RossM
Well-Known Member
When I started painting figures in the late 1990s, there was one name that stood out amongst the figure manufacturers of the period. That name was Poste Militaire, which was run by Ray Lamb. The company was a byword for quality both regarding the sculpting and the casting of their products. As a young modeller, I was in awe of what they produced. Even to this day, their pieces have stood up to the test of time. At the same time, regarding figure modellers, Derek Hansen was a leading sculptor and painter, and in the early 1990s he had sculpted a line of 75mm Franco-Prussian War figures for Poste Militaire. Indeed, the base to this figure has the date February 1991 written on it. It is one of these figures that is under review here. Specifically, a Trooper of the Prussian 11th Regiment of Uhlans.
How this figure came to be produced by FeR Miniatures is an exciting story because alas, in the 2000s, Poste Militaire ceased producing figures. As is often the case with modellers, I feared that Poste Militaire’s figures, such as those sculpted by Hansen, would be lost forever – I do own a couple of original white metal Poste Militaire figures from this range. Thankfully, in the 2000s, Elite Miniatures re-released some of the Poste Militaire pieces that were sculpted by Hansen as they complimented pieces in their range. However, in 2010, Elite closed its doors as well. Nevertheless, not all has been lost, and Fernando Ruiz, the owner of FeR Miniatures, is slowly re-releasing the Elite range under their Elite Classics banner. This figure forms part of that range.
So, what do you get? The critical difference between this version of the figure and its previous incarnations is that it is cast in resin rather than white metal. This makes the piece considerably lighter than before. Poste Militaire’s casting was excellent and that quality has been maintained by FeR in this version of the figure, which highlights Hansen’s sculpting. There are a few mould lines but nothing significant or beyond the ability of any modeller to remove. The kit also comes well packaged in one of FeR’s typical plastic boxes, which survived the trip unharmed all the way from Spain to Australia. The figure is supplied in 11 parts. There is the main body, which also comes with the left arm already attached. The right arm, which holds the lance, is a separate piece. The head is also cast separately. The lance comes as two pieces and unfortunately is slightly bowed on my example. This is always a challenge when casting long straight pieces in resin, but it should not be a challenge to fix. Just put the piece in some hot water and gently bend back into shape. FeR also included some copper wire for the braiding that comes of the Czapska.
How to conclude. First, it is great to see a company taking the time to re-release classic kits. As Ruiz noted in his announcement about the Elite Classics range, he has a sentimental attachment to this range of figures, and much the same can be said for Poste Militaire and me. These figures were very much out of my price range when I first got into painting as a teenager, but I always gravitated towards them when I could buy one. So, kudos to FeR for at least bringing back some of the range. Second, FeR has done an excellent job with the casting of the figure. FeR’s production values are clearly very high, and this piece has been treated with the respect that such a classic figure deserves. All in all, I look forward to seeing more of the Franco-Prussian War pieces from Elite Miniatures re-released. There were not just those pieces by Hansen/Poste Militaire but also those by Stefano Cannone that were commissioned by Elite Miniatures.
Header Image: A scene from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. German uhlans capturing a French zouave by Christian Sell (1831–1883). (Source: Wikimedia)
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How this figure came to be produced by FeR Miniatures is an exciting story because alas, in the 2000s, Poste Militaire ceased producing figures. As is often the case with modellers, I feared that Poste Militaire’s figures, such as those sculpted by Hansen, would be lost forever – I do own a couple of original white metal Poste Militaire figures from this range. Thankfully, in the 2000s, Elite Miniatures re-released some of the Poste Militaire pieces that were sculpted by Hansen as they complimented pieces in their range. However, in 2010, Elite closed its doors as well. Nevertheless, not all has been lost, and Fernando Ruiz, the owner of FeR Miniatures, is slowly re-releasing the Elite range under their Elite Classics banner. This figure forms part of that range.
So, what do you get? The critical difference between this version of the figure and its previous incarnations is that it is cast in resin rather than white metal. This makes the piece considerably lighter than before. Poste Militaire’s casting was excellent and that quality has been maintained by FeR in this version of the figure, which highlights Hansen’s sculpting. There are a few mould lines but nothing significant or beyond the ability of any modeller to remove. The kit also comes well packaged in one of FeR’s typical plastic boxes, which survived the trip unharmed all the way from Spain to Australia. The figure is supplied in 11 parts. There is the main body, which also comes with the left arm already attached. The right arm, which holds the lance, is a separate piece. The head is also cast separately. The lance comes as two pieces and unfortunately is slightly bowed on my example. This is always a challenge when casting long straight pieces in resin, but it should not be a challenge to fix. Just put the piece in some hot water and gently bend back into shape. FeR also included some copper wire for the braiding that comes of the Czapska.








How to conclude. First, it is great to see a company taking the time to re-release classic kits. As Ruiz noted in his announcement about the Elite Classics range, he has a sentimental attachment to this range of figures, and much the same can be said for Poste Militaire and me. These figures were very much out of my price range when I first got into painting as a teenager, but I always gravitated towards them when I could buy one. So, kudos to FeR for at least bringing back some of the range. Second, FeR has done an excellent job with the casting of the figure. FeR’s production values are clearly very high, and this piece has been treated with the respect that such a classic figure deserves. All in all, I look forward to seeing more of the Franco-Prussian War pieces from Elite Miniatures re-released. There were not just those pieces by Hansen/Poste Militaire but also those by Stefano Cannone that were commissioned by Elite Miniatures.
Header Image: A scene from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. German uhlans capturing a French zouave by Christian Sell (1831–1883). (Source: Wikimedia)
Continue reading...