Hi to everyone ,

Companys come and go that is unfortunately the way things seem to be so it was with pleasure that I saw a post from a company from about 5 years ago ...the name ...

....under the guidance of a PF member namely Piotr Czyz .

Siskin are from Poland so its not unusual to see that the subjects they have and will release are mainly Polish based . We all know of the famed Winged Hussars whose tradition of military skill continued in other regiments of WW2.

Staying in the WW2 period we are looking at one of the latest from the company namely : an Officer from the Mounted Rifle Regiments .

Rank was identified as seen in the picture

In addition to this a distinctive headdress was seen resembling the old lancer helmet but in cloth and lower called the rogatywka .

Units were identified by coloured bands and collar insignia in the case of the 7th it pennant shaped green on the top half , white on the bottom with a thin line of yellow between them.

Also very noticeable was the collar lace very distinctive , bravery was evident in all arms with the highest award being the order of the Virtuti Militari

Continued in next post

Nap

On now to see what we have in the box :

Details are as follows:

Title: Polish Colonel 7 Regiment Rifle Mounted

Reference: Re-release Edition 10

Material: Gray Resin

No of pieces: 8 plus an insert

Sculptor: Piotr Czyz

Box Art: None at time of Review


The piece was received quickly and well packed in a strong box , as this was for a review and the first cast no box art was available this has now been rectified (more later on this) . The parts were held nicely wrapped in a paper bag which was again surrounded in bubble wrap.

Parts consisted of the main torso and 2 heads plus the cap , 2 cap badges and 2 chest awards ( 1 spare of each) , no base is included.

Also included was an insert which was a painting guide , a nice idea to include and a good base start but I am sure that most will do research anyway !!!

Prep needed on the review item was the sanding of a casting remnant from the undersides of the torso , plus some flashing from the lower back , then the removal of 2 pieces from the inside of the cap ..be very careful doing this , in my opinion the head sits a little high into the collar area so I will be taking off about 3 - 4 mm on my chosen head, the badges are tiny and will need very clean cuts from the sprue and careful cutting away the flashing ..good idea to have a spare included . Once this is done you can then enjoy the very smooth surface of the actual sculpt.

Looking first at the Torso first , our subject wears the 36 version of his uniform , the surface is super smooth , with a belt being worn across his chest a la Sam Browne style , this is well defined running underneath the epaulette which has a slightly raised part to allow for the belt under it .

Pocket details are sharp and nicely worked with good undercuts , buttons are correctly profiled, the chest displays the medal for bravery ..this is a great piece of detail well sculpted and adds a nice bit of colour to the piece.

You can if you wish add the chest decoration if you wish , it sits very close to the lower pocket edge (see insert picture)

The epaulettes are clearly sculpted to show the rank of Colonel , all 3 on each are good both in scale and shape...making painting easier , the collar lace is what will really bring this piece to life and will repay careful painting ...it will be NMM for me!!!, the lace details are first class .

Now to the Heads or should I say 1.75 heads , one being full, the other suitable reduced at the top for the cap to fit .....dry fitting of this showed no need for any filler ....sharp casting here .

Both heads are the same in style , you could add a moustache to one if you wish , one thisng the features are very sift with no real facial lines ..this is something I believe that Piotr is tacking in the next release giving the face more character....its good to see him listening . Hair on both are finished off well with the ears being nicely done as well, our Colonel looks ahead slightly to the right , mouth together.

Now to the Cap , this is what really pulls the piece together, the badge will need fitting the rank stars are evident on the front with ethe leather strap well worked , the piping on the top and band arounfd the middle is very tidy and very nicely sculpted and cast , the crown of the cap sits at a bit of an angle adding a little jauntiness to the head and look of the final piece.



The Badges are as I said tiny but the details are there , we are given a spare one which I like, careful painting of these will bring them to life .

Final thoughts:

This is a good subject which is not seen often , generally well sculpted apart from the softness of the face. it will give an opportunity to convert to other types wearing the helmet make sure you get your references right though!!!!

A good release and its good to see Siskin releasing pieces again , I look forward to seeing more and sharing them with you all .

Why not have a look at the website at :

www.siskin-miniatures.com or pm him via PF

Thanks to Piotr for the Review piece and of course to you all for looking in

Finally lets enjoy the box art from Marcin ..great reference....

Nap

Hi Guys,

This was the reference that Piotr used

Nap