Neat Mediveal stuff [Archive]

Forward Observer

03-10-2007, 23:46

The mods can move this if they want, but this forum just seemed like the place to post this right now.

I swear I have no affiliation with any of these companies, but just thought it would be of interest to the org members who visit this exact forum, and didn't want ot hide it away in something like the history forum or the community forum where people are more interested in the "hot babes" thread.

Anyway, here are some neat things I have found to decorate your MedievalTW or RomeTW computer space.

While cruising around Amazon.com, I came across a line of medieval themed toy soldiers that are quite nice for the price.

They have a good many of the types of units depicted in Medieval2.

Here is a picture of a 3 soldier set for only $14.95. Individual soldiers are about $5, but if mounted about $12. They are 3 to 5 inches tall according to the descriptions.

Looks like they were lifted right out of the game don't they?
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000CR3FZS.01-A23NLORBGXOLEO._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Mounted knight-there are several versions
http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0009JBN9Y.01-A24TUGJAD2W7HH._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

They have foot knights, archers, crossbowmen, halberdmen, pikemen, and mounted versions for the knights and archers.

They also make a rather large castle with drawbridge and towers to the scale of the figures plus a catapult, jousting and siege tents, and characters depicting royalty. The castle is pricey at $150 plus, but I guess it is all relative and I sure your kids would love it.

The company that makes them (Schleich) is German and this line is actually also carried by the Target stores, but Amazon seems to have better prices. I think I’ll drop by one of my local Target stores and pick up an armored knight just to set up on my PC station at home.

The company also makes Mid-Eastern medieval soldiers and crusaders, but I only found them at a higher priced Toy soldier site. These probably would not have a big US market right now given the current political atmosphere.

Here the Amazon page link, if you’re interested:

http://www.amazon.com/Schleich-Mixed-Arms-Foot-Soldiers/sim/B000CR3FZS/1/ref=pd_sexpl_esi/102-4117484-8218553

Also while on the Amazon site I was looking for related books, but in doing a search on the word “Medieval armor” I found these. The prices are unbelievably cheap for helmets and armor. I am assuming this is the lower quality stuff that comes out of India. But $44 for a nasal helm with a chain mail aventail is pretty big bargain. They also have some nice, if not quite authentically correct, Roman legion crested and non crested helmets plus a muscle cuirass. The prices seem too good to be true, but since it is on Amazon, I would tend to trust the ads.

Listed for $44
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000MFN6LS.01-A37862K6Y0YWYD._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Listed for $43
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000J5JQG0.01-A37862K6Y0YWYD._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Here is the link to that page also:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/102-4117484-8218553?%5Fencoding=UTF8&store-name=miscellaneous&search-type=ss&index=misc&field-brandtextbin=American%20Home%20Furnishing

I will repeat to the mods--move this if you want, but it did seem quite relevant to me at the time.

Cheers

JCoyote

03-11-2007, 00:30

Not everything that comes from India is junk, Windlass is pretty good, I just bought a short sword they made, a Coustille. Very nicely tempered, flexible but holds a nice edge. Better than anything else I could get in that price range.

But at those prices, it's pretty certain it's not Windlass. But if it looks good enough and is for decoration anyway who cares?

Whacker

03-11-2007, 06:37

Neat stuff. Would make it just all the more authentic if I was wearing that crap while screaming epithets at my computer as my poor little pixelated warriors are butchered en masse. :furious3:

:balloon2:

Feanaro

03-11-2007, 07:46

Would make it just all the more authentic if I was wearing that crap while screaming epithets at my computer as my poor little pixelated warriors are butchered en masse.

If you want the most authentic experience short of a time machine, you gotta spend some bucks. Historically accurate mail(the "chain" part is redundant, mail is chain, chain is mail) is expensivo! :dizzy2: Don't fergit yer paddin', which ain't cheap either.

Me, I stop at silly German accents.

Whacker

03-11-2007, 08:41

Forward Observer

03-11-2007, 09:41

If you want the most authentic experience short of a time machine, you gotta spend some bucks. Historically accurate mail(the "chain" part is redundant, mail is chain, chain is mail) is expensivo! :dizzy2: Don't fergit yer paddin', which ain't cheap either.

Me, I stop at silly German accents.

I agree that well made chain mail is usually very expensive.

$150 for a butted chain mail coif and $350 for a butted chainmail hauberk

If one wants riveted chain mail instead of butted for the above items add at least 50% to the prices.

example of riveted
http://www.knightsedge.com/chainmail/chain-mail-riveted-links-t.jpg

That's why I was surprised to find the following set at the Amazon link for only $80
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000GDO10G.01-A37862K6Y0YWYD._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

It might not be of the highest quality and of course not riveted, but still a bargain.

By the way I made a trip to the local Target store and they had a pretty good selection of the little medieval figures. For mass produced items they are really quite nice and cute as little medieval bugs. I couldn't resist and bought an archer, two foot knights, and one mounted knight.

They also had about 4 or 5 different mounted knights that were decked out in gorgeous jousting rigs, but I figured $30 was enough for a 61 year old man to spend for plastic toys.
They also had the little catapult, but it was odd in that it seemed like a cross between a catapult and a trebuchet.

Here's a picture or two.
https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/forward_observer/Knights023.jpg

https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/forward_observer/Knights033.jpg

https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/forward_observer/Knights031.jpg

https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/forward_observer/Knights027.jpg

I still want one of the little crossbowmen though since as the picture below shows it looks like they have a mechanical cocking mechanism slung on their belt and a pavise shield on their back.
http://www.classictoysnyc.com/imagesthumb/70007.JPG

Fortunately I no longer have a wife to nag about such things.:2thumbsup:

Cheers

sapi

03-11-2007, 09:54

Nice :yes:

Raz

03-11-2007, 10:12

Man, they look so good. I could just gobble them up.
.... In a good way. <_<

But, anyway, soon my time machine will be complete. Mwhahaha. *Walks off cackling like a mad man*

sapi

03-11-2007, 10:17

I want one now :laugh4:

Specky the Mad

03-11-2007, 10:30

JCoyote

03-11-2007, 10:47

That's hardly the entire range. I've seen the things. And it's nice to have prices, sucks to run off to find something and not have the florins on hand to get it.

Sorry, just sounds a bit paranoid. Especially when directed at someone with over 800 posts.

Rhedd

03-11-2007, 12:09

The Schleich knights rock, don't they? I've got nearly the whole series of them, myself (and I'm 38, sue me ^_^). I'm working on collecting the Crusaders/Saracens, now.

They're very nice, and at $5-$15, they're FAR better than the usual $40-$100 per figure for good toy soldiers.

I get mine here:
http://www.sierratoysoldier.com/schleich.htm

Very nice people.
If you use that link, nobody go out and buy up all the Saracens until I'm done, okay? ^_^

Take a look at the other brands of soldiers there, too. They can be INSANELY expensive, but really fun to look at.

Forward Observer

03-11-2007, 13:11

Forward Observer that is a very nice find but it looks very sly/suspicious when you say you have no affiliation with the company who makes them etc. but yet is able to list and price what looks like the entire range :inquisitive:,

Well, first of all, I work for a major cosmetics manufacturer and I live in Arkansas, so it would a bit improbable for me to have any connection with a German toy company.

Secondly, I have not nearly listed all the company's line of medieval figures because there are probably at least 40 or 50 or more different medieval items that they produce.

I had never come across them before and they just happened to catch my eye at Amazon. I have priced some similar type figures before, and they were always no less that $20 to $40 a piece, so along with the subject matter, I thought the price of these to be pretty attractive .

Just put the word "Schleich" into your search engine and you will come up with a dozen sites that carry their figures. From doing so, I found out that they also make some nice old west figures, some fantasy stuff and a lot of animals like lions, tigers, and such.

My intense interest in these particular figures, aside from my present interest in all things medieval, goes back to my childhood.

When I was a kid, I lived in a rural area, so I usually got to select my Christmas presents from the Sears Christmas catalogue. I think until I was 8 or 9 years old I thought Santa Claus worked for Sears & Roebuck. Anyway, back then there was a toy company by the name of Marx that made all sorts of toys from model railroads to dolls to toy trucks.

They had a line of playsets that included such items as a fort with figures of US cavalry and Indians, a North vrs. South Civil war set, and a wonderful castle filled with battling knights. The buildings were enameled or silkscreened steel with molded plastic parapets and included a working drawbridge. There were also all kinds of medieval soldiers, knights, plus a functioning catapult so one could conduct sieges.

I thought about that castle set incessantly. I had to posess it, and I wanted it so bad I might have killed for it. I think it cost about $15 back then (1953 prices). To my delight, my mom and dad told me they would have Santa bring me one if I could be good enough. I knew I could be good enough if that playset was the reward--otherwise someone would die.

Christmas morning, I could hardly wait to tear into a rather large box under the tree that I knew could only contain that castle playset.

To my horror, it was not the castle and knights playset. Sears had sold out of the castle with knights, so they had sent a second selection that my mom had checked when she sent off the mail order form.

Instead of my wonderful medieval castle, what I got was a stupid West Point military academy play set.

The buildings sort of looked like a castle buildings, but instead of knights or even fighting soldiers what came with it were marching cadets. A few were carrying rifles, but most were carrying books--stupid books I tell you!

There were also some little figures that represented famous graduates of West Point like US. Grant, Robt E. Lee and Dwight Eisenhower, but I was so disappointed that I cried all Christmas morning.

I eventually had some fun with it by setting up Lee, Grant, Eisenhower, and all the cadets on the walls of the buildings and knocking them off with a little howitzer that shot wooden shells (also made by Marx), but before very long I could no longer stand the sight of it because it reminded me so much of the disappointment. I packed it away in my closet until it was given to my church for a toy drive the very next Christmas. I would have cherished and kept the castle set until my death.

I still to this day feel that I was scarred by not getting that wonderful castle with those wonderful plastic knights and working catapult, so I hope you now understand my slight obsession with these wonderful little figures.

Cheers

Rhedd

03-11-2007, 14:05

Wow, way to make me smile and cry with one post, Forward Observer.

That's not a bad thing, though. ^_^

If you look into it, most adults that collect things usually do it because of some childhood toy-related trauma. (Doesn't that sound funny?)

My wife, for instance, collects 70's era Dawn dolls mostly because of having one destroyed in an accident, as a child.

If you're made of money, I can give you a little advice that might make your childhood dream come true in a big way (albeit a little late)...

I started collecting Schleich knights when I found out that they were the PERFECT size to go with Playmobil castles!

Playmobil figurines are far, far too childish to be satisfying to an adult, but their castles, or at least the older sets, are fantastically detailed, customizable, and fun. Couple them with Schleich knights, and even a 40-year-old like me can have fun for hours.

Forward Observer

03-11-2007, 20:59

Talking about that Christmas years ago got me thinking about the Marx toy company. After being around since the 1920's they went out of business in 1978. Their last successful toy was the "Big Wheel". They were also the makers of the original Rock-em Sock-em robots.

Anyhow, I did some searches of their play sets and ended up at EBay. It appears that the castles sets were pretty common and have even been reproduced, and don't bring extraordinarily high collector prices.

All of the sets look pretty crappy by today's standards since all the figures were molded in single colors of plastic like red or yellow much like the ubiquitous green army men. Somehow these toys looked so much better when I was 8 years old.

However, the military academy set that I was so unhappy with, is actually very rare and very collectible.

I found only one example for sale and it consisted of nothing but the buildings. There were no figures, cannons, or box, and the bidding was already at almost $300. There is no telling what complete set with box and all figures might be worth.

Here's a picture:

http://i19.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/91/30/6978_1.JPG

In retrospect, it appears that I should have been happy about the set I got and hung on to it. Go figure.

Cheers

Chaos Cornelius lucius

03-11-2007, 22:01

I came across this site a while ago and it had me happily spending all the money I don't have:laugh4:
Some really nice looking stuff on there. a built to order trebuchet anyone?

http://www.manningimperial.com/index.php

And if you have the room and want to try and make your own....

http://www.ripcord.ws/

I think I will be taking a trip to the hardware store soon:laugh4:

doorknobdeity

03-11-2007, 22:24

I also have two of the Schleich figures-- a red foot knight with sword and shield, and a blue foot knight with a shield and warhammer. These things are awesome, but at $5 per foot soldier and about $13 per mounted figure, it's going to be hard recreating the legendary Battle of Doorknobdeity's Dorm.

Also:
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/doorknobdeity/crusader_knight.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/doorknobdeity/knight_silver.jpg

Mindless consumerism has never looked so good.

Omisan

03-11-2007, 22:48

Those helmets are way too cheap, they are either very bad, or miniatures scale.

Forward Observer

03-12-2007, 00:15

Those helmets are way too cheap, they are either very bad, or miniatures scale.

I tend to agree, unless maybe they are close-out items. The seller is listed as a home decor company, so who knows. If you check E-bay there are quite a few similar prices for such items.

I paided close to $200 for my Pembridge great helm replica and $150 for a Spanish Combed Morion several years ago when I first got interested in armor. Several years later I found exactly the same Morion at a flea market for only $30 and a pig face bascinet for about $80. I also picked a nice butted chaim mail coif for only $30 at a yard sale of all places. I was married then, so I usually had to hide this stuff from the old battleaxe
until she no longer paid much attention to me regardless of what I came home with.

About the stuff on Amazon, I simply think the market just got eventually flooded with lower quality stuff (not Windless, but others) coming out of India, so there is a lot of inventory out there at rock bottom prices. They are not of superior quality, but fine for decorators.

I may order one of the Norman style nasal helms. At only $40 US I can't get fleeced too badly.

Cheers

JCoyote

03-12-2007, 07:10

Well as far as I'm concerned with armor, as long as it looks accurate, who cares? The only situation these days you'd use it in is mock battle. But if you aren't going to be doing that, just using it for costume at the occasional medieval fair, who cares?

Weapons I tend to be a bit finicky about because people tend to play around with them, and a poorly made one can actually hurt somebody when it breaks. And of course, I'm more likely to actually need the utility of any particular weapon, than I am to need the protection provided by historical armor.

Feanaro

03-12-2007, 16:56

I've seriously contemplated joining ARMA over the past few years but never got around to it (I'm way out of shape and slightly overweight). Plus there doesn't seem to be a ... "significant" local presense here in NC, and I don't fancy driving 4-5 hours one way to participate.

In a similar boat. You aren't going to find many people who want to "play" with Western swords. Lots of kendo/katana types but not much else.

VAT?!? YUU DO HNOT LIKE ZIS?? DU BIST EIN DUMMKOPF!! :grin: /kidding

BUT I DOO LIKE ZEE ACCENT JA? IZ JUHST VERE I DRAW ZE LINE, HEER! :laugh4:

My Germanic ancestors are spinning in their graves.

Well as far as I'm concerned with armor, as long as it looks accurate, who cares?

Someone with an interest in being as accurate as possible. But most people don't have that requirement. As long as you know it's only for looks, that's cool. The problem is when someone takes butted mail from India, shoots it with a bow(sans padding, of course) at some ridiculously short range, and declares mail useless.

If one wants riveted chain mail instead of butted for the above items add at least 50% to the prices.

Yep. And if they rivet the rings correctly, it's even pricier. Still, not as expensive as the Really Real Deal:

https://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/Alamar/Nailoriginal1.jpg