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Review "One of Us" from Altores Studio

Discussion in 'Reviews , Video Reviews and Open Book' started by Nap, Aug 2, 2020.

  1. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Hi to all
    Altores Studio celebrated their 4th year in business this year in April , of course this was affected by the C19 bt they did announce a release for the event here on PF

    https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/altores-studio.224058/

    Naturally C19 affected shipping but now I have received the piece so we will look at it here

    Like most boys we all played at soldiers ( and nurses for the girls ) . either dressing up in homemade uniforms when times were difficult , paper hats , wooden swords or maybe a bought play sword or even a old sword found in a long forgotten dusty corner of the attic .......

    Yes !!! I am sure we have all done it ....as well of course indulging in a love of playing with toy soldiers , bought with hard earned pocket money.........happy memories trying to stop my sister from wrapping them up in tiny bandages ...lol.

    Hats were made of anything but old newspapers, comics being a favourite , belts made from your fathers old hand downs , a notebook hanging on a old piece of material ...of course it contains "secret" codes....all good fun and for me certainly a grounding that got me interested in the hobby

    That's the subject of this review ....a young lad , all dressed up, playing with toy soldiers

    Atores.jpg


    Childhood memories , a time when we had no cares and were happy with the simplest of things

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    We all remember comics like these , I am sure there are many more

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    A little bit of uniform ref for the soldiers

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    0000000000.jpg


    Continued in next post

    Nap
  2. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Lets have the release details and look at the resin

    Details of the release:

    Title: One of Us

    Reference: B - 148

    Scale: 1/10th

    Material: Lt Gray resin

    No of parts: 16

    Sculptor: Vladimie Sychev

    Box Art: N/A

    As with previous releases packing is in a cardboard box with the resin in resealable plastic bags , all sandwiched between foam pieces over which a slip over cover which has a unpainted version of the release

    ALTORES CHILD 001.jpg ALTORES CHILD 002.jpg

    A total of 16 parts which include torso , head , 2 hands, notebook, sword, , 3 parts to the headwear,epaulette, table, 5 soldiers

    Prep is very little consisting of removing small casting plugs plus a couple of small casting lines, fit hands, head , hat , notebook, epaulette , a slight bit of filler will be needed when fitting the pieces together

    • The scale is 1/10th .....visually it looks 1/12th but fully in scale for a child so smaller obviously than a adult 1/10th
    • Casting is good , facial features are rounded if perhaps a little soft for some
    • Build needs planning , our lad leans on a table
    • I will base up on the torso with a brass bar , perhaps add a hint of a table support/legs
    Lets get to the resin

    Torso


    Wearing a ribbed neck jumper with the left arm leaning onto the table when in position
    Both have fitment points for the hands and the neck ...a bit of filler will be needed

    There is a locating cut out for the table , a little filler needed where it meets the jumper

    Locating cutouts for the notebook and the sword ...tiny bit of filler required

    Across the chest we have 2 straps , one looks like a belt , the other could be a sewn material as there is some good stitching in place on both edges

    You could add a design to the front as the resin is smooth , with creases and folds being well done there and rear , this applies to the arms as well

    On the underside there is a rounded form to drill into for a support

    Even just looking at the torso ....this piece is fun

    ALTORES CHILD 003.jpg ALTORES CHILD 006.jpg
    ALTORES CHILD 004.jpg ALTORES CHILD 005.jpg

    Head


    A young face of course , rounded full cheeks , , good eye definition , the same applies to the ears , the mouth is slight angled up to the right which gives him a real cheeky look , with a slightly upturned nose

    The neck has the ribbed effect ..perhaps this jumper was knitted by his mother...I know mine did:facepalm:

    The hair is styled peeking out at the back and front when the cap is in place, good texture work on the hair strands

    The head is cut strange but this matches well when the hat is in position , on top a resin fitment that sits into the hat

    Fit to the torso is good with a wisp of filler

    ALTORES CHILD 007.jpg ALTORES CHILD 009.jpg
    ALTORES CHILD 010.jpg ALTORES CHILD 008.jpg

    Hat


    Consisting of 3 pieces , main and a front and rear , these fit into place using the cutouts

    This is a "bicorne" style and very dashing it looks ....there are many things you could do , just paint it a colour , down load images of magazines and use PVA to stick into position , paint a design , you could even give it a skull and cross bones

    Fitting to the head sitting at the rear angled nicely ...looking a real soldier or pirate when in place

    Nice to see its cast in the 3 pieces , makes the fitting easier and no doubt casting , the surfaces are slightly crumpled looking

    ALTORES CHILD 017.jpg ALTORES CHILD 018.jpg ALTORES CHILD 016.jpg
    ALTORES CHILD 015.jpg ALTORES CHILD 014.jpg
    ALTORES CHILD 013.jpg

    Hands


    These are really well sculpted , with the sections of the fingers showing well , fingernails are all there , at the wrists on both having a ribbed effect , matching the neck part

    Fit is easy as always with good fitment points ...make sure you check which goes where !!!

    ALTORES CHILD 011.jpg ALTORES CHILD 012.jpg

    Sword/Notebook/Epaulette


    The sword is a good shape , very much a Napoleonic french infantry type ...sabre-briquet , nicely styled on the guard with the grip being wrapped , the scabbard has the heel on it ...all in all a nice representation of it ......in place looks good ......I think we might have budding Napoleon in this youngster

    ALTORES CHILD 023.jpg

    You could of course quite easily replace this with a wooden sword ...easy enough to make using coffee sticks or even putty...quite tempted to do this

    The note book is good with a spiral to , surfaces are plain so you can go to town on this

    ALTORES CHILD 021.jpg ALTORES CHILD 022.jpg

    The Epaulette is a real nice touch , reminds me of a spilt up plastic cup from a dispensing machine , splayed out

    ALTORES CHILD 019.jpg ALTORES CHILD 020.jpg

    Fitting on all 3 is a simple matter of using the cutouts that are provided

    Table


    A good oval shaping one of the longer edges having a fitment that sits into the torso at the bottom, the top is plain ...mother's best table maybe ....

    You could add a table cloth as well using putty

    On the underside a Altores logo

    ALTORES CHILD 025.jpg ALTORES CHILD 024.jpg

    Continued in next post

    Nap
    Vladimir Sychev likes this.
  3. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Now to the final pieces or should I say 5 ...the toy soldiers

    5 were provided in the review model although 4 are shown on wrapping

    These pieces are really tiny and quite delicate but they are little gems all are in the firing position the musket raised to the eye of each

    Looking at the headwear I reckon these are Bavarian and all have the backpacks and pouch and yes there is a sword on each as well

    They are all on bases so you just need to sort the formation out on the table !

    Really impressed with these and painted up will probably march across the table

    ALTORES CHILD 026.jpg ALTORES CHILD 028.jpg

    ALTORES CHILD 029.jpg ALTORES CHILD 030.jpg

    Lets have some pics from Altores of the unpainted piece

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    And its my pleasure to share a painted version by Sergey Kuntz :)(y)

    ww.jpg www.jpg wwww.jpg wwwww.jpg wwwwww.jpg wwwwwww.jpg wwwwwwww.jpg w Written by Sergey Kunz from Moscow.jpg

    Final Thoughts

    A really special piece , not only celebrating Altores 4th anniversary but celebrating childhood memories for all modellers ...a real fun piece , imaginative and charming as well full of a time when innocence was the key to growing up

    HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:woot:(y)


    For details on this and more from them :

    E-mail: altoress@mail.ru

    Website: www.altores.com

    They are also a member of social media and the forum here on PF (user name Altores Studio )

    The sculptor is also a member here ( user name Vladimir Sychev )

    Thanks to 0000000000.jpg for the review piece

    Nap
    ometz, Matt Springer, Manfred and 6 others like this.
  4. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    Loooks fun, maybe the historical accuracy of the toy soldiers is a bit off but the piece works. More practically, the casting gates are kinda large
    Vladimir Sychev likes this.
  5. valiant A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I like the concept of this, probably where many of us started off in the hobby, playing with toy soldiers! I think I would dispense with the hat, maybe come up with an alternative, and the epaulette, but that's just me....!! Nice idea!(y)
  6. grasshopper A Fixture

    Country:
    Canada
    I agree..make it more the Everyman boy dreamer that remains in many of us still
  7. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    It is FUN , as for historical accuracy ...toy soldiers aren't always accurate ! ...but they certainly work as you say , casting gates are easily accessible and easy to remove


    Plenty of conversion options on this for sure , got one or 2 ideas for my version

    As you say a good idea

    Thanks for looking in

    Nap
  8. gpldsl Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Italy
    well done.... :) super NICE
    Nap and Vladimir Sychev like this.
  9. Vladimir Sychev Well-Known Member

    Country:
    Russian-Federation
    Nap, thank You very much for an interesting and detailed review of the miniature and warm words! I'm glad You liked our work.
    We tried to make the most historical toy figurines. But in the scale 1/200, it's very difficult. After all, the "growth" of a toysoldier with a helmet and a base is only 11 mm. :) ;)
    Babelfish, Nap and grasshopper like this.
  10. Babelfish A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Probably not one that I'd ever buy, but certainly an original and imaginative release that looks to be up to the usual high sculpting and casting standards that we have come to expect from Altores.

    And in the spirit of the subject: After years of searching for the coolest toy gun that would be the envy of all my mates, I finally got hold of a very realistic-looking 1:1 replica MP40 (which we all called the "Schmeisser"). It even fired small plastic pellets.

    I was 44 years old :ROFLMAO:.

    True story.

    - Steve

    Edit: And I still have my treasured (when I was aged approximately 9 - 12) collection of "Commando" comic-books stored away in a box somewhere. Worth bugger-all on the collectors' market really (compared to some to the stuff from my childhood that I'd thoughtlessly trashed over the years) but great nostalgia!
    Nap, Vladimir Sychev and valiant like this.
  11. Babelfish A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Agree with that Kev. In fact, having the toy soldiers "accurate" would be inaccurate :wacky:. Some delicious irony there!!

    - Steve
  12. captnenglish Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Thanks for the review, I want to get this kit even more now
    Vladimir Sychev and Nap like this.
  13. Wings5797 A Fixture

    Country:
    France
    A pleasing change Kev.
    Thanks for a great review Sir
    Keith
    Nap and grasshopper like this.

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