What quality improvements should be made by KC and would it affect your purchases? (2 Viewers)

[desk11desk12]

What quality improvements should be made by KC and would it affect your purchases?

Carlos

 

[Kurt]

Sometimes the faces could be better. Horse painting could be a more realistic... they're too light a shiny typically. However, the quality is very good for the price and I have no complaints about figure bodies (at least not on the new figures).

Yes, there are some figures I don't buy because I don't like the faces.

My biggest frustration is that the majority of figures have boring generic poses. Standing looking forward. Standing looking to the right. Standing looking to the left. Standing pointing to the left. Standing pointing to the right. Mounted looking forward. Mounted looking to the left. Mounted looking to the right.

 

[Pierre]

In fact, it is not an improvement of the quality that may affect my purchases.

As I do not collect WWII, I am not concerned, for example, by the tracks issue.

I will buy exclusive or limited items such as the Charge of the Light Brigade or the Jeanne d'Arc figure even if they are costly. They are special and not collected by everybody. That's what I am looking for.

Another example: I bought three upcoming Bf-110, one exemplary of each camo.

Thereby, when I suggest that K&C revisit the Guards Camel Regiment, my wish is that the same figures be reissued with today standards, range 1:30 (matt finish) or range 1:32 (gloss finish) at 350 exemplaries each at a price of 100,00$ to 150,00$.

That will affect my purchases.

A last example: the Wu Collection from Figarti. Very special figures, limited to 100 exemparies each. I preordered the four Arab figures.

Pierre.

 

[Jim5615]

I think the quality of the K&C figures is fantastic. Considering the price of the figures as opposed to the Russian figures, I think Andy gives a great deal for the price.

 

[Louis Badolato]

For me, the only improvement left for K&C to make in its quality is standardizing the scale of the vehicles at true 1:30 to match the exact scale of the figures.

All of the other complaints I have made to Andy concerning track detail and clear windshields with interior cockpit detail for vehicles and aircraft have been fully addressed. While the vehicles are not quite as well sculpted as Honour Bound's efforts, they are a good deal less expensive or come with more crew.

The figures and diorama materials made by K&C are in my opinion as good as you can find outside of St. Petersburg prices. The very limited aircraft are of a quality far superior to anything I've seen (although at St. Petersburg prices).

 

[Currahee Chris]

I think the quality of the K&C figures is fantastic. Considering the price of the figures as opposed to the Russian figures, I think Andy gives a great deal for the price.

Interesting that you should mention that as I was at a dealers shop yesterday and he made the comment that KC is really starting to close the gap between themselves and St. Pete.

KC is simply on fire right now and have been for the past few years. I think most people can agree that they are the team to beat right now- good, bad or indifferent- they are just wildly popular. Me personally, I enjoy several different companies figures but all I hear about at dealer tables and at their stores is just how hot their figures are right now. It's really quite a phenomenon.

I would like to see them back off the releases of the new lines- I started collecting them in 99 and I have seen a dozen, maybe more, lines introduced in that period. It does get to be a bit overwhelming.

2008 may be the year I personally buy more product from another company- that isn't to say I am against KC, there is just another line out there that fits my current tastes a bit more.

But overall, my advice to those guys would be- why mess with a good thing?? They appear to be the hands-down favorite across the board so why mess with something if it isn't broken??

CC

 

[M1SLAPPY]

I Would Like To See Working Suspensions And Moving Tracks On The Vehicles. I Would Even Pay Extra For That.

 

[maddadicus]

For me, the only improvement left for K&C to make in its quality is standardizing the scale of the vehicles at true 1:30 to match the exact scale of the figures.

All of the other complaints I have made to Andy concerning track detail and clear windshields with interior cockpit detail for vehicles and aircraft have been fully addressed. While the vehicles are not quite as well sculpted as Honour Bound's efforts, they are a good deal less expensive or come with more crew.

The figures and diorama materials made by K&C are in my opinion as good as you can find outside of St. Petersburg prices. The very limited aircraft are of a quality far superior to anything I've seen (although at St. Petersburg prices).

This is my greatest complaint about the vehicles. I have no idea what scale tank or car I am getting anymore...I can forgive not getting a particular rivet done as prototypical, but to have all the tanks of any particular mfg. mismatched size wise to each other's class is unforgivable. They got it mostly right in the old days for size, why now ,when the art of model making is so much more precise ,is K/C getting it more wrong ?....Michael

 

[OldCelt]

I can't fault sculpting or paint quality. The faces or poses being too generic, I think is better than too stylized. I found the Second issue Rev. War New Yorkers to be a bit individualized and stylish?
Vehicle scale consistancy would be a plus, they do seem to range a bit.
metal tracks on the Tanks/etc. would be good but as for turning/moving that always seems to be a strugle between looking authentic aand being durable. I for one would be O K with static treads and lower price.
I do like the way the single fig. sales are as relates to multi/fig set.
O.C.

 

[binder001]

The biggest issue for me is for them to do a little more homework to create some better historical accuracy. For the money spent on K&C, I shouldn't have to be the one pointing out that the 3rd Infantry Division wasn't near Normandy, however we get a lot of US figures with 3rd ID patches (that are ostensibly "DDay" figures). The M3A1 scout car was pretty much out of US service in late 1944, but we have one painted up for the Battle of the Bulge. The info isn't secret - there are those of us who would glady advise if asked (and could keep our mouths shut about upcoming projects).

Gary

 

[lenswerks]

The first K-C item I purchased was the “Halt!” motorcycle. The signal paddle was bent 90 degrees apparently so that it would fit in the foam cutout ( please make the freaking cut-out bigger ). There is a significant paint chipped place at the bend. I paid 115$ for this? On a MK figure, I had a big piece of paint missing at base of battle ax and hand, appears to have been bent at some point in the packaging process. The flaws are large enough that your eye goes directly to them.

What this reminds me of are those companies that spend millions of dollars on television and print advertising and when you call them you are put on hold for 15 minutes and then disconnected.

The moral of the story – the designs are great, the subjects are great, the paint is great, but someone along the line is falling down and it needs to be addressed.

 

[Capitolron]

Everyone knows how strongly I feel about the great products of King and Country. However, I do agree with Lenswerks about quality control of the Crusader Figures.

My wonderful wife-to-be bought over a $1,000 USD of Crusaders for me for Christmas last year and when I opened them up - the AXE Men were bent and had severe paint chips.

I sent a few back to Tim Tyler that were really bad - but, I ended up doing touch up painting on several of them. That should not be necessary with brand new products - especially brand new ranges !?!

I totally understand that paint chips can and do happen on older figures -
And I truely appreciate and understand that. But, this is simple quality control over new products and should be addressed. I dont think Lenswerks and myself are the only ones who have suffered with the Crusaders Axe Men.

All the other Crusader figures are fine and great - I Love Them ! But, these Axe Men are in desparate need of quality control. IMO.

Ron

 

[dkelly]

I'm still pretty new to the K&C game. I only collect the AK and EA series (love them both). On the AK tanks (and I assume with the other K&C tanks), I don't understand why there is "gunk" near the tracks around the wheels. I'm sure this has been asked before, but can't that be eliminated with the culpting. You really see it on the Panzer III, but event the Grief shows some of it.

 

[OzDigger]

1) Adjust the accuracy of the tanks and other relevant vehicles to true 1/30 scale.

2) Ensure the historical accuracy of vehicles, figures and aircraft

3) Reduce the number of "extra" figures and accessories in vehicle sets to reduce set cost.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I'm still pretty new to the K&C game. I only collect the AK and EA series (love them both). On the AK tanks (and I assume with the other K&C tanks), I don't understand why there is "gunk" near the tracks around the wheels. I'm sure this has been asked before, but can't that be eliminated with the culpting. You really see it on the Panzer III, but event the Grief shows some of it.

Here is a quote from the forthcoming book on K&C concerning the "gunk" in the tracks:

"The first two polystone vehicles, an LVT2 Amtrack (IWJ7) and Sherman Tank (IWJ11), were released in January, 1999 with the original Iwo Jima release. . . .

The LVT2 Amtrack (IWJ7) actually was not a bad first effort, although some of the complaints collectors would raise about the vehicle were present from the beginning: (1) there was “crud” around the bogie wheels and tracks, (2) the markings (an Allied Star on the front top deck, and various serial numbers) were engraved in and then painted, so the vehicles would all have the same number, instead of the different numbers painted onto the earlier and wood, metal and resin vehicles which allowed for variations, and (3) the hatches were molded in place, not hinged, so they did not open and close. . . .

The Iwo Sherman (IWJ11) had the same defects listed above, but they were more glaringly obvious. There was so much extra material in the tracks and bogie wheels that much of the bogie wheels were covered, and there were absolutely no interior track details. It should be noted that, in the words of Andy Neilson, “tanks go through mud, mud and other crud sticks to the wheels and tracks” so “the ‘crud’ of [the author’s] opinion is, in many cases meant to represent ‘mud’.” As will be discussed further later in the chapter, whether or not the “mud” or “crud” in the tracks is realistic, many collectors complained about it, and Andy changed the tracks of his polystone vehicles by late 2006 to have the crisp detail many collectors, the author included, preferred. This is one of many examples of Andy Neilson’s responsiveness to the requests propounded by collectors, another reason collecting King & Country is such a pleasure. . . .

It was at about this time [mid-2005] that the members of the Treefrog Treasures Forum, myself included, started complaining about the track detail on K&C polystone vehicles. These complaints were magnified upon the release of the Honour Bound Panther tank in March, 2006, with its much improved track detail, accomplished by sculpting the track sections separately, permitting for the spaces surrounding the tracks and bogie wheels to be completely cleared of excess materials. Andy, after taking so much abuse that he uncharacteristically lashed out at one of the forum members, released his solution to our grousing at the 2006 Chicago show (more about this subject later). . . .

By June, 2006, K&C released its “Summer Panther” (WS070), in which Andy attempted to address the extra material in the tracks by disguising it as mud, leaves and branches trapped in the tracks while passing through a hedgerow. While this is certainly an improvement on undifferentiated extra material, it still doesn’t look quite right, as there is just too much foliage in the tracks. . . .

By the 2006 Chicago Show, K&C had produced a winter Hummel (WS79), a Gepard Flakpanzer 38[T] (WS80) and a wonderfully well executed winter Kettenrad (the first vehicle with K&C’s improved tracks) (WS081), and displayed the prototype of an M10 Wolverine Tank Destroyer (BBA011), also with improved tracks, as well as a photograph of a magnificent “Strictly Limited” Battle of the Bulge Sherman with even better tracks (“General Inspection, BBA015) and a M3A1 White Scout Car (BBA016). . . .

The beautifully executed winter Kettenrad was the first vehicle sculpted with improved tracks without any additional casting material to spoil the detail. This vehicle and the M10 Wolverine constituted Andy’s long awaited response to the challenges set by both collectors and the competition. The improvements, accomplished by simply casting the track compartments separately (an example set by Honour Bound), and attaching them to the chassis, brought the realistic appearance K&C tracks had so long lacked. . . .

The M10 Wolverine, an open turreted Tank Destroyer on a Sherman chassis, is also depicted in a winter whitewash, this time over an olive drab finish, in a patch of which the tanks name, “Pork Chop” is painted. The improved tracks on this vehicle are not yet perfect, with a little casting mud or crud remaining under the bottom bogie wheels, but are still a vast improvement over all Allied tracked vehicles up to this time. . . .

The “Strictly Limited” Battle of the Bulge Sherman (“General Inspection”), has even better track detail than the M10. . . .

Upon completing this chapter, the author is compelled to conclude that King & Country’s polystone vehicles have improved as dramatically as have their figures over the last seven years. The sculpting, painting and overall appearance of these vehicles has steadily improved from their introduction in 1999 to the present, with the tracks finally catching up in late 2006, and clear glass/interior detail provided by March, 2007."

Take a look at the improved vehicles I described, and I think you will see that K&C has addressed track detail. However, we have two new challenges for Andy: correct the scale of the vehicles, and use correctly executed research models when designing new K&C armored vehicles (apparently staying away from Tamiya for allied tanks).

 

[dkelly]

Louis,

That is great. Really looking forward to the book.

Dan

 

[Eazy]

Nice to see the Treefrog forum gets a good namecheck. What would the toy soldier world do without us to keep it on the straight and narrow?

Joking aside it's amazing what an impact this forum has had on the hobby.

Good work all involved. Long may it continue.

 

[Rob]

Here here.

Rob

 

[johngambale]

Hello Guys! My Beef with K & C is that the Figures are Good Looking, in the Face but; Smaller in Body Statue! And the Vehicles , seem a Bit Smaller also ! Sometimes It looks to me that the Figure's are 1/32ND Scale and Not Fully 1/30th Scale? If I have to Pay More Money for these Figures; I want them to be Satisfiable, for me to continue with k & C Toys! The Older Figure's are made more better in Body Statue! Larger! I don't want to Hear about SKRINKAGE roblems, because this Never Happened in the Past! If should be the FAULTOF THE SCULPTURE'S?

 

[Rob]

The first K-C item I purchased was the “Halt!” motorcycle. The signal paddle was bent 90 degrees apparently so that it would fit in the foam cutout ( please make the freaking cut-out bigger ). There is a significant paint chipped place at the bend. I paid 115$ for this? On a MK figure, I had a big piece of paint missing at base of battle ax and hand, appears to have been bent at some point in the packaging process. The flaws are large enough that your eye goes directly to them.

What this reminds me of are those companies that spend millions of dollars on television and print advertising and when you call them you are put on hold for 15 minutes and then disconnected.

The moral of the story – the designs are great, the subjects are great, the paint is great, but someone along the line is falling down and it needs to be addressed.

This one of the reasons why K&C UK provide such a good service and we are lucky to have them.In all the dozens of orders i have placed with them i have never had one single defect,item missing or bit of damage.This is because i think they operate a strict vetting process.You can see it at the shows in London,Tony,Dave or Mike open every box in front of you and inspect them.When your paying out good money its good to get such good service.

Rob