"Carabiniers Kettledrummer" Topic

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!

Yeah, it's about to make me buy a unit of carabiners, looking as boss as it does :0

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.

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

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!)

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

thanks Liam and for all the positive
feedback chaps!!

regards
Ged
gringo40s.com

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

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.

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!

superb photos,,,so atmospheric
he may well be a rendition of a cuirassier
kettledrummer !

cheers
Ged
gringo40s.com