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"Carabiniers Kettledrummer" Topic


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2,356 hits since 13 Jun 2018
©1994-2025 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP13 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!

picture


picture

picture

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setsuko13 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

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP13 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.

CamelCase13 Jun 2018 1:39 p.m. PST

That is probably the coolest uniform I have seen in Napoleonics yet.

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP14 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!)

AuvergneWargamer14 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 Sponsoring Member of TMP14 Jun 2018 6:59 a.m. PST

thanks Liam and for all the positive
feedback chaps!!

regards
Ged
gringo40s.com

jammy four Sponsoring Member of TMP15 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

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP15 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.

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP16 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!

picture

jammy four Sponsoring Member of TMP18 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 Sponsoring Member of TMP20 Jun 2018 1:35 a.m. PST

Carabinier Kettledrummer now released
see our site gringo40s.com

regards
Ged
gringo40s.com

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP26 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.


picture

Three Armies26 Jun 2018 10:42 p.m. PST

Very nice looking piece.

von Winterfeldt26 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.

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP27 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 Rhatt27 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 Winterfeldt27 Jun 2018 5:51 a.m. PST

you could add them with tin foil, would certainly look ace.

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP27 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

picture

von Winterfeldt27 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

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP28 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

jammy four Sponsoring Member of TMP28 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

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP28 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!


picture

jammy four Sponsoring Member of TMP28 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

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP29 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 Sponsoring Member of TMP29 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 Sponsoring Member of TMP21 Jul 2018 3:41 p.m. PST

Gringo40s 28mm Carabineers now fully restocked!

cheers
Ged
gringo40s.com

Personal logo deadhead Supporting Member of TMP16 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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picture

von Winterfeldt16 Aug 2018 11:03 p.m. PST

very nice brush work

jammy four Sponsoring Member of TMP17 Aug 2018 3:33 a.m. PST

thank Liam………….the corrected version is on sale..
Von Winterfeldt ,many thanks

cheers
Ged
gringo40s.com

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