Calpe Miniatures make high quality 25mm wargames figures for gamers and collectors. Although the figures fall into the 25mm figure bracket, they are large 25s and measure approximately 30mm from the sole of the foot to the top of the head (without headdress). The figures were originally designed by the sculptor to match an existing collection of Peter Gilder's famous 'Connoisseur' figures and remain a good height match for these figures. Compatible manufacturers are Front Rank and Elite figures.
At present the range of figure releases only covers the Prussian Army of 1807-15 and the Saxon Army of 1810-13.
21st June 2009
I know there are a number of you waiting for your orders and I must ask you for continued patience as I am going to be away next week visiting the Italian suppliers of the new casting machines. The release of the Saxons has brought a large influx of orders. I am casting and packing as fast as I can but the orders are coming in faster than I can send them out at the moment. I would have preferred a visit to Italy at some later date but have had to fit in with the requirements of the Italian company. I am going with some feelings of guilt as I know you are waiting for your orders but an invitation to the Nicem factory and several days of moulding and casting using their machines and moulding compounds is not something I can turn down. In the long run, this visit will benefit both Calpe and the resulting figures. Orders will start going out again on 29th June.
18th June 2009
The painting notes for the Saxons are now ready. Sorry for the slight delay but I needed to have them checked by a number of colleagues who are familiar with the subject before releasing them. The notes have turned out to be more substantial than I had anticipated so they will retail at £2.50. I have also been waiting for supplies of Peter Bunde’s Brigade plates on the Saxons. I have now received these and I would like, once again, to recommend them to you. They are the perfect supplement to my notes and will provide you with the pictures which are presently missing from the notes. Each of the four plates on the musketeers/grenadiers deals with a specific regiment but Peter has intelligently organised them so that the four facing colours are covered and information is given about the 'twin' regiment with the same facing colour. If you do decide to order a plate let me know which regiment you are interested in and I will send you the relevant one. The plates retail at £5.50 or £7.50 bundled with the Calpe notes.
I forgot to mention in my last update that the new Saxon figures have a 'runner' from the tip of the sabre to the back of the leg to ensure that the sabre casts properly. This just ensures a good supply of metal to this part of the figure. It needs to be cut off and filed prior to painting the figure. The best tool for the job is a 'side cutter' which is available from most good model shops. It gives a straight cut leaving very little trace of the 'runner' thereby minimising the amount of filing required. If you have difficulty obtaining one let me know and I will get in some stock of these.
1st June 2009
With June now upon us I have decided it is time to start releasing figures once again. There were times when I thought I would never get to this point but I have finally resolved my machine problems, mastered the new vulcaniser and started turning moulds out of the required standard. The first of the Saxon production figures are now drying after the being dipped in 'Quickshade'(Army Painter) to bring out the detail and photos will appear on the website in the next week or so. The first 32 man Saxon battalion is on my painting table at present and I will photograph this as soon as it is complete - although this may take a bit longer as I also have to varnish and base the unit.
All future releases will be sold in packs of 3 or 6 men. I know some of you will dislike this but there is no way I can provide the variety required for the Saxons while continuing to sell figures individually. Prices are going up as well. From 1st June figures will cost £1 each and horses £1.50 each. Artillery pieces will go up to £5. For the moment, the price of other equipment pieces will stay the same. This matches the prices of my fellow manufacturers. My experiences over the last few months have shown me that I need to set up a contingency fund to replace machines as they reach the end of their working lives. When the machine problems arose I found that there was not enough financial 'fat' on the Calpe carcass to get me through the difficulties without some very unpleasant moments! I intend to replace my machines with products from viable companies so that the equipment can be properly maintained and repaired - this is where the extra money is going - not into my pocket.
The first release of Saxon figures is in 'March-attack' poses. The sets are as follows:
Photos will appear over the next week please be patient as I have a lot going on at the moment not least of which is the painting guide for these figures. There is even less reliable information available for the Saxons than there is for the Prussians. I'm sure you are scratching your heads at the moment wondering, for example, what a calf-skin shako cover is or looks like. It is a very particular Saxon bit of kit that makes the shako look like a Busby. I hope to have the painting guide available for sale by the end of the week. The first draft of this will be a simple printed document but I hope to improve the look of it as photos of painted Saxons become available. I am planning to channel the proceeds from the sale of these notes into equipment that will allow me to present them in proper booklets accompanied by photos. They will sell for £2 or £7 bundled with one of Peter Bunde's superb plates on the Saxon army. Unless you have spent some time researching the Saxon army of this period you will not be able to organise your battalions or paint the figures without the help of these notes.
One last piece of information - About 18 months ago Onetel (my internet service provider) was bought out by Talktalk. I started experiencing problems and had to change from Onetel to Talktalk. This has proved to be a good move as it has reduced my costs but I have also found that a lot of you are still sending your e-mails to my old address. Fortunately most of these are getting through as Talktalk (now the parent company) is forwarding the e-mails. This service will stop at some point in the near future and must ask you to please send your e-mails to the new address which is calpemins@talktalk.net
I recently opened a merchant account with Paypal and now take Paypal payment if you prefer this form of payment. The website will be modified soon to add shopping baskets and secure payment and I will keep you informed about these developments.
The next release will be Saxon Grenadiers in March-attack poses, probably followed by the first release for the Saxon artillery. I also hope to sneak in a couple of Prussian figure updates before the end of the year.
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