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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Monday, August 5, 2013

K is for Knights, Knot Known!

In the same vein as the group of mixed figures (premiums?) we looked at the other night, firstly because I suspect these are French, and can even suggest a name; Jem (thanks to Paul Morehead and Brian Carrick from Plastic Warrior), and secondly because the lot Sam sent me contained a few, with two new poses...but they could be from anyone and they could be from anywhere,

So, from my unknown large scale mediaevals box, the above are separated into two batches as those in the upper shot have a uniform feature lacking in the lower bunch; two pin-release marks on the rear of each base. Also the bases are a bit thicker and slightly more symmetrical than the others.

Indeed - until the arrival of the lot from Sam, I had separated them as being two makers (with the upper lot pencilled-in as Jem?), which is why these are two images, I took them a few months ago when I was shooting all the medieval figures for future posts. Although the similarities in material, colour and sculpting meant they shared a tub, just different ends!

Added 25-09-2013 : The lower lot are Dom Plastik!

Then Sam sent me his lot and among them were the above 6, four of them being duplicates, the other two being new poses, one (bottom right) being very much part of the first grouping above, the other (top left) with the standard - being far more like the second gang but with the base of the first, so I now think they are all from one set/maker?

The question is who? Or rather the questions being who/where/when?! So any help greatly appreciated on these and the Post the other day. That's 15 figures, were there more? Of course, if they are Jem and were from a fort play-set, the number of poses is not unusual. Does the difference in - particularly - base style point to two tranches? Or just various sources of copying by Jem (or whoever?) and if so - who were the other influencing makes/originators of the various poses?

It also means that we have a fifth figure in the series we originally looked at Here. It also - increasingly - looks as if the King 'Richard' may well have originated with Norev (linked post and forth figure from the left above), being copied both by Lone Star (or 'influenced'!), then Jem; the smaller figure from this unknown set?

Finally - if they are all or in-part - Jem, does anyone have a picture of the fort the figures came with, they could share with everyone here?

9 comments:

Sam Wise said...

unfortunately, I don't remember again Where, When, Who come those figures !!
I think that I had a Castle but don't know which one !!
It seems that I'm too old now and my brain is damaged ...

Sean said...

These look a little bit like my King Arthur's Castle set. I just had it delivered from my parents house. I'll have to break it out and get some pics up.

Brian Carrick said...

Hi Hugh

They are all JEM and are mostly copies of other firms figures somewhere along the way. Top picture 1st fig is copy of an aluminium (can't remember who) 3rd is copy of RF (Rene Fischer) 2nd pic, first row 1 and 3 are copies of Manurba, 2 is copy of Timpo, second line 2 and 4 are Manurba.

Norev seem to have acquired some of the old RF moulds and brought them out in hard plastic with bases painted yellow like the king you have. I don't know if there is a diirect link between RF, Norev and JEM but the latter brought these figures out in soft plastic (silver and black) in a playset with a castle (not the BIG King Arthur castle) there were also some mounted figures on rather nice horses, one was a lord with a hawk on his arm.

Written in a hurry, best wishses, Brian

Daniel Murphy said...

The knights in the bottom group seem to be German, made by Dom - here is a reference from ToysoldierHQ

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/toysoldierhq/Dom.html

Dan

mathias said...

I'm right with Brian.
Norev bought JEM and you can find nowadays in toy shops (Toys R Us... and so...)some plastic castles with the same figures. If you want I can send you some photos with RF, JEM and Norev...
Best regards.

Hugh Walter said...

Thank you all - sorry I have been so lax at replies but there is a shed-load of 'real-life' stuff going on out here and the blog is a bit on the back burner at the moment, but I do appreciate all comments.

So to recap that which you've all opretty-much 'put to bed', mine are quite recent or even current vertions of figures that are basicly on their third outing? As downsized copies.

Mathias sent me a more detailed email and along with Brians imput I will update the original post if I get time/remember!

I was aware that they were mostly copies but didn't say so in the post as I was more interested in the origin of the figures per se. Although I missed the Timpo link entirely!! ASnd wouldn't have known the RF link at all!

Thanks all, now it's just the previous post to sort out!

Hugh

Hugh Walter said...

Above sent from work without a spell-check...Doh!

H

Anonymous said...

I don't know where the figures come from, but I'm sure tahat the french children played with in the 1970' !

J. from France

Hugh Walter said...

Thanks for that J and thanks for visiting, there will be a follow-up on these courtesy of Mathias in the next few days.

Hugh