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I think pikes should be left off and supplied as rod.. same thing for most spears.. pikes simply dont work well in soft plastic even in the best sets...
:wink:
Just use ringhands, if Esci could do it in the 1980s it could be done now.
A small drill works too... cut the weapon off and drill a small hole through the hand, so its only really necesary to produce figures with large enough hands that this can be done easily, I would say not much of a problem to overcome, I think ring hands would be difficult to mould on two arms given the limitations of the tooling involved, it would require seperate arms like the Zvezda Macedonian pike set... this didnt work well for DDS..
Not aware that Esci ever produced a pike block?...
A small drill works too... cut the weapon off and drill a small hole through the hand, so its only really necesary to produce figures with large enough hands that this can be done easily, I would say not much of a problem to overcome, I think ring hands would be difficult to mould on two arms given the limitations of the tooling involved, it would require seperate arms like the Zvezda Macedonian pike set... this didnt work well for DDS..
Not aware that Esci ever produced a pike block?...
:wink:
No I meant Esci made ringhands in general, so shouldnt be a problem now for manufacturers but as you say two part moulds are difficult.
I noticed looking at PSR that the set LB "Mithridatic Heavy Infantry" 078 appears to be a Strelets set (thiough its not on the Strelets site that I can see) and here the compromise on some figures is to combine the double handed grip to a single ring hand which off necesity is not very realistic, but at least a solution to a real problem, though the wacky soft wiggly pikes I think would only end up in the bin..
if you look at masters of strelets ancient/medieval sets, those figures with spears or pole arms are sculpted with ring hands.a brass spear is used i guess for the mold.if you left the brass rod out i woudnt mind supplying my own to make pikemen.but i wonder because i dont know about producing sets if they might not come out right.maybe thats the reason for no ring hand pike?
Obviously, there has been some progress with ancients but it's the renaissance period that I'm moaning about. If they can get Macedonian pike right, why the hell can't they do the same for landsknechts and Swiss?
I think the problem is that the type of tooling will only allow for face on poses where the hands are together for double ring hands, which overall is not a very satisfactory pose for a pikeman... it doesnt matter the type or period the problem is a toolmaking one...
go to the masters for medieval levy set 2.check out the second row,these are figures with the pike molded to the figure.these figures are sculpted with ring hands and a metal rod is inserted,i guess for the mold.i wonder why you just cant mold it without the pike,they look fine as generic pikemen.its gotta be something with the mold making.
Masters of this type are actual size 1/72, they are made using an armature the spear/pike could easily be attached to this and the body and hands built up around it, in any case its moulded side on so without additional moving parts (sliding pins) in the tool it would be impossible to produce ring hands....
Either way we need new pikemen for several periods
30 years war
Swiss and other medieval armies such as Scottish schiltron, I think the peasants had one unit with pikes during the peasants war.
Maybe GNW Swedes and Russians too
Ancient times, phalanx with sarissas, with more phrygian helmets.