, in due course. jb

 

[GICOP]

Not EXACTLY an Agincourt knight, this time - but certainly one that is within easy reach - as literally thousands of these can be found very easily - and at low cost too.

My idea to do some of these, grew out of the small problem that usually comes up, when either friends with children, or my own grandchildren visit. Kids are always keen to have a look at some of my collection - and the urge for them to handle "something", is always evident.

With this in mind, I found a couple of old hollowcast Knights on e-bay recently - which were advertised by a seller with other items I wanted. They were two Johillco Knights with arm holding a lance. Produced both pre and post-war, they are a very common figure to be found - and are often a bit shabby - having not been produced for many years. Priced at just 99 pence for two - I thought that they would be perfect - to let the kids actually touch and even play with, after looking at my others ( which I'd rather them NOT touch!). So.............I bid on them at that price - and was surprised to find that I was the only bidder. As I bought other items too - the postage was combined - and I was the new owner for just less than 50 pence each!!

I've painted one up below, whilst the other is more or less as found ( except that I've removed what was left of the original paint - which wasn't much).

I've shown both below - and note that I have increased the armament on my "new" version, by adding a sword in scabbard and a shield ( with fanciful design) - as well as adding a solid base. This will increase robustness - and hopefully provide some added "playability factor" for him.

So..... an ideal touchable/playable knight - now ready for my next show and tell session!!!{sm4} I'll do something with the other one, in due course. jb

Great idea jb:salute::

Cheers

Martyn

 

[nmrocks]

I have been making up and now completed another figure to join my Medieval collection. Alas - he pre-dates Agincourt by a number of years - yet he is connected by ancestry to those who fought there - so don't get too upset!

He is a figure close to my roots once again - as he hailed from South Wales - or as he would have called it - "Deheubarth".

We are talking c.1195 for my latest Knight - who rejoiced in the name of Sir Rhys ap Gruffydd, ( often Anglicised to Rhys ap Griffith). Known in my childhood History lessons as Arglwydd Rhys ( or Lord Rhys) - he was an ancient Prince of this area area of Cymru (Wales).

Sir Rhys, was an ancestor of Harri Tewdor ( King Henry VII - 1457-1509) and also of his namesake Sir Rhys ap Griffith - who fought alongside the Black Prince at Poitiers in 1356. I mention him specifically - because he fought, with the flag of the Wessex Wyvern fixed to his lance at that battle. (A Wyvern being a Dragon - with a serpent's tail.)

This Wessex Dragon Emblem, I must admit - I have taken liberties with - in giving it to my version of the earlier Knight - Sir Rhys ap Gruffydd. Knowing the love that all Welsmen have for "Y Ddraig Goch" (The Red Dragon) - I have given my "Arglwydd Rhys" this banner too - though he is using it some 150 years before it is chronicled as being used by his relative at Poitiers. Call it - poetic license.

I am grateful for the idea of using a soda can for the material for the flag - from "Fishead", which I think worked out very well. I also thank Dorset Soldiers for the bulk of the "Agincourt" re-cast parts for my converted figure - and also Whitetower Miniatures and Langley Miniatures - for other parts I adapted and used. Hope you like him - johnnybach

Here he is below:

Saw your kids Knights and started reviewing this thread, alot of really great knights but this is still one of my favorites!^&grin
Ray

 

[johnnybach]

Saw your kids Knights and started reviewing this thread, alot of really great knights but this is still one of my favorites!^&grin
Ray

Glad you like him Ray - it was great fun making him up with that banner. I'm sometimes asked which of them is my favourite - and my answer is always the same.

The next one. jb:salute::

 

[Ivanhoe]

Saw your kids Knights and started reviewing this thread, alot of really great knights but this is still one of my favorites!^&grin
Ray

Have to agree...this Knight is beautiful !
Had not gone far enough back in the thread to see this.

Reminds me of my W. Britain "Agincourt" knight that I would love to find a banner for, broke off years ago and lost...somewhere.

The knight I have is holding the banner with his left hand and does not have a shield on the other...maybe I am just a confused olde man.

 

[johnnybach]

Have to agree...this Knight is beautiful !
Had not gone far enough back in the thread to see this.

Reminds me of my W. Britain "Agincourt" knight that I would love to find a banner for, broke off years ago and lost...somewhere.

The knight I have is holding the banner with his left hand and does not have a shield on the other...maybe I am just a confused olde man.

He was produced by Britains, quite correctly - without a shield - as it would take a very strong man to hold a lance with that size banner - plus a shield on the same left arm. Banner carriers rarely carried a shield - as they relied on others to protect them. Their job was to stick with their Lord - to show everyone where he was on the battlefield.

I take many liberties with my knights - including adding weapons, changing arms - even sexes - as I made up one of those knights as Joan of Arc. Here's an old pic of 6 knights that I've made up - using that same casting as the start point - Joan is in the centre. I've done a few more since then - so may need to update the photo.^&grin



If you would like your broken Banner carrier fixed - send him to me - and I'll repair him for you - if you like. Just PM me . jb

 

[nmrocks]

Pure art brother, pure art! {sm0}
Ray

 

[Ivanhoe]

These figures are, as all of yours are, beautiful !

Took me a while to notice the knight on the left has his lance crossing from left to right over the horse's neck.

Such great detail and painting.

Thank you.

 

[johnnybach]

These figures are, as all of yours are, beautiful !

Took me a while to notice the knight on the left has his lance crossing from left to right over the horse's neck.

Such great detail and painting.

Thank you.

Thanks for the compliment - nice of you. Painting these also gives me a great amount of pleasure too. I really do think that Britains really missed the boat - when they bought the rights to produce these "Knights of Agincourt" from Roy Selwyn-Smith ( who designed and sculpted them) back in the 50's. Their paint-jobs could have been so much better than the plain colours that they chose - with no attempt at heraldry at all.

I have admired for quite a few years now, the work of Roy, Richard Courtney, Freddy Ping and latterly - Peter Greenhill, who continue the tradition up to this day, of producing replicas in miniature of some of these wonderful knights of old. My own attempts please me - and I'm also pleased that some others appear to like them too.

There's also some good news on the horizon for people like me - who like to paint castings - as the new owner of the "All the Queens Men", has stated that he wants to bring back the old "Agincourt" range of figures - at some point in the future - so we may be getting a new source of material to feed our habit at some time!

Until then - I still have a few Knight castings to go on with - and have been researching a few more "possibles" to turn them into figures of real people that once existed. So....... watch this space............later on. jb

 

[johnnybach]

Whilst working on another project - I stumbled upon an Auction site picture of a French Knight - which became a must have for my collection. It was an original Courtney piece of Louis of Sancerre, Marshall of France from 1368 until he death in 1404. As usual, the suggested price was way out of my league - but he wouldn't let go!

Delving through my "stash" - I unearthed a casting which I felt ( with a few tweaks) might look something like the Courtney - so between coats of paint on my current project - my version of Louis slowly emerged.

I used a recast of a Selwyn-Smith figure as the basis - along with an arm with lance and sword/shield/helmet from Dorset Soldiers spare parts department, to assemble my version, which I then painted up in a similar style to that of the Courtney piece. I retained the removable Great Helm idea - that Courtney also used - and eventually produced him - as shown in my pics below.

First two - show him with helmet off.






Now with helmet on.

 

[Ivanhoe]

Fantastic !

I do not know how you can produce these so well and quickly...it seems.

Your concept and painting are wonderful...if "Courtney" was still around...you would be highly recruited.

Thanks for posting.

 

[johnnybach]

Fantastic !

I do not know how you can produce these so well and quickly...it seems.

Your concept and painting are wonderful...if "Courtney" was still around...you would be highly recruited.

Thanks for posting.

Richard Courtney was a pioneer in the TS world - and his figures still highly collectible and command high prices every time they change hands.

I actually began painting castings before I'd ever heard of him - or that he used real heraldry on his figures. But now that I do - I like to find examples of his work that I like - and produce my own versions - just for my own enjoyment and collection. I do others, of course, from many sources - but i DO like Courtney's figures - and Ping

Here's a pic of the Courtney figure that I found of Louis de Sancerre - which you can compare with my version I showed earlier. I can't get hold of the same castings - so use the Selwyn-Smith ones. Glad you like him. jb

 

[nmrocks]

Whilst working on another project - I stumbled upon an Auction site picture of a French Knight - which became a must have for my collection. It was an original Courtney piece of Louis of Sancerre, Marshall of France from 1368 until he death in 1404. As usual, the suggested price was way out of my league - but he wouldn't let go!

Delving through my "stash" - I unearthed a casting which I felt ( with a few tweaks) might look something like the Courtney - so between coats of paint on my current project - my version of Louis slowly emerged.

I used a recast of a Selwyn-Smith figure as the basis - along with an arm with lance and sword/shield/helmet from Dorset Soldiers spare parts department, to assemble my version, which I then painted up in a similar style to that of the Courtney piece. I retained the removable Great Helm idea - that Courtney also used - and eventually produced him - as shown in my pics below.

First two - show him with helmet off.






Now with helmet on.

Another fine effort JB! at this rate you will be one to one with Knights of the Middle Ages!
Ray

 

[johnnybach]

Another fine effort JB! at this rate you will be one to one with Knights of the Middle Ages!
Ray

It gets better Ray - I have recently found out that the new owner of "All the Queens Men" ( Mike - of 'Empire Miniatures') is resurrecting the AQM "Agincourt Range" - which means more knights in different poses - than the Selwyn-Smith recasts that I've been mostly using up until now. Better yet - Mike will sell them as castings, as well as ready-painted - so I forsee many more possibilities for some more new knights on the horizon!!

I've put in an initial order for four of the poses - so will see how they paint up in due course. I also still have a few of the old castings left in my "stash" - along with bits and pieces of weaponary etc, - so plenty more of my favourite subject to come yet.

On the "flat front" - I've just ordered a set entitled "Ambush of a Pioneer Family" from Erika Ochel at Kieler Zinnfiguren, which is an attack by Sioux Indians on a Wagon with a Pioneer family aboard. I'll take it with me on my next visit to NZ - so that I can paint them up whilst I'm there. (Two sets actually - as it comes in the two parts shown below).

By the way - you can mark Erika up as another "Paypal friendly" seller of Flats - and you can also order in English which makes things easier to order - which is all good news!

Here's a version of it by a professional painter "Marie-Claire Piccolier" - which I think is superb. I'll be doing well if I can get anywhere close to this quality. Best - jb

 

[Ivanhoe]

I have recently found out that the new owner of "All the Queens Men" ( Mike - of 'Empire Miniatures') is resurrecting the AQM "Agincourt Range" - which means more knights in different poses - than the Selwyn-Smith recasts that I've been mostly using up until now. Better yet - Mike will sell them as castings, as well as ready-painted - so I forsee many more possibilities for some more new knights on the horizon!!

Do you have any more information on the "All The Queen's Men" knights ?

Looking online, I found their olde website (most recent date 2012).

Thank you.

 

[theBaron]

I know you paint for your own enjoyment, John, but if I may, I'll say that your knights are excellent and would do very well, if you were a commercial producer. I think of some of the other newer-makers who offered or even specialized in knights, like Bob Hornung, or Jacques Cuypers, and I think yours are better than theirs. Well done!

Prost!
Brad