Well it's Tuesday in New Zealand, although I suspect this hasn't yet happened for much of the rest of the planet.
My last post featuring Aly's wonderful Scrubys generated a fair bit of interest in things Scrubywise, so by special request I'm posting a few of the Scruby cavalry which I've picked up along the way.
These Polish Lancers are proper old campaigners:
As shown below, the horses have a faint trace of a bridle on their faces, but are otherwise completely nude. The lancer's portmanteau is simply moulded onto his bum!
I'm told there are other types of horse, however, which have reins moulded onto them, and that not every type of Scruby cavalry trooper is quite so lightly equipped. Scruby French dragoons, for example, are moulded with the troopers sitting astride proper saddles and shabraques.
I may even Scruby do these lancers some day, if I can find another pair of them.
WM
These lancers really do have a simple charm about them. Would be great if available again from Histofigs!
ReplyDeleteI second that.
DeleteScruby, but certainly not shabby! There is a real elegance in simplicity. Mind you, the idea, back then, that you'd add reins with a bit of wire had nobs on it!
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
Elegance is the right word, James. They have a lovely flow to them somehow. I'm definitely going to have a go at some of them at some point.
DeleteThe Scruby horses they are nice sculpts, they have a touch of the Airfix about them. If the dragoon mounts are properly clad as you say the I’d like to get some. Even better, if we can can get a response from Historifigs, they do some Spanish!
ReplyDeleteIt's probably fairer to say that Airfix have a touch of Scruby!
DeleteIt's undoubtedly a very interesting looking range.
Scruby cavalry! Now this is a whole alternative tradition - lovely job. I would like to know more about the designers and sculptors Scruby used - I know he did a lot of his own work (I believe the distinctive "pelmet" interpretation of shako cords is a trademark of his), but some of the horses - apart from the minimalist saddlery and the attachment of the portmanteau to the rider - are very similar to the old 20mm Garrisons, and I wonder if they are related (did John Braithwaite do work for Scruby?). I had some Scruby cavalry in my lead pile for some years, but never did anything with them - I sold them (in truth, those castings were very poor). I am often pleased with the appearance of very well painted Scruby troops - they really come up very nicely, but I think there is a requirement for a level of painting skill which I would be very nervous about! Good to see these - thanks WM.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Foy. I neglected to mention that I also have a few troopers who look like they might be Bavarians. I suspect they'd look very nice dressed up as dragoons. I'd need to experiment quite a bit though before I'd be confident about tackling a whole regiment of them.
DeleteThe Scruby Boer cavalry I have are lovely sleek sculpts and yes they do have a bit of the Airfix look about them. I think they have the saddles moulded on the horses, I'll have to check. I would love to see you paint those lancers, let's hope you can find another 2!
ReplyDeleteI'm working on it, Ian!
DeleteI had some Scruby British Light Dragoons but could not see me trying to paint them or adding reins so gave them away.
ReplyDeleteEveryone I talk to about Scrubys seems to tell me the same tale, Mark!
DeleteInterestingly I owned some of these lancer figures but with shabraques on. I can only assume that some later versions had them added. I have some FPW lancers (which were made much later than the Napoleonic figures I believe) with just the saddle bags on bums layout - go figure!
ReplyDeleteWhatever, I do love the Scruby range!
The Scruby FPWs that you've posed on your 'Waterloo to Mons' blog are exquisite, Matt. I love the Scruby colonial range too - its one of the very few to get the beautiful sweeping shape of the 1877 Pattern Foreign Service Helmet right, I've always thought.
DeleteThese are rather pretty...
ReplyDeleteHave you worked out how you are going to add the reins?
All the best. Aly
Not yet, but I've got my thinking cap on.
DeleteActually... I have some British Light Dragoons here... now I wonder where they came from 😁
ReplyDeleteThe riders fit quite well onto the Garrison 20mm horses... that’s if you decide not to keep thing ‘pure’...
All the best. Aly
Garrison horses- now that's an idea.
DeleteJudging from the interest in these and my email inbox, I think you may have singlehandedly kicked off a Scruby renaissance Aly!