"Oh dear, I've made a terrible mistake." Topic

So critical research failure on my part. I've been painting FIW 42nd Highlanders and I've painted the hackle on the bonnets red instead of black. Easy enough to fix but I rather like the red. Anybody else ever make a mistake like that and just roll with it?

I roll with it. In fact, I don't usually paint regiments in their colors. I usually give mine generic uniforms so you can tell nationality. They are usually based on a single regiment.

Harumph! Harumph!

I certainly wouldn't play against you if you put that crap on the table!

Harumph!

Haha. Yes I have sinned terribly. I doubt I'll ever find an opponent again. :)

I don't suppose the elite companies had red did they (assuming they had elites in the FIW)?

I have just finished painting a FoW company panzergrenadiers from the famous SS regiment 'Generic', so I'd just roll with it too!

I had a fit of the vapours when I read the original post and needed to be brought around with smelling salts. This was followed by a large brandy to calm my nerves.

Having recovered my composure I shall now retire to the drawing room to write a robust letter to The Times about this outrage.

As tberry7403 has expressed above – Harumph!

Ezza

When did the Black Watch ever have a black hackle?

Tally Ho!

Thank goodness this isn't on the Napoleonics boards!

I suggest you send them to me and start over. that way you may be forgiven for committing such a horrendous sin.

Nick, in the F&I and the Rev War, the Black Watch did not wear the "hackle" as such. They wore 1 or 2 ostrich feathers that were dyed black. Officers wore 3 or 4. These would grow to become the feather bonnet and the hackle was added.
link

link

Best tell the Regiment!!

Tally Ho!

Easy enough to fix but I rather like the red.

Leave it as-is and chalk it up to artistic license.

Ron

Thanks for the links. Lots of good info. Sorry rhacelt, I think I'll keep them. Good try though. Ezza, I apologize for the shock and will provide additional medicinal brandy.

Zounds, M'Lady fainted outright at hearing the news!

But glad to see you are gonna roll with it.

link interesting article.

Tally Ho!

What's a hackle?

I doubt anyone will notice or care, just leave it.
They are your figures!

Heretic!!!

wrgmr1 – there's some people here to see you!

Why does everything I do end in torches and pitchforks?

I made an egregious painting error as well – I forgot to add the red stripes to my Union ACW artillerymen! I didn't notice until after everything was glued down and basing material added. They are going to stay that way. I doubt EVERY artilleryman had red striped pants anyway.

Red hackles!?! Burn the witch!!!

There are two legends concerning the Black Watch's red hackles. One that it was from the AWI; when light companies from a battle whose name escapes me wore it in defiance of Yankee threats of vengeance on them for a " Massacre". The red hackles were to identify those troops involved.

T'other is that it was from the French Revolution battle of Geldermalsen when they were taken from the bodies of dead French grenadiers.

Mac, some people would impose rate of fire and or accuracy penalties on those guns due to being manned by common infantry.

Spontoon, I hadn't heard about that until I posted this. There's a really good website I found for 7yw/FIA uniforms but when I painted mine I saw pictures of them with red hackles and remember seeing on Wikipedia or something like that that they were red so went with that. I like the way it looks against the blue bonnets

tberry7403 – yes I am a heretic and proud of it too!

A few years ago at our local con, a friend of mine who was a professional painter looked at one of my figures and pointed out a small color error….I looked at him and said "Yeah, So?"

He didn't say anything….

No one has EVER spotted a small error in anything I've painted!

They're mostly on the large side.

tberry7403 Hilarious cartoon! lol when I saw it.

I've also given the officer a gold gorget instead of silver. Please, someone stop me before I paint again!

If somebody complains about how I painted a mini, I just say "That's how it looked on the box."

@ The IronPrice;

Are you sure you're not confusing the " hackle" with the cockade; or the "tourie"( ie. the red pompom on top)? The tourie could be red quite early.

Ummm:

Red Hackle Day

The origin of the wearing of the Red Hackle is uncertain. There is evidence that it was worn by the 42nd in North America in the 1770s, however a 19th Century tradition ascribes the award of the Red Hackle to an action at the battle of Geldermalsen in 1795 when the 11th Light Dragoons retreated, leaving two field guns for the French. The Black Watch promptly mounted an attack and recovered the guns.

It was for this action that the Red Hackle was allegedly awarded and on the King's birthday on 4 June 1795, there was a parade at Royston in Hertfordshire, when a Red Hackle was given to every man on parade. It was not until 1822 that the Adjutant General issued an order, confirming that only The Black Watch would have the privilege of wearing the red "vulture feather" in their bonnets.

In 1919 the Central Committee of The Black Watch Association formalised the date on which the Regiment should celebrate "Red Hackle Day".

The tradition remains and when ever the opportunity arises The Black Watch celebrate Red Hackle Day on 5 January or the nearest day to it.

From: link

I wouldn't worry about it. I have bronze cannon in my collection with the barrels painted black instead of bronze.

Interesting to read the history of "Red Hackle Day"

Red? Och, laddie, thot's from th' bluid o' air ennemyes! An' worn proudly, too!

It doesn't matter to other people, but does it matter to you? That's the point I would take.

I try and keep everything as historical as possible but then I'm a nerd