Le Cimier Hussar 180mm

[iceman]

I have just bought the Le Cimier 180mm Hussar. A great kit in essence although on opening the box and examining the kit I'm slightly disappointed. (especially as it was £48.50!!). I was drawn to this figure by the box artwork (two assembeld and painted hussars), which depict the 7th and 13th Regiments. I really liked the colour scheme of the Hussar in green dolman and pelisse and red overalls and so bought this kit to depict this Hussar.

The kit has a double sided colour plate showing all 13 Hussar Regiments, however as with all Hussar regiments there were slight variations, however and this is wher the disappointment comes in from the kit your are unable to realise any of these regiments, due to the following:-

1. The shako on 11 of the 13 regiments has capline and flounders, which are not supplied in the kit.
2. The front of the shako i.e. capbadge, varies from regiment to regiment, the kit has a standard one.
3. The sabretache has nine different styles, the kit only supplies one, with the Imperial Eagle on it.
4. The instructions are in French only??
5. There are three different styles of loopy lacing on the front of the overalls, in the kit they have moulded just one style.

I apprecaite that any company has to tool up their moulds to make them as commercially viable as possible, but surely it would have been better to have left this style changes off the mould and allow the modeller to add what he wants. Although in my case I feel that I do not have the required skills to add this type of detailing yet and therfore wouldn't have purchased the kit in the first place.

It's a great shame as I really love the the look of this kit but, don't we all want to realise our models as authentically as we can? I know I certainly do.

Tell me if you think I'm being too picky, perhaps I've been spoilt as of the 7 figures I've done since getting into "the dark side" of modelling have been either David Grieve, Bonaparte, Andrea Miniatures and El Viejo Dragon, all of which seemed to be highly accurate.

Thanks so about the length of this posting, but I don't have anywhere else to vent my frustration and seek solace from people who understand exactly what I'm complaining about.

Tim

 

[Blind Pew]

Hello Tim, I (strangely) can't picture the figure you're on about. I do however sympathise with you entirely when it comes to parting with your hard earned (or not, as the case may be!) cash, then opening the box and being disappointed with the contents. This is especially frustrating when you've been you've really had your heart set on a figure.

My biggest personal bug bear is this. Sometimes, the figure I've got in the box is obviously nowhere near the quality of the one made for the box art. I can name names. The quality of some of the castings I have got has been rubbish in comparison to the ones in the publicity shots. With some manufacturers this isn't a problem. Hope your luck changes mate anyway.

 

[Johan]

Hello,

Well, I know the figure, this is a perfectly good French hussar figure as far as I know? I believe it was based on good research and sculpted by a talented sculptor too ?

... ??

 

[iceman]

Originally posted by Johan@Feb 23 2006, 03:36 PM
Hello,

Well, I know the figure, this is a perfectly good French hussar figure as far as I know? I believe it was based on good research and sculpted by a talented sculptor too ?

... ??

Johan

Undoubtedly the figure is stunning and extremely well sculpted, the face even has a duelling scar!! That's not what I was posting, I think you missed my point.

The point I was making is that according to the colour plate most Hussar regiments had caplines and flounders.... there aren't any in the kit! These could have been cast in white metal to add should the regiment that you wish to portray wore them.

Also why not cast the sabretache plain and have a some photo etch for the detail, manufacturers do this with armour, plane and car kits.

And as regards to the written instructions only being in French, I think that that's self explanatory.

Blind Pew

I know exactly what you're talking about, but thankfully the casting and sculpting on this one are top dollar.

 

[Johan]

Tim,

I believe that figure is actually based on the 1812 "Bardin" uniform regulations, which did away with all the fancy dress items and simplified many details. Really, I can't see anything on that figure that is not conform to the 1812 regulations.

So, what you get is : a hussar of ca. 1812 - 1813 kitted out as specified in the French Army's uniform regulations of 1812.


Of course, many regiments did keep their plumes, flounders, etc., regulations or not; yet again, some hussars surely were dressed as per regulations ... we'll never know for sure.

What is sure however is that by 1814 hussar dress had yet changed again to follow fashion and was completely different from regulations - pantaloons instead of hungarian breeches, and tall colourful stovepipe shakos instead of the typical french shako...

Well, I hope this helps ... hope you'll change your mind on that fine figure, you really can make something great of that one ... could make him look a bit like Harvey Keitel in "The Duellists" ;-)

(I believe that movie inspired the sculptor a little bit too, and the uniforms in that movie are said to be accurate)

 

[iceman]

Johan

Thanks for the detailed information.

I really do like the figure, I only hope that I can do the sculptor justice!

I see exactly what you mean about The Harvey Keitel influence.

I guess the fact that it had the colour plate in it showing all the regiments most with caplines and flounders made me think that it was incorrect not to have them.

Any explanation on the sabretache, or should I really not worry to much and just build it?

Once again thanks for your assistance. I did email Le Cimier with the same questions so hopefully might get some more information from them as well.

Thanks for the improving my knowledge on French Hussars.

Tim

 

[Johan]

I believe that figure has the black leather type sabretache with brass/gilt metal Imperial Eagle badge on it, correct ?
I believe this item was much used in the 1812-1815 period, much like a simple "campaign" sabretache I think, instead of the fancy item with elaborate designs on it.

Anyway, here's a link to an image of how a hussar of the 7th regt most probably looked like in 1815 at Waterloo; this is based on very serious research (descrriptions of the uniform by Col. de Marbot, etc.). You'll see that the sabretache is the plain black type with an eagle badge.(click on the image for larger version) As I said before - hussars at Waterloo looked different than the Le Cimier figure. But the sabretache didn't change that much after 1812 I believe.

http://www.1789-1815.com/7_hussards_1815.htm

Hope this helps,

J.

 

[iceman]

Johan

Thanks again for this info, I do notice that he wears Culottes Hongraise, rather than Charivari, this implies to me more of a dress uniform than campaign and would therefore have the more elaborate sabretache, or did they wear their Charivari over there Culottes Hongraise on campaign as well, therefore it would be the plainer sabretache.

Thanks

Tim