SKP Model

1/35 The British Soldier, WWII

Kit Number: SKP010

Reviewed by  John Ratzenberger, IPMS# 40196

MSRP: 2.49 euro (approx $3.50 US) What you see in the lead picture is what you get -- a small baggie with a small label and a figure. If John Noack hadn't told me, I would never have known the company name and it would have been a lot harder to find them. Having chased them down in Google, I learned that SKP Model is a new company based in the Czech Republic. SKP Model products are available directly on their website www.skpmodel.eu . You cannot order online but you can order by email and pay via PayPal or check. Now the figure. Out of the baggie, the bluish resin figure has flash on the chin and neck, a seam down the right leg, and a bit of flash between the legs. There is also a slight "ding" at the waist along the leg seam line -- as the pour block had come off in transit, I'm not sure if that rattling around caused it or not. Regardless, it took me way less than 10 minutes with a sharp #11 to clean everything up. When I had removed the flash from the neck/chin, I found a hole in the chin -- as I assumed Kirk Douglas wasn't the model, I just filled it. I took a few more minutes to trim upward into the crotch and then slice downward to separate the legs where they joined near the boot top. Counting sanding down the soles of the boots to clean the pour block, maybe 15 minutes total. The figure features and details are great and the presentation very realistic. The soldier is casually leaning against something -- a wall or vehicle -- weight on the right leg, left leg slightly back -- very natural appearance. His hands are in his pockets and you can see the hands inside the pockets -- they aren't just arms terminated on legs. It scales out to about 5'6" tall, maybe 5'8" if standing upright. Proportions are right on. The face is good -- pleasant-looking -- although maybe the cheeks are a bit puffy and possibly the left one a bit more so than the right. But overall an exceptionally life-like figure. The soldier is in proper uniform -- 1937 pattern battledress, boots, webbing anklets, RTR beret with cap badge -- no weapons or combat gear. Not only is the uniform proper, it is properly worn. Right sharp troop, probably make corporal in five or ten years. Not the usual figure in a warlike pose, not even in combat uniform, unless maybe in a Piccadilly diorama <grin>. He could also be leaning on a vehicle, "waitin' on 'is brew" ... I commend SKP Model for their choice of subject and the quality. I would recommend they find space on the baggie label for their company name and website. As I do mostly British subjects, I'll be watching them for more interesting British subjects - I could use some Home Guard figures (hint). Thanks to SKP Model and IPMS for the review sample and the opportunity to do this review.

About the Reviewer: John Ratzenberger is a member of, and Webmaster for, the Eastern Carolina Plastic Modelers of New Bern, NC (www.ecpmod.com), not to mention being the IPMS Associate Webmaster for Reviews.

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