Historex

[bricks tattoo]

A few WIP Historex kits I built and customized for a client. Had a great time with these as always with Historex.
Now maybe i will have some time to finish my stuff I put on hold.

 

[fogie]

Anybody who cut their teeth on these things will always have a sort of misty eyed affection for them.
Great to see 'em.

 

[Blind Pew]

...yes, and so versatile, they're almost a medium in themselves.

 

[malc]

Agree with above, would be interesting to know just how many of us did start of with Historex, I for one did and still have some kits and loads of spares.

 

[fogie]

Back in the day, when Lynn Sangster ( bless him ) introduced Historex into this country, the hobby fell
more or less into two camps. There were the boring old farts - traditionalists who regarded plastic as an
absolute blight - and us young irreverent upstarts who saw lead soldiers as mere toys. Funny how things
change isn't it ? Companies like Hinchliffe, Phoenix, and the one and only Poste Mi;itaire converted us
back to metal until resin came along. So now we're back to plastic again. Plus ca change... so forth.

 

[Richard Baxter]

I started with the Airfix Collector's Series, but one day discovered Historex in a model shop in the Burlington Arcade off New Street in Birmingham. No turning back after that, still always have one of their models on the go (currently a mounted Eclaireur Dragoon).

 

[bricks tattoo]

I think we all have few Historex parts somewhere

 

[KenBoyle]

Brings back lots of memories. I have done many Historex and Airfix kits in the early days primarily because they were cheaper and easier to convert than metal. And, when done right, they are impressive. However they were, and still are, a lot of work to complete as with most plastic figures. I currently have a large spares collection from the old kits and use many of the parts for modifying current plastic, resin and metal kits.

Cheers,
Ken

 

[Jaybo]

Orange & white Historex bag kits at Christmas!

 

[bricks tattoo]

When I used to see the Historex kits in the hobby shops. I would be so intimidated by all of the pieces. But the kits were so beautiful. This may be the reason I still build them.

 

[blaster]

Absolutely delightful conversions n thread! I was so intimidated by the historex kits n pricing then. But there was a job lot discount at a SELWG show many moons ago when Max Longhurst was also displaying his Borodino diorama that I decided to take the plunge and splurge out. Then continued to buy from Santos Miniatures. Also got another job lot from Squadron selling off their stocks. I continue to buy the kits from Historex Agents now and then. What memories

 

[bricks tattoo]

Absolutely delightful conversions n thread! I was so intimidated by the historex kits n pricing then. But there was a job lot discount at a SELWG show many moons ago when Max Longhurst was also displaying his Borodino diorama that I decided to take the plunge and splurge out. Then continued to buy from Santos Miniatures. Also got another job lot from Squadron selling off their stocks. I continue to buy the kits from Historex Agents now and then. What memories

Historex and Squadron. Two great memories. As a kid I would wait for that squadron catalog and sit with it for a while weekend narrowing down what I would spend my little money on.

 

[KenBoyle]

Back in the 70s a Squadron Shop opened a few miles from my house. It was heavenly. I was their first customer (A little anxious, I guess) and I ended up painting some of the Squadron-Rubin releases and a few other brands , on commission, for display in the store. Good times!

 

[fogie]

However they were, and still are, a lot of work to complete ....

Yes, it's certainly something to remember before we get lost in a wave of nostalgia - scalpels (don't forget to count your
fingers), razor saws, rifflers, rat tails, mouse tails, pyrogravers, milliput, not to mention all that downtime looking for the
bits that flew off across the carpet. Let's be honest, to match a top quality resin figure of today - I happen to be looking at
one of the Vladimir Danilov's Dog's Life series - with Historex parts would be difficult in the extreme, if not next to impossible.
But I still believe they gave us no end of fun and the experience with which to raise our game.

Mike

 

[bricks tattoo]

Yes, it's certainly something to remember before we get lost in a wave of nostalgia - scalpels (don't forget to count your
fingers), razor saws, rifflers, rat tails, mouse tails, pyrogravers, milliput, not to mention all that downtime looking for the
bits that flew off across the carpet. Let's be honest, to match a top quality resin figure of today - I happen to be looking at
one of the Vladimir Danilov's Dog's Life series - with Historex parts would be difficult in the extreme, if not next to impossible.
But I still believe they gave us no end of fun and the experience with which to raise our game.

Mike

I agree. I still love seeing a good Historex figure done. Also since there was never any real "box art". I also love to see people's different renditions of the kits.

 

[bricks tattoo]

Back in the 70s a Squadron Shop opened a few miles from my house. It was heavenly. I was their first customer (A little anxious, I guess) and I ended up painting some of the Squadron-Rubin releases and a few other brands , on commission, for display in the store. Good times!

Wow. Which Squadron shop? There was one in Wheaton MD. The display cases were MARVELOUS to say the least.

 

[KenBoyle]

The one I mentioned was in the Chicago area, northwestern suburbs. That shop along with the Hobby Chest in Skokie, northern suburbs, a favorite of MMSI members, were the centers of the Hobby back then in the Chicago area.

I really miss the shops and the friends. Now this forum is my gathering place for news and friends.

Cheers,
Ken

 

[fogie]

... since there was never any real "box art"....

After a bit they started to include an appropriate colour plate painted by the late Eugene Leliepvre. Until then
we relied on those jaunty, and jolly illustrations of Lillian and Fred Funcken showing 'La Grande Armee' on
its holidays somewhere in Europe. By the way, I actually met 'Maitre' Leliepvre once - that's to say we passed
each other in a hotel corridor one evening and he nodded at me in an abstract way.


Mike

 

[Richard Baxter]

Also a good way to improve your French. Thanks to their information sheets, I now have an extensive vocabulary of uniform and horse furniture terms.

 

[NeilW]

... but those horrible, hairy, impossible to cut, ribbed strip of tape we were supposed to cut into straps, belts etc!

Than god that France also exported wine with useful lead caps around their bottlenecks (and old style toothpaste tubes for the heavier work).