Favorite Model Manufacturers

[peedee]

Paul!

Nuts! ... What cheek.
Mark.

Both cheeks isn't it...you're the expert ...'Squizzie meister'
One day dry.....thank you 'Pampers'
Paul.

 

[Dan Morton]

Top four in no particular order and each for different reasons. All are tremendously hard working sculptors and businessmen with much experience making miniatures. All four are meticulous researchers.

Given your interest in WW2, I don't believe Jon Smith or Steve Warrilow have made any kits featuring it, but the other two have. All four worth a careful review of their web sites and model catalogs.

http://www.acmodels.co.nz/ Andy Cairns New Zealand
https://www.jonsmith-modellbau.com/ Jon Smith Germany
https://www.reedeesminiatures.co.uk/ Steve Readie United Kingdom
http://www.thefusilier.net/ Steve Warrilow United Kingdom

Enjoy!

All the best,
Dan

 

[ellie]

Thanks for the Mention Graham & Tommi Thought we did not exist for a while their amongst all the well known names . we are a newish company so might just have slipped peoples minds . but we are here on www. elliesminiatures.com just for the people that might have forgot we exist , and yes we do quality figures and a good after sales service too .

Cheers

Ellie & Ian
www.elliesminiatures.com

 

[ranchhand]

I'm Just getting deep into the hobby after years of armor building (hey don't knock them, they make great figure bases!)
But with the assistance of good friends that are expert painters and hobbyists (shout out to the Lonestar miniature group!) I am getting an eye for what i like, and what a good figure (to me) is.
I would say I am partial to busts, and fantasy.

For post apocolyptic I am shocked by how good Kellerkind is http://kellerkind-miniaturen.de/
I just recently purchased their "librarian" figure and it surpassed all hopes for casting quality and sculpture. the details on this figure are outstanding and make me want to get the rest of the series. If post-apocalyptic interests you at all give them a look.

There is something post-apocalyptic about ww1 and i am drawn to its strange mix of old and new, with giant machines of war pitted against old fashioned uniforms and even calvary. I am sure you know I am talking about Tommyswar http://tommyswar.co.uk/
These figures are almost all outstanding, top of their class sculpts. The owners passion for the subject is apparent in each of his releases. My only complaint is they are a bit on the large side for 54mm figures, making accessories and dioramas a bit tricky to put together and vignettes with other figure companies minis nearly impossible. The figures are also spendy, especially for us colonists who need to add on the shipping costs. I will say that even though they are a bit expensive, they are worth it for the quality and subject matter. If you plan on getting a few of his pieces join the tommy's war club to take advantage of the discount which helps defray the cost of shipping (and you get a unique figure!)

Fer Miniatures http://ferminiatures.com/
I love this company and just about everything in their catalogue. I will admit to mostly being a fanboy for everything Raffaele Picca puts a sculpting tool on. The quality of the castings are top-notch and I adore the fantasy subject matters. If the subject interests you don't hesitate, these are quality busts!

Young Miniatures http://www.young-miniatures.com/
I know some people don't like the hollywood-ised busts he offers (brad pitt anyone) but i dont mind, if you don't like it don't buy them? The sculpts are outstanding and the casts are perfect. What really stands out is the parts breakdown. You can really tell that this is a painter run company. The busts are broken down to give you every edge you need in cleanup and assembly. Casting blocks (where they are) are out of the way and easy to remove, with little chance of damaging detail. the parts breakdown also helps with the painting process. I can't wait to dive into these.

i will say that I am a fan of certain sculptors, and don't care what company is releasing the piece if it is done by them. Some of my favorite sculptors are:
Romain Van Den Bogaert - a true artist, his sculpture stands alone without paint. he certainly has a style that may not appeal to everyone, but it speaks to me. His eskimo bust is one of my favorite pieces ever.
Pedro Fernandez - A master of the feminine form/face. His boudicca is one of the most stunning pieces ever produced. His joint work with Pepe is a joy to behold, I sometimes pull up their collaborative pieces just to look at them. True art.
Raffaele Picca - as stated before, love his work. They just scream "FUN", the sculpts also ask you to paint them your way.

There are many others, those are what sticks out to me. Thanks for the discussion!

 

[kenshin393]

I don't think anyone's mentioned tiny leads yet. I was lucky enough to get their limited edition samurai last year and the quality was superb. Not exactly a huge range but worth a mention.

 

[kevininpdx]

Since you're in the states buy your figs from redlancers.com

 

[Larry Esposito]

I'm Just getting deep into the hobby after years of armor building (hey don't knock them, they make great figure bases!)
But with the assistance of good friends that are expert painters and hobbyists (shout out to the Lonestar miniature group!) I am getting an eye for what i like, and what a good figure (to me) is.
I would say I am partial to busts, and fantasy.

For post apocolyptic I am shocked by how good Kellerkind is http://kellerkind-miniaturen.de/
I just recently purchased their "librarian" figure and it surpassed all hopes for casting quality and sculpture. the details on this figure are outstanding and make me want to get the rest of the series. If post-apocalyptic interests you at all give them a look.

There is something post-apocalyptic about ww1 and i am drawn to its strange mix of old and new, with giant machines of war pitted against old fashioned uniforms and even calvary. I am sure you know I am talking about Tommyswar http://tommyswar.co.uk/
These figures are almost all outstanding, top of their class sculpts. The owners passion for the subject is apparent in each of his releases. My only complaint is they are a bit on the large side for 54mm figures, making accessories and dioramas a bit tricky to put together and vignettes with other figure companies minis nearly impossible. The figures are also spendy, especially for us colonists who need to add on the shipping costs. I will say that even though they are a bit expensive, they are worth it for the quality and subject matter. If you plan on getting a few of his pieces join the tommy's war club to take advantage of the discount which helps defray the cost of shipping (and you get a unique figure!)

Fer Miniatures http://ferminiatures.com/
I love this company and just about everything in their catalogue. I will admit to mostly being a fanboy for everything Raffaele Picca puts a sculpting tool on. The quality of the castings are top-notch and I adore the fantasy subject matters. If the subject interests you don't hesitate, these are quality busts!

Young Miniatures http://www.young-miniatures.com/
I know some people don't like the hollywood-ised busts he offers (brad pitt anyone) but i dont mind, if you don't like it don't buy them? The sculpts are outstanding and the casts are perfect. What really stands out is the parts breakdown. You can really tell that this is a painter run company. The busts are broken down to give you every edge you need in cleanup and assembly. Casting blocks (where they are) are out of the way and easy to remove, with little chance of damaging detail. the parts breakdown also helps with the painting process. I can't wait to dive into these.

i will say that I am a fan of certain sculptors, and don't care what company is releasing the piece if it is done by them. Some of my favorite sculptors are:
Romain Van Den Bogaert - a true artist, his sculpture stands alone without paint. he certainly has a style that may not appeal to everyone, but it speaks to me. His eskimo bust is one of my favorite pieces ever.
Pedro Fernandez - A master of the feminine form/face. His boudicca is one of the most stunning pieces ever produced. His joint work with Pepe is a joy to behold, I sometimes pull up their collaborative pieces just to look at them. True art.
Raffaele Picca - as stated before, love his work. They just scream "FUN", the sculpts also ask you to paint them your way.

There are many others, those are what sticks out to me. Thanks for the discussion!

Ranch,

Thanks for the detailed and well articulated response. I will google some of those sculptures next chance I get

 

[tonydawe]

I don't have favourite manufacturers as such, I buy whatever figure or bust appeals to me regardless of who the manufacturer is.

Having said that, I've found most of the Life Miniatures and Nuts Planet busts appealing lately and I'm still very keen to see the new releases from Young miniatures.

 

[Ferris]

Has anyone mentioned Alpine Miniatures yet?
Some of the best 1/35 and 1/16 figures around, sculpting and engineering-wise. Mostly WW2, but best of the best, at reasonable price.

And I'd like to mention Adriano Laruccia sculpts, for various brands such as Soldiers, Art Girona. Somewhat unexciting poses mostly, but the detail is unbelievable.

Adrian

 

[ranchhand]

Has anyone mentioned Alpine Miniatures yet?
Some of the best 1/35 and 1/16 figures around, sculpting and engineering-wise. Mostly WW2, but best of the best, at reasonable price.

And I'd like to mention Adriano Laruccia sculpts, for various brands such as Soldiers, Art Girona. Somewhat unexciting poses mostly, but the detail is unbelievable.

Adrian

good point, alpine is one of the best on the market for military figs.

 

[Babelfish]

Alpine are very nice, but for my money the best 1/35 military figures are Evolution.

If there are figures in that scale on the market that are better in terms of sculpting quality and casting crispness, I have yet to see them.

- Steve

 

[ellie]

Hi All just like to a Fortes Miniatures to the list first class sculpts and worth a look

ian

www.elliesminiatures.com