I received my second batch of EK-Castings figures from Studio Siberia, you may recall I picked up some a while back which you can see here. This lot contains two Samurai (for a commission project) and two Napoleonics for a change of pace, I haven't painted either genre before so should be fun and challenging. But before we put the cart well and truly before the horse, let's have a peek at what I got.


First up is "Samurai in the rain cape thatch, XII century."













Next is " Horse samurai. 1600."

















Then we have "Private 1st Lancers Regiment. Austria, 1805-15."
















And lastly, " Light Infantry. Drummer of the Carabineer regiment. France, 1809."



















As with the first figures I ordered, these were packed well and arrived fairly quickly given the circumstances affecting postal deliveries these days, shipping was reasonably priced (especially considering the weight), and the figures are beyond reasonably well priced. Everything is quite well cast in one piece with minimal clean up. I noticed a few blemishes here and there that could use a bit of work, fortunately the metal is soft and sanding sponges should take care of those. The softness also means you will have to bend things back into place; the horse is listing a little too much to port for my liking but should straighten out. There is a bit of flash under the horse's tail and looks like it won't be a big deal to remove. The only slight niggle is that the pour gates for the rider are located on the outside of his feet. You lose some detail when the stubs are removed so a bit of work will be required there. It's not terribly surprising there is some work required on the horse and rider, it's an impressive one piece cast which can't have been easy to sculpt and mould, let alone cast this clean. Speaking of removing stubs, all the figures have had them removed for you (usually located on the bottom of the stand) and polished out, which is a nice touch and saves you some trouble.

The sculpting is quite good overall, there are some compromises due to the nature of the casting process, but certainly more than acceptable. There are some exceptionally fine details that can't really be seen until a coat of paint goes down. The poses are very classic, as is the overall sculpting style, you do get a lot more character in these when comparing to hyper-realistic offerings in resin. I'm not saying these are better than "modern" resin figures, I'm just saying they do have a certain charm.

I've painted up some of the first batch of figures and you can see for yourself what they look like with colour on here and here.

If you're looking for reasonably priced white metal figures, I wholeheartedly recommend you having a peek at what Studio Sibera has on offer. There are several scales, genres and sculptors to choose from and they are pleasant and easy to deal with.

Kimmo

Kimmo has given us a great review. For myself, I can’t speak highly enough of EK Castings’ Napoleonics, not just for their price but for the number of nationalities covered – a real feature of the Napoleonic Wars which comprised, arguably, a first world war. I’ve finished 15 to date and am very happy with the results. While on the subject of Russian makers – apart from Chronos, with which we’re quite familiar – I’d like to put in a good word for St George’s Cross figures. They’re slightly, but rightly, more expensive than the EK Castings offerings and are just that bit more polished. Unlike them, they’re in kit form (of a very few components) and I suspect the same sculptor is responsible for both the EK and St George’s Cross offerings. I’m more than happy with the 2 I’ve finished, with a third on the bench. When this one, of Soult, is completed, I’ll try and get some photos organised. It’s a job I hate!

Jeff

Cheers Jeff!

I was also impressed with the St George's Cross offerings and will have to get one or two down the road even if Napoleonics aren't really my thing. A little variety never hurts.

Kimmo

Lovely review, I do like the castings and have a couple myself...

Cheers Warren and Nap!

I took it for granted that everyone knows that you can click the thumbnails for larger versions, and you might just be seeing the Samurai sooner than you think.

Kimmo