REAL MEN WEAR PINK (FACINGS): HONVED GRENZERS, 1848-49

Over this last weekend, I completed another of my Chocolate Box Wars units, once again from among the Hungarian Honved forces of the Hungarian Revolution.  Once again, the source (and inspiration) was derived from the excellent Gyozo Smogyi Honved Army, 1848-49 text...                               [as in all posts, you may clix pix for BIG PIX]

My aim: Hungarian Grenzers in Pink Facings

Once again, I converted other figures for the purpose. The 1848-49 grenzer uniform remained essentially Napoleonic. So, for figures, I turned to the Perry Miniatures Austrian Grenzers Marching Casually ...

Perry Napoleonic Austrian Grenzers

If you look at the Smogyi illustration above compared to the Perry figures, you'll note the shako pompon (1848-49) vs the oak sprig (Napoleonic) on the shakos...

Pompom Replaces Oak Sprig

...So, the physical conversion for this batch of figures involved the headgear. I snipped off the oak sprigs and made pompoms out of Green Stuff.  I thought--"How hard would it be to make a few balls and stick them on the shakos?" Harder than imagined is the answer (at least for my limited talents).  Sizing them and getting them uniform proved to be a challenge, and then handling the little blighters drove me to distraction. Eventually, all were positioned--and reshaped after the violence involved with that--into something resembling balls.  In short, this latest minor conversion proved another object lesson in the difference between me and someone who does this for a living--and the incredible talent that  professional figure sculptors possess! 

The amount of sculpture-realistic detail on Perry figures I always find quite demanding--as opposed to the kind of detail on something like the superb Front Rank figures, for instance, which seem more "painter friendly"--then again, it just might be me and my patience levels talking there.  I could not imagine sustaining this level of effort for big units of 18 or 24 figures, and have great respect for those who can.    

 The casual marching poses of the Perrys makes for a very good effect when the stands are stacked in column. 

The Grenzers join the Grenadiers in the line of my growing Honved/Hungarian Army (not to mention the volunteers and foreign legions that I've already got). I've commissioned some Honved infantry in kepis, Jagers, and command figures in the excellent Steve Barber Revolutions in Europe Hungarian army of 1848-49 line. Once those come in, I'll be able to field a complete Hungarian Chocolate Box Army in 28mm (with few if any other conversions)!

Excelsior!