WIP Private, Black Watch, Tel el Kebir 1885

[Viking Bob]

A lovely little figure from troop54, a 75mm figure of a Black Watch Private. I have been putting this off because of the tartan but have now plucked up the courage. So here goes.
The period the figure is set
The battle of Tel el Kebir was fought on 13th September 1882.

 

[misfit151]

Looking good so far Bob.... Mike

 

[megroot]

looks good for me.

Marc

 

[Viking Bob]

Looking good so far Bob.... Mike

looks good for me.

Marc

Thank you Mike and Marc, next is the tartan, fingers crossed.

 

[Geoff Charman]

A lovely little figure from troop54, a 75mm figure of a Black Watch Private. I have been putting this off because of the tartan but have now plucked up the courage. So here goes.
The period the figure is set
The battle of Tel el Kebir was fought on 13th September 1882.
View attachment 349174



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Looking good so far Bob, I shall be drawing my chair up for this mate.

Geoff

 

[Cannonball]

Super start Bob. Good luck with the tartan.

Neal

 

[mick3272]

Awaiting your work on the best bit, Good luck with the tartan,
Should be no problem for you I recall the stripes on those french trousers.
But I bet you wish he was London Scottish.
All the best
Mick

 

[Chris Oldfield]

Great start Bob, the expression on his face as he steps off with trepidation down that slope is outstanding - super painting on that.
Good luck with the tartan!

Chris.

 

[malc]

Watching too, I bought a small book on tartan, very useful.

 

[Nap]

Looking good so far Bob, I shall be drawing my chair up for this mate.

Geoff

Me too Geoff but using a sofa !

Happy painting Bob

Nap

 

[fogie]

That 'outstanding look of trepidation' mentioned earlier might be because he's thinking about painting that
insanely difficult Black Watch tartan !! ( Right then...deep breath, perhaps a quick tot of something to steady
the nerves, and go for it.... Bon chance ! )

Mike

 

[DaddyO]

Man of your calibre Bob will have no problem with a bit of tartan

And if you get on all right with this one's kilt Bob don't forget that there's also the Tommy's War figure that you could try as well
(I've got one in the grey army somewhere and there's a good description of painting the figure and his kilt in one of the Mr Black publications - I'll check the number if you need it)
Cheers
P

 

[rossbach]

Looking good from here!

 

[NeilW]

But I bet you wish he was London Scottish.

I suspected that I knew what you meant (as with London Irish they wore a plain kilt/plaid) but when checking I came across two useful ref sites (may well be known to many).

The Scottish Tartans Authority is interesting ref the development of tartan and for a page specifically on regimental setts:
http://www.tartansauthority.com/tartan/the-growth-of-tartan/military-tartans/regimental-tartans/

The Scottish Tartan Register lists all 'official' tartans, many commercial (eg Burberry), fake military (eg Confederate, West Point etc), fashion or personal vanity. Those with a reg No over 10,000 are likely to be these, but many under 10k are also C19th commercial setts spawned by the Walter Scott/Sobieski brothers tartan craze.

Their general register database is here:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/search

... and the military one here:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/results?cat=8&page=1

Blackwatch (Grant/Govt sett) variations are as:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/Results?search=856123&page=1

basic sett: https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=277

My own (via my Mum) is Forbes: we have a child-size family kilt to prove it (brought out for weddings when serving as pageboy). Seemingly it (the tartan that is, not our family kilt) was worn by the Liverpool Scots TA in honour of their Col:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/Results?search=856124&page=1

 

[Viking Bob]

Looking good so far Bob, I shall be drawing my chair up for this mate.

Geoff

Super start Bob. Good luck with the tartan.

Neal

Awaiting your work on the best bit, Good luck with the tartan,
Should be no problem for you I recall the stripes on those french trousers.
But I bet you wish he was London Scottish.
All the best
Mick

Great start Bob, the expression on his face as he steps off with trepidation down that slope is outstanding - super painting on that.
Good luck with the tartan!

Chris.

Watching too, I bought a small book on tartan, very useful.

Me too Geoff but using a sofa !

Happy painting Bob

Nap

That 'outstanding look of trepidation' mentioned earlier might be because he's thinking about painting that
insanely difficult Black Watch tartan !! ( Right then...deep breath, perhaps a quick tot of something to steady
the nerves, and go for it.... Bon chance ! )

Mike

Man of your calibre Bob will have no problem with a bit of tartan

And if you get on all right with this one's kilt Bob don't forget that there's also the Tommy's War figure that you could try as well
(I've got one in the grey army somewhere and there's a good description of painting the figure and his kilt in one of the Mr Black publications - I'll check the number if you need it)
Cheers
P

Looking good from here!

I suspected that I knew what you meant (as with London Irish they wore a plain kilt/plaid) but when checking I came across two useful ref sites (may well be known to many).

The Scottish Tartans Authority is interesting ref the development of tartan and for a page specifically on regimental setts:
http://www.tartansauthority.com/tartan/the-growth-of-tartan/military-tartans/regimental-tartans/

The Scottish Tartan Register lists all 'official' tartans, many commercial (eg Burberry), fake military (eg Confederate, West Point etc), fashion or personal vanity. Those with a reg No over 10,000 are likely to be these, but many under 10k are also C19th commercial setts spawned by the Walter Scott/Sobieski brothers tartan craze.

Their general register database is here:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/search

... and the military one here:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/results?cat=8&page=1

Blackwatch (Grant/Govt sett) variations are as:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/Results?search=856123&page=1

basic sett: https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=277

My own (via my Mum) is Forbes: we have a child-size family kilt to prove it (brought out for weddings when serving as pageboy). Seemingly it (the tartan that is, not our family kilt) was worn by the Liverpool Scots TA in honour of their Col:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/Results?search=856124&page=1

Well here goes without sounding like the fireman from Trumpton.
Geoff, Neal, Mick, Chris, Malc, Nap, Mike, Paul, Rossbach and Neil.
Thank you all for the input and words of encouragement.
I have found this source very useful, from the Regimental museum here
www.theblackwatch.co.uk/collections/
then just pick the collection you want to view but not every item is photographed.
Some very interesting relics

rear of Kilt
Thank you all again and for all the ref's given much appreciated.

 

[Geoff Charman]

Hi Bob, I don't know if this will help you, it came from an old MM mag, Feb 1981 vintage.

Geoff.

 

[NeilW]

Close up might help
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanLargeImage?ref=277

 

[Scotty]

This is looking great already, just a reminder that the hose (socks) are not a continuous pattern and meet in a seam at the back. This makes life a little easier.
Good luck,
Scotty.

 

[Viking Bob]

This is looking great already, just a reminder that the hose (socks) are not a continuous pattern and meet in a seam at the back. This makes life a little easier.
Good luck,
Scotty.
View attachment 349269

Cheers Scotty, are they the hose for Black Watch or Sutherland Highlanders

 

[Scotty]

Those were worn by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the Gordons and the Queens own Highlanders. I think most regiments wore this type at one time or another but the construction is the same.