True figure sizes.

[paulyrichard]

When I received my 54mm Viking Warrior by Seil Models, I was surprised at the total size of the figure bein' 63mm, head to toe. With the addition of the white metal base bein' another 10mm, this figure came in at jus' under 75mm. To say the least, I was pleased!

Are there any nice size surprises like this, with Andrea's and Pegaso's figures?

Cheers, Paul.

 

[Wendy]

Yes. He's a tall Viking. (Good choice of figure, by the way. I have this one and it's a beauty!) The size variation in figures is accounted for mostly by size variation among people on whom the figure is based and a sculpter's preference. A sculpt might be a little on the large side, but I wouldn't expect him or her to chuck it and start over.

One day when I was bored rolleyes I figured out that a 54mm figure to the top of his head (assuming 54mm = 1/32 scale) is based on a man that is approximately 5' 8" (someone correct me if my math was bad) which is the average height of a male at one time (it might really be closer to 5'10" now).

My $.02,
Wendy

PS, sorry about the non metricness...

 

[Guy]

Are there any nice size surprises like this, with Andrea's and Pegaso's figures?

Cheers, Paul.[/quote]

You'll find that most of the Pegaso 54mm figures run 60 - 63mm to the eyes. Nice size for these old eyes.

 

[Einion]

When I received my 54mm Viking Warrior by Seil Models, I was surprised at the total size of the figure bein' 63mm, head to toe.

The majority of "54mm" figures are anything but these days, especially from the European makers. 54mm = 1/32 scale but most metal figs sold as 54 mil for the last few years are closer to 1/30 scale, or even larger in some cases. That's why I sculpted most of the heads I did for the MIG head sets quite big so they'd go with figures around this size (60-65mm approximately).

Are there any nice size surprises like this, with Andrea's and Pegaso's figures?

Masterclass - they're flippin' huge!

Einion

 

[Uruk-Hai]

54mm in 1/32 is about 173cm in height. Scandinavians during that era were known to be taller than the average european which was lesser than 170cm in average.

63mm makes a length of about 202cm which must be very tall even in Scandinavia.

I think that figuremakers like to do the figures a bit larger as they can put in more detail in them, but why label them as 54mm?

54mm is more established and at shows you might enter them as a 54mm figure despiter theyer actuall closer to 70mm.

I would say that this started for about 10 years ago and the trend have catched on.

Cheers

 

[paulyrichard]

Thanks guys!
I appreciate 54mm figures bein' larger, I hope my next figure purchase (Romeo Models, Sassanid Knight) is gonna' be up there jus' like the rest of 'em! Cheers!

 

[Einion]

63mm makes a length of about 202cm which must be very tall even in Scandinavia.

Even today it would be very tall - over 6'7".

Looking at the weapons and equipment on these larger '54mm' figures, they generally don't look like normal-sized items in the hands of a very tall man; so scaling from guesses on what size the originals would be it's clear they're not made to be 1/32 scale.

Einion

 

[Jeff]

One reason that some figures scale out bigger then 54mm is the fact that a lot of figures were measured form the heals to the eyes "Back in the day". Why was this done one of the reasons I have heard was that it was hard to tell where the top of the had was if the figure was wearing tall head gear like a bearskin. So it was measured form the heal to the eyes.

If you measure a 1/35 scale figure to the top of the head a lot of them are 54mm. But they always looked small to me. Historex figures are about 60mm when you measure them to the top of the head. They do not seem overly tall when stood next to a true 1/32 scale figure. I always thought of 54 mm as 1/32 scale, and that is the size I try and sculpt in.

It seems that a lot of company's are making figures that are closer to 70mm or 1/24 then to 54 or 1/32 but are still calling them 54. I guess so long as you know that and you do not try and mix and match them it should not be a problem. Just be willing to take a scale ruler to them to make sure they are close to the same scale.

 

[Dani A.]

Sizes and scales

Hola,

First of all, it is obvious these problems would not happen should SCALES, and not sizes, used. Scales would always give the same ratio. Figures could still be of different heights (as in real world) but weapons and equipment would remain constant (if correctly done, of course - you can find that comparing several sets of supposedly 1:35 figures, even from the same manufacturer, may well reveal significant differences).

There is not a consistent equivalence between sizes and scales. 54 mm is always equated to 1:32, but of course this depends on how you measure the 54 mm (heels to top of the head, heels to eyes), and on which height the full size figure would be (170 cm, 173 cm, whatever).

Of course I understand it would be difficult to abandon the traditional system, but you may easily see the benefits it would bring as regards consistency.

Really, these days, I think figures are labelled very much as clothing, with "54 mm" being the S, "75 mm" the M, etc, without much regard to consistency, not even for the ranges marketed by a single firm, in many cases.

Regards,

Dani

 

[marcellin de marbot]

Hi to all,
Owing to my age, I 'm seeing many figures from the 70's, when I began to collect soldiers (and paint Historex). When the actual "ronde bosse" figures born, in the 40's, after the older flat figures, the common scale used was 54mm, so 1/32, measured at the front of the head, any cap excluded. Later on came the other scales, 70 and 75mm, 90, 120 or more, always following a parallel with anglo-american standards sizes, measured in inches, normally used in model world. Also came the 1/35, according with the tanks kits, while Historex has been considered a 1/30, even if his spare parts are generally used for the 54mm figures. The bigger scale figures are more easy to sculpt, to paint, and at last, but not least, are more welcome among the producers, because with a minimum rise of cost, they give better proceeds. Many years ago the figures having classical size 54mm, or 1/32, were Rose (does anyone remember this firm?) and Chota Sahib. Actually, all figures declared 54mm. are generally 58 or 60mm, always measuring at th head, cap excluded. Or more, in some figures I found 65mm on soldiers officially 54mm!
Some years ago the 90mm went on incredibly, for two o three years was almost the only size produced, but this fashion ended after some years, and famous firms died (Barton, Real Models,for example) for?...Cost of the kits? Space problems? I don't konw in America, but in Europe came back strongly the classic 54 (or 58). Now, is coming up the 75mm. It seems a good average size, rather big to paint it well, reasonable cost, needing a space very similar to the 54mm. And very welcome to the producers for the reasons I said above...
Best regards to all
M