 deadhead  | 13 Jun 2018 8:32 a.m. PST |
I have long looked forward to seeing a kettledrummer for the Carabiniers and always planned to do him in the blue rig, pre the Imperial Lace look. I had thought it might be a complex conversion and imagined it based on, of all things, a Gringos40 Neapolitan from the later Italian Wars of Liberation.
Well it seems Gringos40 have come up with the goods, as below. Clever to use their existing Engineers head onto the laced trunk. I think the helmet however might need slight work to reproduce the white metal plate over the brass casque.
The horse again looks like a clever conversion….of a Mameluke Officer's. The poor drummer will have his hands full keeping him in check!
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| setsuko | 13 Jun 2018 10:04 a.m. PST |
Yeah, it's about to make me buy a unit of carabiners, looking as boss as it does :0 |
| deadhead | 13 Jun 2018 11:36 a.m. PST |
Good luck then trying to find a decent unit in 28mm. Perry plastic are brilliant, until you add the heads. Far too slender in the coronal (ie face on) plane. Nothing like the cuirassier heads. I have over a dozen Front Rank figures. Totally ignored and neglected. Superb sculpting, details, and casting (if a bit on the mega beefy side). But simply awful posing. All are leaning back at 45 degrees watching for Stukas. I think them unusable and put the expense down to experience.
I would love to see some decent metal carabiniers. Perrys…come on…….how long overdue? (and I do mean the lads in armour)
I do still wonder about the helmet. I have never seen a carabinier with a feathered plume or even a little gadget to hold one….OK….there is one, just one picture, with a white plume, but he is a trooper, so not staff.
It may well be that the final release will be different. The head is almost right, but needs some work. The horse is a little too "spirited" for any poor kettledrummer to ride and the shabraque is for light cavalry obviously.
Interested to hear what others think. I may just be being obsessional about a figure I so wanted to see. |
| Mike Petro | 13 Jun 2018 1:39 p.m. PST |
That is probably the coolest uniform I have seen in Napoleonics yet. |
| deadhead | 14 Jun 2018 1:22 a.m. PST |
The trick is the right shade of blue…….not too pale I would love to know what folk use for what is a commonly seen pair of regiments. The troopers generally look terrific, in the white coat with the brass cuirass, and with the white metal front plate still on the helmet. But the officers, in the copper finish with silver lace and ornaments, are better still.
If only I could find decent metal figures for them in 28mm. (15/18mm no problem!)
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| AuvergneWargamer | 14 Jun 2018 3:32 a.m. PST |
Hi Liam, Second your admiration for this figure but even more add my voice to those calling for better 28mm Carabiniers. I've got some Front Ranks too and not wonderful enough to make into a regiment. Maybe a Carabinier "reinforcement pack" for Christmas? Equally good if peter at Calpe did some??!! Cheers, Paul |
jammy four  | 14 Jun 2018 6:59 a.m. PST |
thanks Liam and for all the positive
feedback chaps!! regards
Ged
gringo40s.com |
| jammy four | 15 Jun 2018 3:38 a.m. PST |
Liam
ref your comment on the Helmet ,,a fair
one missed by me in my need to get you a
Carabiniers kettledrummer!!
eagle on helmet now removed..horse furniture
is correct for 1811-15…as to the spirited
horse as they were nominally part of the Guard
they were allowed more spirited beasts..anyway
that's my excuse!! en avant cheers
Ged
gringo40s.com |
| deadhead | 15 Jun 2018 7:31 a.m. PST |
Brilliant. See folks? The makers do listen to us after all. I have long wanted this kettledrummer. Quite a speciality now, for this company. The Polish lancers one is just incredible. Nice Gendarmes d'Elite drummer and now this one. |
| deadhead | 16 Jun 2018 7:10 a.m. PST |
Did anyone notice this chap in the background of the marvellous photos shown today here?
TMP link
He does look very like the Gringos Timbalier and I do concede the shabraque style!
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| jammy four | 18 Jun 2018 3:47 a.m. PST |
superb photos,,,so atmospheric
he may well be a rendition of a cuirassier
kettledrummer ! cheers
Ged
gringo40s.com |
| jammy four | 20 Jun 2018 1:35 a.m. PST |
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| deadhead | 26 Jun 2018 1:19 p.m. PST |
and now I notice the helmet corrected. This photo from the website really shows how detailed and well cast this chap looks.
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| Three Armies | 26 Jun 2018 10:42 p.m. PST |
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| von Winterfeldt | 26 Jun 2018 11:33 p.m. PST |
didn't those kettle drummers have the reins on the stirrups to steer the horse? See also photo. |
| deadhead | 27 Jun 2018 5:06 a.m. PST |
Indeed. Every image shows them but I did not bother with the two Gendarmes, or the Polish lancer. This chap I think I would though. I have found some detailed sketches of the harness. Most show the straps running stirrups to bridle bit, but far too long, with too much slack. Would not work. The likely arrangement is the straps secured to the saddlery half way to the stirrup and kept tight. Riding a drum horse is a real art, requiring a very docile critter and very skilled rider. I like the horse and will use him for a chasseur a cheval, but want a quieter horse for this chap. I have a standing cuirassier mount for him. |
| Phatt Rhatt | 27 Jun 2018 5:36 a.m. PST |
Anyone know of a good book about the care/farriers of the horses in a Napoleonic army? |
| von Winterfeldt | 27 Jun 2018 5:51 a.m. PST |
you could add them with tin foil, would certainly look ace. |
| deadhead | 27 Jun 2018 5:57 a.m. PST |
Just follow this link to see what can be done with larger
scale versions. Wonderful work. But again, those stirrup reins could not steer the nag! I would mount the drums higher on the finished version. Just as easy as shown here, after all. Tin foil? Yes indeed. I use the foil off the neck of a bottle of expensive red wine! link
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| von Winterfeldt | 27 Jun 2018 11:09 p.m. PST |
But again, those stirrup reins could not steer the nag! Maybe not steering but controlling a bit – on the walk or when standing, they must have had a reason to put them there |
| deadhead | 28 Jun 2018 1:57 a.m. PST |
Oh they did. They were indeed for steering and stopping. Drum horses relied on well behaved horses, reins attached to stirrups or a second rider holding the reins (which I have never seen portrayed in practice)
What I meant was the reins shown in every picture are far too long and slack. The exception is the B&W photo of the real thing, above, from the 1920s
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| jammy four | 28 Jun 2018 1:38 p.m. PST |
interesting input chaps..
Yves Martin has produced a splendid book on
French trumpters …contains the ever resplendent
kettledrummers……
my copy not to hand (buried under a pile of pewter and lead! cheers
Ged
gringo40s.com |
| deadhead | 28 Jun 2018 1:59 p.m. PST |
I'll rarely give you a hard time, but I must occasionally! I think here you got it wrong, for once. This is a far better base for any musician of this totally neglected unit (I told him. But would he listen?) I ordered this figure, but got one digit wrong on my order. I wanted this guy from the Wars of Italian Unification, to do a Carabinier trumpeter. My mistake? I made one tiny error…one number……and I still want this guy. Add some boot toppings and cuffs for gauntlets of course. Order, in tomorrow!
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| jammy four | 28 Jun 2018 4:26 p.m. PST |
well Liam you pays yer money and takes yer choice!
for me he is a very Italian looking trumpeter almost
Italian Napolonic! I see where your coming from……
cheers
Ged gringo40s.com |
| deadhead | 29 Jun 2018 1:15 a.m. PST |
Very little work to make that Italian into a trumpeter of the Carabiniers. Couple to go with the drummer. I feel a parade coming on! My project after next. Well I was wrong about the stirrup reins. If you have a well trained horse, you can steer him "hands off" with the reins slack. How impressive are these two timbaliers?
YouTube link |
| jammy four | 29 Jun 2018 2:20 a.m. PST |
indeed
you will need a more resplendent crest as the Carabineers
sported a rather splendid version.
interested to see what you create
cheers
Ged
gringo40s,com |
| jammy four | 21 Jul 2018 3:41 p.m. PST |
Gringo40s 28mm Carabineers now fully restocked! cheers
Ged
gringo40s.com |
| deadhead | 16 Aug 2018 12:34 p.m. PST |
and here he is painted. I think this is the original with the Engineers' helmet, but the above thread suggests corrected later.
He does make another superb figure. If only we had decent Carabiniers in 28mm from anyone, to accompany him!
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| von Winterfeldt | 16 Aug 2018 11:03 p.m. PST |
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| jammy four | 17 Aug 2018 3:33 a.m. PST |
thank Liam………….the corrected version is on sale..
Von Winterfeldt ,many thanks cheers
Ged
gringo40s.com |
