Saturday Morning Tinkering

Love Saturday and Sunday morning modelaxing (that should be a real word). Not a lot done but felt great before the craziness of the 'big shop' with the wife begins.

I've been trying to work out how to model the helmet of my peg Prussian 'Uhlan' (lancer). All 19th century lancers from all nations seemed to have a similar style of helmet, with the strange 'mortar board' arrangement on top. It's just so weird to make though, it never looks right even when it is!

I'm also deciding just how much detail to put into my peg cavalry's saddle equipment. I want my peg soldiers to be simple, but at the same time - for gaming purposes - I want to indicate that aside from a sabre or lance these cavalry did carry a carbine. It just seems more 'realistic' when I will be directing them to 'shoot' during a game.

Aside from this, do I include things like saddlebags and blanket rolls, and what about the horse's saddle straps and reigns? Hmmmm...

Maybe I'd best look at other toy soldier cavalry to see how they have simplified the addition of horse accessories and equipment...

Beautiful traditional toy Uhlan. This leans slightly more to the 'realistic'
depiction of horse equipment.

Armies in Plastic Company's Uhlans are a little more simplistic in their
approach to modelling the accoutrements.

Finally, I have to put some thought as to how I will model the lance itself and how I will attach it to the peg soldier without resorting to the inclusion a model hand (my peg soldiers have painted on hands remember).

That will be Sunday morning's puzzle.