Our Very good friend Greg Liska is back with project of changing up extra figures to make Distinctive commanders. This something that is needed on the battlefield.
Just a tiny project. I had figured out what to do with the extra colors bearers, but the extra mounted officers I had, languished awaiting assignment. I decided I would make ‘distinctive leaders’ for my cavalry units. These are just 2. Long coat cavalry officer lost his Stetson and got a kepi. The Confederate officer donned a plumed hat much like J.E.B. Stuart. His sword is a replacement, too. No big projects this weekend…or the next, or the next! I fixed up 12 guys for various purposes, some for a friend. That’s all. More battle time with my son!
nice, like the Stuart the best !
Nathan Bedford Forest
He needs to be holding a hapless yankee soldier behind him as a shield from Federal rifle fire.
Ooooooo, watch out, the Bedford Forest guys will be out looking for you!
I’m not sure I know what you mean. Um….do they often wear white? Am I on track?
There weren’t any behind him. They were all dead.
Good point and idea.Till now only Hat seen to be the only worry making staff mounted.
There is a lack of mounted officer.
Also most officer always use horse all time
Remenber they are the sample,but more important they are the brain in field.
During the battle of new orleans american snipers yse their skill to leave entire British front line with out comanding officer and all chain command.The 3 main officers were kill or baddlt wounded,so 5 second in command.This lead under the fog to reaction of mistake and ill coordinate attack that ended in failure.
Few had been wrote deep about it ,given credit only to general hold resistant in american line and not explained poor cordination of British.
Once again Greg show a good point in creating poor representation of the toy soldier plastic production.
Good choice Sir.
You need to make a web site.
And again,sorry in grammar.Is my fingers in phone….:-) 🙂 🙂
Wayne – I get the reference. The last shots at Shiloh was with Forrest’s cavalry delaying the Yankees and he escaped what might have been capture by pulling a federal soldier up with him as a shield and tossing him off once clear of effective fire range.
Erwin – I always have a mounted staff in my AWI and ACW battles. Being a retired officer (who was an NCO first) I fully understand just how much leadership drives a force to victory or defeat. As my cavalry units got bigger, I needed some senior officers to form a HQ. In my 54mm Cav, the Feds have 7 Troops (only 15-17 men not 50 to 70 as would be correct) and I have them in 2 battalions or Regiments (not sure where my imagination wants to go with it) so I needed Bn Cdrs with staff and an overall Brigade Cdr with staff. To think I almost got rid of those extra mounted officers.
The Confederates are less than half their size with 4 Troops, 2 to a Battalion. Staff for each Bn and a Bde HQ.
Greg, where did the plumed hat come from?
Greg The Marx CSA Rider looks like he’s wearing a head of lettuce on his head. Not exactly a smooth cut, there. You could have used a head from an Accurate CSA officer, which would have been a better choice.
Italieri makes ACW Cavalry and using “Jeb Stuart” heads on the figures. Anyone of those would have worked and produced a better conversion.
Just trying to help.
The plumed hat / head of lettuce is from a Dulcop WWI Italian soldier. I cut the hat into a more Stetson shape. It was round and looked a lot like a British Mk I helmet in shape.
I don’t like to cut up perfectly good figures. I repair / restore broken stuff with other broken stuff. I do see where I can trim that plume down some. I had hoped the hanging down portion would have met his shoulder to give it more support. It didn’t make it, so it can go.
In my opinion ,few pictures ever exist of Stuart in the field uniform during campaign or and battle to actual stamp one hat on him …
The supposedly famous hat(black plumed ) wore for barely “less” than “”15 days”” and won in a bet from Union officer in august 9/10th 1862 was THEN hastily lost in a run retreat left at a house with his cloak and haversack in august 18/19 -1862.Captured by unions soldiers.
After according some research and few poorly records he did wears different hats, included a kepi as well during rest of his campaign/life
The statue made by Fredrick Moymihan is based in 1982 picture and information given base in that first famous hat that he had for short period only and described by
Ford H Rogers, the Adjutant of the 1st Michigan Cavalry, in fact. That was one of the sources I found. He wrote about capturing the hat at Verdiersville and described it as “light brown” with a “long two ostrich black feathers”
So after he lost it, may be he indeed wore a lettuce type hat that was often used by some exotic officers.
About Italeri mounted officer poses, yes indeed has the typical hat showed in two pictures of Stuarts and statue of Richmond and it a bit like him in painting box art and figure as well.
Interesting link about Stuart hat and how he got it and lost it ,then capture Union staff uniforms, ALL personal belongings ,maps and else from the Union general in a daring attack.
http://www.historynet.com/jeb-stuarts-revenge.htm
sorry statute is base in 1862 picture ,not 1982 picture.LOL!!
Me, I buy re-casts just to cut them up and broken vintage figures. However, I have been having trouble with broken vintage Marx figures especially Civil War, they shatter when cut or splinter when I put a pin in them.
Ed It depends on a couple of factors when old Marx figures dry out and split or crumble to dust.
One, I think is the mixture used in the plastic, Marx did lots of experimenting with various formulas. Some were better than others. I think that may explain some.
Two (and this is my own theory) It seems to me that every time I come across a lot of figures that were stored in a place where it’s 100 degrees in the Summer and 10 below in the Winter, the plastic cracks. I read somewhere that extreme temperature swings dries out the oil in plastics.
Maybe not a scientific survey, but it is my experience. And that’s a lot of years dealing with plastic figures.
My experiences tell me the same. If the plastic has been exposed to weather and / or temperature extremes for a long time, it’s brittle. I have to just believe the re-grind information. The sources have been pretty reliable. At any rate, I’ve come into loads of old stuff that has been very workable. There’s no challenge if I can just chop up anything and everything. That’s just my personal way of approaching this. As for General Salad, I’m OK with him and he is NOT necessarily J.E.B. Stuart. It was just an idea to make him different.
Yeah I’m not sure what it is, most of them feel soft and supple, some I know are going to crack before I try to cut them, some the arms or legs just snap off. Once I bought some tan 60mm cavalry on e-bay and two of the guys crumbled to pieces in the box. It could be where they are stored or like you say the plastic Marx used. I’d bet it’s a little of both.
I find it challenging just to find the right part for the action I’m trying to portray, sometimes if I see the part I need, I take it. Of course not from say a Johnny Ringo, like I have one of those anyway. I have used parts from broken Barzso character figures though, but never any 60mm cavalry or Indians even if they are broken. Often I buy two sets of new figures knowing I’m going to use one set for converting.
I have found that figures recovered from the dump , especially those that have changed color have a tendency to be heavier like they absorbed something from the clay and some even lose their ability to float and sink like rocks when I clean them, not all but some. I bought a batch of Gray 60mm cavalry that were once upon a time tan and none of them float.
That would be great to have a set in GREY! Unique! Are all the poses present?
No, I think I only have 7 or 8 and the kneeling firing a rifle guy has a short rifle. I also have 4 in red brown, one in chocolate brown, like 25 in tan and 7 or 8 in powder blue. I also have a vivid blue Rip Masters. I do have a complete set of character figures in light gray. I like the strange colors. The red brown are the ones I like the best. Really, really hard to find though.
I love the odd colors also. If I like a color, I’ll paint a regular figure that one color like I do with my metal ACW figures.
Ed and Greg…I just picked up a damaged Rip Masters figure and was thinking that he would make a great mounted pose. Rip’s top half is missing the gun, but I can replace that. The problem is that Rip is so damn high waisted. Check out how high up his pants are. Almost under his arms! Just like Grandpa used to wear his pants.
I can cut him in half, but the lower half would have to have a high waist therwis he’ll look like a dwarf.
Anyway, what do you guys think about riders legs? Should be 60 mm. Maybe a damaged 60 mm 7 th Cavalry Rider? I think I have some reissues riders. Maybe ACW?
I’m open to any figure you can think of. TSSD Mounted?
Got an idea?
Greg I have a set in Gray, but they are MarksMan reissues. I got boxes from Stengle
of 60 mm 7th Cav and 60 mm ACW in both regular blue and cross colors (Gray).
They mix in with Andygard ACW, TimMee, Starluxe and others.
What about jean hoefler,Dulcop,reamsa cavalry or union,Comansi mounted(these are 70+ mm)..Timpo soild riders are not small either…just to mention few more
Yes I have all of those, Erwin. But I wanted to stick to the Marx style. I need a pose that is straight uo in the saddle because of Rip’s stance. Most of the Cavalry are leaning forward into the charge. I was thinking about the two BMC Mounted Officers, also.
Lots of possibilities out there.
I think he Rip would work with the 60mm riding cavalry pose firing a pistol. I think his waist is too thick for the guy with the sword. The firing a pistol guy is pretty long legged too. If you have a damage one he would work.
Bill – I think a Timmee mounted cowboy bottom would work. You’ll have to take figures and start lining them up. I did notice ol’ rip wears his pants funny…and tight, too!
I’ve painted a lot of the 60mm cav guys grey. There’s something about having them cast in grey, though. I had no idea they did recasts of them in grey! That would be great! Did that include the mounted poses?
I checked my stash, I have 8 of the grays including one of the riding poses.
If you have any of the Marx re-cast cowboys, the 60mm ones I believe the legs from those would work pretty good on Rip too, one of them is virtually the same pose as the cavalry guy firing a pistol.
Did that include the mounted poses?
Yes, but they are in the harder plastic and the sword or flags always break off.
Broken parts are no issue to me, Bill. You know that after your donation of 250 Ideal AWI guys cast in self-destructing plastic. I’ve never seen the 60mm cav guys cast in grey. I’ve seen and have the 60mm ACW guys cast in opposite colors, except for the mounted color bearer. I’ve just never seen him in grey.
I’ve seen the cav mounted figures in recast, but don’t own any. Anybody want to sell?
Greg Those gray casts may have been test shots. John used to share all kinds of stuff with me. This was when he was first getting involved with MarksMan of England.
I had ACW sculpts made from some sort of foam or resin done by Replicants before they were Replicants. I know a few gt made but there were a couple that never made the cut.
I sold them a while back because they were crude looking to me.
OK, I’ll live with the painted guys. I sure could use some cav recast mounted guys in any color, though. Any offers out there?
Looking on Ebay and found this. Now, I’ve never seen this color!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marx-60mm-Fort-Apache-7th-Cavalry-toy-soldier-from-1950s-playset-not-perfect-/252381831438?hash=item3ac321210e:g:OFoAAOSwSclXLjcm
He’s tan I got a bunch of them. If he was flawless he’d go for around $60.00. I only have re-cast 60mm foot guys, mounted are tough to find.
That’s a bad pic if he’s tan. It looks almost yellow.
Ed,I had seen several in yellow at Hackensack show for years ,I guy always carry then in a glass case.
They are original and ask a lot x them. As I have the light tan and typical royal metallic blue I want to get them but not way x what he ask. I had never ask him about.
Yeah some crappy pictures on E-Bay, in the description he says tan, I have seen yellow though in the past, just one though. I’m watching that one, but I probably won’t bid. I have one in that pose and color that’s perfect.
I’m thinking about just cutting Rip’s head off and putting it on a 60 mm mounted cavalryman. Then painting the whole thing either cream or bright blue.
Thoughts?
Sounds like just using his head is a good bet and would be using YOUR head to save a lot of aggravation & cut up figures!! Trying to piece together bodies & legs just never looks real good.
Isn’t the point of this to make a new mounted pose? I think if you’re going to rip up Rip, it won’t be that tough to find a set of rider’s legs for him. I still think there’s a Timmee cowboy busted up, waiting to be utilized and he’ll fit fine.
Somebody need cannons???I found this
Dulcop,marx -recast,mpc,playmobil,HK-ex Blue Box-Crescent,Atlantic and others…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-LOT-OF-49-CANNONS-FIGURES-PLASTIC-toy-soldiers-/272239101515?hash=item3f62b7064b:g:7zAAAOSw3mpXMiLZ
Whoa, that’s a lot of cannon! I thought about it, but regained control.
Erwin,
Yeah I have yellow before, just one though. I have seen many colors over the years and have a few in red brown, chocolate brown, tan, powder blue, gray , one in a color I cannot accurately describe and some in a non-metalic blue. At one time I had over 350 of the metallic blue, but now I’m down to about 150, I’m cutting back on my addicition. I used to have pictures of them all lined up on my 6′ by 3′ dinning room table and they pretty much covered it.
That is quite an army still.
I had never see the redbrown.I always like this set because poses,bulky body and easy to convert poses.The revolvers and sowrds are great ,only carabines look too short in one pose and like a toy in other.
But that is with critical eyes accuracy view.
Ed I find the “metallic blue” to be an all over the place color. Are all yours color matched? I tend to keep the mold shots/color matched figures with the playsets and fill in where I find loose figures. Undamaged riders are tough.
I’ll tell you this…..the 60 mm Cavalrymen were the most abused figures, by kids, out of all the Marx figures that I’ve ever seen. Teeth marks, short swords, missing pistols and on and on.
What was it about these figures that made kids beat them to hell?
When they are new and clean they can look like hard candy, I guess. Come to think of it, when my brother gave me all his toys, the only ones that were chewed were these guys. He also had the 1st series 54mm Knights in metallic green, blue and dull silver, but the blue ones weren’t chewed. I guess my theory doesn’t hold. Back to square one.
Greg;those are hard candy indeed!!?
they are my superman in steroid cavalrymen.
I love the poses, one of my father preferred too,but after been adult I realize the so extremely tide(almost elastic) uniforms they have is unrealistic historical. So I decide to cut back long ago in my old vintage pristine collection as I was a good careful player and out 54 (half tan and half all metallic same color) I ended having less than a third.
Now I miss for nostalgic reason. Never knew who bough then from me at a show in 2002;,and I realize after I sold them cheap.No wander the guy bough all at once.
Those are the only colors I got as child from my dad.
Later I bough few other and find out how many odd colors were done.
Because some have later Montana hat I use then as 1898/99 Spanish American war .
They are were reissues and I guess not in all poses, but I only got few x conversion…
Yeah there are a lot of shades of metallic blue, I have some matched others just in a large container loose. It seems they show up for sale there are one or two poses always missing. I’m sure I could put together a few more matched sets if I spent the time to match them. The kneeling guy firing a rile is the toughest to find intact, the barrel is often broken off or chewed, swords are often victims as well the bugle.
I find matching them up color wise almost as tough as putting together a color matched Gibbs set, what a task that is, we spent five hours trying to match up 12 partial sets and some loose figures. The toughest part of that after matching the many shades of blue was finding certain figures unbroken, especially the blue horsemen.
I don’t know why , but you are right the 60mm cavalry were very abused figures, the 60mm Indians were often abused too, feathers gone, bow strings broke, protruding arrow broken off, head of the lance and knifes chewed. It was carnage I tell you.
One other thing about the 60mm cavalry, the metallic blue were run in large batches I assume, much larger than the tan or powder blue and while you seldom see the short sword mold defect with the powder blue or tan it is a very common occurrence with the metallic blue.
I think kids liked to chew on them because they were a hefty figure with long thin parts, something they could sink their teeth into, unlike other figures who would snap in half if you bit too hard. Seems you often saw other kids putting together a fort or setting up figures with some figure protruding from their teeth.
I think that the earlier rubber or vinyl Pioneers and Indians probably tasted awful.
These were the new Fort Apaches figures in plastic, which has to taste better than rubber. Ed is right. The Indians were just as mauled by kids.
It can’t be coincidence that these were the first plastic figures to be mass distributed through the Fort Apache sets.
Food for thought….LOL LOL
ok are we talking now about plastic,vinyl and rubber flavors!!?
I was kidding guys..
Love the taste of that lead! They say it causes dain bramage but yits has no defect onme whut so every….I’m fin….. squirrels!
Erwin, I think this will be of interest to you, possibly some others. I was aware that Stuart had lost his telltale kit once and that J.S. Mosby was present, too. I had thought that I had read that when he was shot at Yellow Tavern the shooter, PVT John Huff, who was formerly of Berdan’s Sharpshooters, had targeted him because he recognized the plumed hat. I have found an article from Civil War Times that states that, but I had, at one time, a direct quote from him. This just paraphrases his statement. Never the less, it appears that Stuart wisely chose to replace his signature outfit recognizing it’s value for morale purposes.
http://www.historynet.com/major-general-jeb-stuart-last-stand-of-the-last-knight.htm
PS – General Salad had seen action these last 2 weekends and has provided gallant service, routing a Federal force of cavalry twice the size of his command.