French Crimean War! (1 Viewer)

[aujj65]

As a big fan of K&C UK’s Crimean War range I was (and still am) more than a little disappointed when it came to an end. I have collected all the range and in some instances have multiples but my displays still lacked some depth in regards to the different type of troops that were involved. The French supplied at least an equal amount of men and materials for the conflict and so seemed the most likely candidates for a few figures.

The big question is what figures are suitable? The Alma Figures range of Crimean War castings is the most obvious as I have painted the masters for the company’s gloss painted range, but they are a bit smaller at 54mm. Having a reasonable idea of what a French uniform of 1854 looked like I started to have a trawl through the K&C ACW range and noticed the Union Infantry dressed with surplus French Chasseur kit. Not a bad start and a repaint would be in order on some of the uniform and so a phone call later to Tony at K&C UK and a couple were on their way to me.

Below are the before and after photos of the ACW Union figure repainted to represent a French Light Infantry Carabineer. Not perfect but the best I could do without actual surgery to the host figure.

Any suggestions and criticisms greatly appreciated before I convert a few more figures.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[GICOP]

Looks great to me Jeff :salute::

Cheers

Martyn

 

[lancer]

I think it looks fantastic. I don't know anything about French Crimean war uniforms or equipment, but since many ACW copied the French uniforms, I would bet it's a pretty accurate repaint. -- Al

 

[GICOP]

Just a thought Jeff, did K&C do any ACW Zouaves. I have several Trophy sets of ACW Zouaves and I remember recently someone put a Trophy ACW set on Ebay with a BUY IT NOW price and advertised it as Crimean War, I mailed the seller to tell them Trophy didn't produce any Crimean War Zouaves, I never heard back from the seller and it sold straight away.

Cheers

Martyn

 

[Napoleon1er]

That is absolutely brilliant AND beautiful! One suggestion based on a bit of research: The yellow trim on the coat should be painted over, except on the center vertical section, where it should be red.
-Sandor:salute::

 

[Dragoon]

Nicely done Jeff. - Don't forget the gloss coat. :wink2: - Ken

 

[Mitch]

Went and had a look at the figures and these look very good.
Mitch

 

[aujj65]

Thanks Guys.

Just the sort of feedback required. :smile2: K&C haven’t so far made any ACW Zouaves but we live in hope!

Sandor could be right about the yellow trim, but I have accumulated a fair number of uniform details, which shows a variety of styles (and trims) for uniform tunics/coats? But I might paint over this one just to see.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[Guy]

Jeff
very well done .nice result
guy

 

[aujj65]

Guy, thank you. :smile2:

Having given a lot of thought about the yellow trim, I have painted over this on the bottom edges of the tunic. So I think a few more of these (and some in firing/loading stances for the Chassuer a' Pied) will be in order.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[Napoleon1er]

Wow! I love the final! So I am assuming this will be matt? But good luck- I eagerly await the result!

 

[jrsteel]

Great job. I think it looks awesome.

 

[oberstoskar]

Guy, thank you. :smile2:

Having given a lot of thought about the yellow trim, I have painted over this on the bottom edges of the tunic. So I think a few more of these (and some in firing/loading stances for the Chassuer a' Pied) will be in order.

Thanks

Jeff

Hi Jeff, What is the paint that you used for the nice repaint? I used Vellejo before but it turns out that the color was too dull compared with K&C original paint. Your repaint looks OK.

You may consider getting a few of the Hachette 1/30 French Foreign Legion figures, I am also disappointed that K&CUK had discontinued the crimea series. I also recently bought the Frontline Figures' Lords Lucan and Reglan and asked Gerald Prime to repaint them in Matt for me but they are slightly smaller in scale.

 

[Napoleon1er]

Who does those green figures, and what are they? Also, what about that figure to the far right at rest and that LE bugler next to the K&C piece?
Thanks,
Sandor

 

[cantinetozzo]

Hi OberstOskar , recently i bought too some Foreign Legionnaires by Hachette...some are really good as the swiss from Crimea (the guy in green leaning on the rifle in your pic) or the Para of Indochina (nothing to envy to the first CF)..Others i noticed are too glossy to stand side by side with the K&C..they pop up sometime at good prices on Ebay..I'm looking at the Napoleon with the crossed arms , it is from the Marechal of the Empire series?

 

[cantinetozzo]

Who does those green figures, and what are they? Also, what about that figure to the far right at rest and that LE bugler next to the K&C piece?
Thanks,
Sandor

Maybe i can answer you..they are made by K&C for Hachette of France ,certainly some of them have not the great standard of painting tipical of K&C, but the sculpting is top notch.You can find them on Ebay..if i find a link of some auction i'll post it here..The legionary on the far right is from the 1830 if i recall..the bugler is from the end of XIX cent.early part of the XX...(Beau Geste era..), the guy with identical uniform marching alongside him is made by K&C for www.toysoldier.fr .I do not have him , but i have another figure made for this site, a Marsouin (marine infantry from the Commune period-1870)...

 

[Napoleon1er]

Maybe i can answer you..they are made by K&C for Hachette of France ,certainly some of them have not the great standard of painting tipical of K&C, but the sculpting is top notch.You can find them on Ebay..if i find a link of some auction i'll post it here..The legionary on the far right is from the 1830 if i recall..the bugler is from the end of XIX cent.early part of the XX...(Beau Geste era..), the guy with identical uniform marching alongside him is made by K&C for www.toysoldier.fr .I do not have him , but i have another figure made for this site, a Marsouin (marine infantry from the Commune period-1870)...

I have him, and am looking for the commune guy! Not too hard to find, though. But who makes the bugler and the guy to the right? Hachette also?
Thanks!

 

[cantinetozzo]

Yes they are from Hachette..from what i can see on Ebay they are more difficult to find of the usual Indochina Para or marching Sapper or Para of Kolwezi but they still pop up sometime...

 

[thebritfarmer]

They are alright I suppose Jeff...............little more green and they would be fabulous!! Another great job by yourself.

 

[Obee]

Jeff,

nice work on the repaint, and looking at the figures (I have the bugler in my collection) I can see that the uniforms and equipment do match in nicely with the French uniforom of the day.

It is interesting that the Union troops did use French uniforms that they imported during the start of the conflict because the US industry couldn't provide uniforms on the scale required for the numbers under arms. I have read where many of the uniforms were too small for the larger American body, so were not used.

The organisaition of troops into Zouarve regiments is another aspect of the importation of uniforms. Also the use of Cantinieries was a French import too.

If you would like some more deatils of the French Uniforms used in Crimea send me a PM and I'll be able to do some photocopies / scans of the documents I was given by the original maker of Alma, when he first gave me some castings to paint, and then you may be able to convert some Voltiguers and get some green epaulettes too

Keep up the good work,

John