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Reviews
DESERT FORCES DEUTSCHE AFRIKA KORPS (first series).
By Roy Johnson (RJohn68217@aol.com)
This was the first series Matthew Mehlich did under his "Emil’s Desert Forces." If I recal correctly, Emil was the name Matthew gave his Joe when he was a kid. lIt has the best silkscreenjob on the armband I’ve ever seen! The uniform itself is very well made, and stands up to play quite well. Matthew designed it so you can change shoulder boards for different ranks and service branches. Tho it was his first set, in many ways I think it’s also his best to date. His stuff comes on very nicely done cards, like vintage acc. packs, almost to pretty to open...almost!
DESERT FORCES WWII BRITISH SAS
By Roy Johnson (RJohn68217@aol.com)
This was the second offering from Matthew. I think its far superior to the Cotswold. The fabric, just like the other Desert Forces khakis is nice and thick (like the vintage Austrialian Jungle figher). John Reis did the helmet, which appears to be molded from the vintage Hasbro Brit, and done in desert tan.
DESERT FORCES FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION
By Roy Johnson (RJohn68217@aol.com)
This set is especially good because it looks the most like the illustration of a real man wearing the unifomr (I think from WWII Infantry, but not sure....). The ammo pouches are so well cast, I originally thought they were real leather (the shoulder straps are). I think they’re resin, but man-o-man, theyre sweet. Matthew also included the proper third pouch in the rear. A felt covered canteen and a cloth haversack are included, with the kepi-blanc.
DESERT FORCES ITALIAN INFANTRY
By Roy Johnson (RJohn68217@aol.com)
The first thing you notice with this set is the pith helmet....its pretty darn cool. Its got a crest on the front which is red, whit and gold with a 39 in black in the center. I really couldn’t say enough about how cool it is. The helmet itself appears to be cloth, but I don’t think it is...if so its been laminated, for a very cool and unplastic look. The uniform is what I’d expect from Matthew, nicely tailored and neatly and strongly stiched.The puttees are real cloth, very nice. Felt covered canteen of proper shape, very nice napsack, correct (or near) goggles on the helmet.
"UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL" PREMIUM JAILBIRD PATROL SAN JOSE 1997
By Roy Johnson (RJohn68217@aol.com)
This is one of the sets that gets put together and sold at a lower cost than the major convention premium (this year’s was Davy Crocket and a Mexican Soldier). They have, at least in the last 2 years, been thematically tied to tour packages offered in conjunction with the Collectors Club/Hasbro JOE convention. The other figure in San Jose was an Alcatraz Inmate (cool, but I ended up not getting it. The cap is one of those "pointy round" ones, and the badge looks kinda like an NYC cop’s. The belt is my own addition. I kinda wish he had a badge on his jacket tho....I’ll keep lookin.
LUFTWAFFE CAPTAIN
By Roy Johnson (RJohn68217@aol.com)
Done by a gentleman named Bob Morandin (he’s the guy who had a 1/6th scale camel for the Sandboxer who was looking....). Bob has a neat store in the SF East Bay Area, and a webpage which doesn’t do his work ANY justice at all. Bob is a very nice guy and was at the SJ ‘98 show this summer.He has very offbeat stuff....biker outfits for Jane, German and WAC uniforms for Jane, many different German uniforms too, but they’re not pictured on his site...The hat is one he did, and it cost as about much as the unifom, beleive it or not. The uniform (no belt or boots or hat) with the insignia (very nice too!!) was $35 I think, the hat was $30, but it has the correct emblems on it, correct eagle, etc. I just think the color is a wee bit light.Still and all, anytime you can get a nice German uni for $65.......I like it.
COHOON PLASTICS GERMAN KUBLEWAGON
By Robert Decastro (macsog@erols.com)
Hey All, Many of you have already read several reveiws of the Cahoon Kublewagen (sp?). This reveiw I'm writing in hopes of covering some thing that might have been missed.This reveiw is based on an uncustomized Kuble as you would get from the factory/shop. pictures will follow.I was delighted to see this huge box finally waiting for me at the front door. I can already imagine the size.One apreciates the scale of this vehicle when you put it against the 21st hummer. It's almost bigger! This vehicle is basically vacumme formed plastic parts consisting of the main shell which is the body, the under carriage, the interior not including the seats wich are separate pieces. All the body parts are formed using a panzer grey styrene like plastic which I'm told takes paint very well.The seats are done in black. The dash has some decals for the speedometer and fuel. The steering wheel is a solid cast piece and turns. There're also decals of german crosses for the doors and unit marking. I was told by Lyndon Ward the designer that there will be corrections for the license plate.Details, There are little nice touches on this piece like leather grain on the seats and headlight covers, checkering pattern on the interior floor. Some functions are fold down wind shield with plexiglass that is attached to the body via heavy steel gauge wire bent to shape as well as a monopod with mg34 machine gun that swivles. Cahoon Kublewagen also has a removable spare tire also vac formed that resembles the 60's Jeep tire.The only minuses on this piece are things like body detail being a bit "blurry" but that is inherent in the vacumme forming prosses and can't really be helped. The other is the way the body parts where trimmed. It's a bit on the uneven side but nothing an hour with a small curved pair of scizzors and some sandpaper won't fix. And last the rear seat doesn't take passengers very well in it's stock form. I havn't tryed yetbut it looks like if you cut holes on the rear floor area for the feet to go through one can be able to seat a Joeback there properly.Overall the Cahoon Kublewagen gets my thumbs up. This thing has alot of potential. It's easy to take apart, a couple of screws and you've done it. With some painting and weathering you can transform this into a better Kuble and for you model makers out there a bit of extra detailing and you'll have a piece that will rival versions that cost several hundred big ones. Speaking of price, as you might already know it's not the least expensive vehicle out there but for the number ther're making which is in the low hundreds and taking in account that each are hand assembled the price is something I can live with.and best of all it's 1/6th scale. I'm seriously thinking of getting the halftrack, just waiting for some moola to come in.
HASBRO 442ND INFANTRY NISEI SOLDIER
by Gordon (NanaPono@aol.com)
Aloha fellow JOEheads, Well, I finally had the guts to open a 442nd Infantry (Nisei Soldier) JOE and here's the recon for it. I guess my overall opinion is this: It looks fairly accurate and, despite a few negligible weak points, does 442ers and Asian-American folks proud.It comes with: an olive drab helmet with netting (darker than the D-Day or Currey); a wool knit cap (similar to the D-Day and Currey); brown shirt; brown trousers; brown boots with black soles like the D-Day (no legging); brown scarf; dull brown overcoat; a duffel bag (similar to the 50th anniversary sailor); a nice beige web belt; two ammo pouches; a canteen and holder; a first aid pouch; a scabbard and holder (not listed but very nice); two black grenades (junk); the D-Day rifle; dog tag and a new style backpack radio.Decent goodies and I must say the overcoat is quite impressive with buttons and all, easily the nicest touch to a relatively well-packed JOE.The D-Day and Currey are both balking at not having been issued the same overcoats! Once again, his entire outfit is more brown olive than green olive.The box features two 442nd JOES, one with radio gear, in some war-torn town in the European theater with snow-capped mountains in the background. The irony, of course, both with the painting and the war, was that most of the 442ers were from Hawaii, California or somewhere else along the West Coast and had never experienced snow before. Some folks in my newsroom commented that the face does not look Asian. In the box, that's kind of true. Outside the box, he does look very Asian. He's not as "pink" in skin tone as Caucasian JOEs. In fact, it's about the same tone as the Hispanic MP. I'd like to think that the designer knew what he was doing, that here was a tan Asian kid from Hawaii suddenly finding himself in a cold place on the other side of the earth. If you look at it that way, the beige, dry skin tone makes sense. The face, for some reason, is somewhat reminiscent of the Currey. I guess it's because both have sort of long faces with very intense eyes. Perhaps the sculpt came from the same designer?Yeah, the face is a little scrawny for the head but it's workable. The body (to answer someone's question) is exactly the same size as other CC JOEs. And for your information, there are many 5'10-inch Asian-Americans walking around Hawaii!And to repeat, the KB exclusive dogtag comes separately. The clerk just hands it to you. I still haven't figured out whether they are SUPPOSED to be given only to those who pre-ordered. I'll check sometime today (Saturday).Anyway, my new "Kazuo" JOE is doing a good job sticking up the bug-eyed Cots Panzer commander I got from Greg Brown this week!Thanks for the long read and I hope this satisfy the curiosity behind the 442nds.
21ST CENTURY US NAVY SEAL
By Gary (izhevsk@swbell.net)
I just purchased the new 21st Century US Navy SEAL uniform set. Here are my remarks concerning the product:
1. The AK-47 is a good sculpt. Nice size and dimension. But...it is NOT an AK-47. The receiver cover is ribbed which indicates it is an AKM from the Afghan War period. Still a good sculpt. You may want to paint the pistol grip black or orange to be more correct.
2. The S&W Mk22 Model O silenced pistol is also very nice. It appears that 21st has widened the grips to make it fit in the figure's hand better. IMO, the pistol actually looks more like a silenced Colt Combat Commander .45acp than a S&W .22lr. Either way a nice piece. I wish the SOG knife would have been replaced with the USN MkII(?) knife.This set also coame with two of the new 'baseball' grenades.
3. The uniform is a bit cheezy. Another rehash of old stuff. I think it would have been better to include a VC black shirt instead of the Tiger. The belt is the new adjustable type w/larger buckle.Pouches/canteens have the longer clip. Same old green and black jungle boots. Still waiting for a more accurate shorter boot.Overall, four NEW pieces for the arsenal. I compared the 21st sets to the CC Hasbro accessories--WHAT A JOKE! HAsbro needs to resculpt it's stuff to a more realistic size. That M-60 looked like the Larger-Than-Life training model used by the Army.I'm still waiting for the 1st Infantry uniform and the Series II Vietnam weapons pack. I think Target is holding out...
COTSWOLD ROMAN LEGIONARY
By Steven Marthinsen (marthins@jps.net)
Just received my Cotswold Roman legionary figure so I thought I would post a review of the figure for those who have not seen them; First off, I really enjoy Roman military history and have a full scale replica outfit made for reenacting and such so I know what it is supposed to look like (along with having quite a few books). Second, I think it is great Cotswold did one. That stated, here goes: The figure represents a legionary from around 100AD given his lorica segmentata cuirass. The cuirass itself is well done and the makers did a good job constructing it so that it would fit the Joe body. It looks nice.The helmet is, unfortunately, the wrong type in that it is a bronze "Coolus" style which Caesar's men wore one hundred and fifty years previously (still, if you don't know that, it looks OK). It does not have a chin strap so that must be made and then tied together for a proper look. The tunic and equipment are well done although the tunic has an odd white collar which I suspect is an attempt to show the scarf the legionary wore to avoid neck chafing. My only complaint here is that the gladius short sword is mounted on the wrong side. The legionary wore it on his right hip with his dagger on the left. The shield is heavy and well made with an appropriate design on it. The caliga boots are very, very basic and beg to be improved with small leather strips (if only to keep them on the soldier's feet because they fall off at the slightest contrary movement!) All in all, a fine effort with more to come, I hope, in the future.
21ST CENTURY US ARMY 1ST INFRANTRY
By Gary (izhevsk@swbell.net)
Well, here's a review of the new Ultimate Soldier Series II Vietnam uniform set the US Army 1st Infantry Division. The uniform set came with the OG-107 Fatigue Uniform(shirt and trousers), Black Combat Boots, NEW M1951 Field Cap, M14 Rifle, M7 Bayonet and Sheath, NEW M1956 Entrenching Tool and Cover, NEW Adjustable Belt, M1956 Butt Pack, H-harness, two M1956 Ammo Pouches, one First Aid Pouch, one Canteen ect. ect. First off the new M1951 field cap is molded from the same material as the ammo pouches and canteens. It looks pretty good, but a little too much like a baseball cap for my taste. I prefer the cloth Hasbro field caps but that is just me. The Butt Pack is a nice piece being offered before in the Series I Green Beret Advisor set. My opinion is it should have been offered in EVERY set instead of the ARVN packs. With that said I guess it's time to hit the bad points. There is very little equipment being offered with this set. I hope this isn't a new trend with 21st Century Toys. I liked having extra pieces around in case of breakage or to use as trade material. Not in this set, you barely get enough to equip a figure. I had high hopes for this uniform. I looked forward to seeing the BIG RED ONE patch in color(red and OD) and US ARMY tag over the pocket. Instead the set comes with the Special Forces patch and Airborne Tab. I wish 21st Century would loose the remaining stocks of these decals. Good thing they can be removed. I was disappointed in the M1956 entrenching tool carrier. It should have a provision for carry the bayonet across the front of it. Instead it looks like the one Hasbro used in the 30th Anniversary Soldier set. If they didn't want to have the bayonet strapped to the e-tool cover, they should have used the M1967 tri-fold tool and cover. Here's a major technical foul up, but maybe I am being too picky. Why does this set come with the M7 bayonet if the soldier is carrying an M14 rifle? Anyone who has served in the armed forces knows the M7 bayonet will NOT fit on the M14 rifle. It was designed for the M16 and will not interchange. The M14 rifle takes the M6 bayonet. The M6 has a release button near the hilt, not on the pommel. I believe the scabbards are the same for both weapons(M8?), but you can clearly see that the bayonet is the M7, not the M6. Now that that rant is over my last gripe is the boots--too tall.With that said, I would advise anyone interested in a Series II Vietnam uniform set to give the 1st Infantry Divsion a W I D E berth. There is not enough new stuff in the set to warrant the $12.99 price tag.I'm still looking for the USMC Shotgunner and US Army Platoon Leader sets. I'll keep you posted when I find them. Hopefully they will bemore rewarding.
21ST CENTURY SPECIAL FORCES COMBAT SET
By Stew (ste1773109@aol.com)
I bought the 21st Century Special Forces Combat Set today at Toys R Us in Bellingham MA. I paid $19.99 and it was well spent! I would have paid that price for the highly detailed .50 Cal with tripod, let alone the other goodies. ( M1 Helmet, frags, smokes, Claymores, M203 ect.) But, the real gem of this set is the FULLY FUNCTIONAL A.L.I.C.E. pack. What a piece of work! It is a nearly exact reproduction. OK, it dosn't have the grommet straps of the real thing, but it has everything else! It took me about a half hour to get all the tiny straps buckled down, ( I don't see as well as I did... yesterday) but what an effect! A set of instructions would be helpful to figure out all the straps and buckles for those who have never humped a ruck, but for those that have, you will be amazed at this little piece of craftmanship.
COTSWOLD WEHRMACHT SERGEANT
By Jimi G. (wendyleigh@earthlink.net)
I got my German Sgt.. from Greg Brown yesterday. on the bad side, nothing a little rearranging and and some super glue can't fix on the up side the uniform is great. had my W.W.II German expert check them out (one was for him). he said the tunic is great. it has the correct collar, pocket, buttons, and seams in the back combination. the is off but looks great for the slightly worn look(I like that look). put a Carl head on him and changed the strap placement on the gas mask can and its perfect.
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