My newest addition to the House of War... a great French Shako from Shakos GBL!

Hi all!

Well, lucky me, I've managed to add yet another fantastically cool piece to the House of War!

If you reading this blog, you'll know that I am obviously a big fan of the Napoleonic wars.  I've long felt that I needed to add a shako to the collection, although I was unsure WHICH... I considered a 95th Rifles shako, but it is a bit plain, so instead I went with an 1806 pattern French voltigeurs shako!

So here it is!  It came in relatively quick from Willem at Shakos GBL.  He works out of the Netherlands, and came highly recommended in Napoleonic reenacting circles, so I figured... why not?  And the price was reasonable, which was an excellent bonus!

I settled on a voltigeur shako for a few reasons.  First, because it is French, and let's face it, the French are the French.  Second, because I liked the yellow and green.  I considered a grenadier's shako instead, with all the red, but thought that the samurai helmet was red enough, and I wanted to get something different.  Finally, it is a light infantry shako, and the French light infantry were awesome troops.

You can order a shako from Willem at...

https://www.facebook.com/shakosgbl/

As an added bonus, poor Willem agreed to answer a few questions as well, because I am always curious and I figured readers might be too!  So here are his patient answers to my annoying headwear questions (slightly edited for grammar and the like, since English is not his first language!)

Here is Willem himself, sitting at his workspace!

Some assorted bicorns

1)  How did you get started making hats and shakos?  Is it your full time work?

I started to make my own shako as I found the prices (from other builders) too high in 2002. It is not my full time work (I am an elevator constructor) but do have an official company making them along with to my regular job.

A fantastic colpack

2) Are you a reenactor as well?

Yes I am a member of Le 85eme Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne, a Dutch regiment in service of Napoleon

A shako for the Tirailleurs Corses

3) Can you give us a rough idea of the steps in constructing a piece like this shako? (Don't give away any trade secrets!:) )

I use correct materials: wool, linen, leather... pressing the top with a mall. The drying process (is important) and some other secrets!

The Casque (1791-1795)

4) In terms of research, where do you find the historical references for your pieces?

One of my best references is a good friend who is a historian; he always checks my work, especially if I have any questions.  If I am not sure there are also some great books. But "the Customer is the King" as we say in Dutch. If the customer wants it in another way I am always open to their ideas!

Some assorted shakos

5) What are the most common shakos and hatware that you are asked to make?

The French infantry shako. I think since 2013 (the start of the company) I have more than 750 of them!

The Dutch Merliton

6) Which are a few of the more rare pieces you've done?

The Casque (three photos up), the Dutch Merliton (see photo above), a United States of America Marine kepi, and a Dutch marine hat (see photo below).

The Dutch Marine "shako"

7) For you personally, what is a piece you've done that you are particularly proud of?  Is there any piece that was a particular challenge?  What made it a challenge?

I am especially proud of the Dutch marine hat (see photo above)... I got all the information out of a museum and it is completely made out of leather. To get the shape right, and to get the head size correct, was very hard work. But in the end it was a success.

A French shako

8) Is there a piece that nobody has ever asked for, but that you would like to have a chance to make?

A Belgian WW1 cavalry czapka and a Danish one... they are just too complicated, but I would love the challenge... but even if I were able to reproduce them, the costs might be way too high!

A leather WW1 pilots helmet

9)  What are the biggest overall challenges you face making these?

To make my customers happy for a reasonable  price.  One of my motives is to try to produce reproductions that are historically accurate.   Of course, sometimes there are things that go wrong, my motto is that, if there is something wrong, please tell me so I can correct my work and make a better product!

So thank you to Willem for an awesome piece, and for answering my annoying questions... and again, if you want to see hundreds of awesome pictures and maybe even order something for yourself, here is his Facebook page (he is VERY fast to respond on Facebook messenger and email!)

https://www.facebook.com/shakosgbl/

And one last shot of my new piece!

A bunch of additions to the Room!

Hey all!

Well, the blog has been QUIET AS HECK... but I haven't been just sitting around.  I've actually got some stuff done!  It's just been tough getting photos.

First up?  Some additions to the room... and just about the final ones!

First up... thrill of all thrills... my room ended up getting a short article in Wargames Illustrated!  Now, I was just over the moon about it, and thought it would be a cool addition to the room itself!

So a quick framing later, and now I have the article hanging up right next to the bar... so as you get a drink, you can read a bit!

So for Christmas I got a fantastic piece... a repro 1851 Colt Navy!  It is one of my favorite all-time pistols... just a beauty.  To go with it I also picked up a fantastic 18th century French naval pistol... and original found in an outfit in northern New York.  

Over the summer I ordered this piece... an AWI cartridge box repro.  I needed more AWI stuff, and I thought this, with the excellent badge, fit the bill!

And finally I have these three awesome buttons, dug up by an amateur treasure hunter on my parents' property... maybe the best thing in the room.

So overall the room is feeling very good!  It's JUST about full up... one or two small things to go, and I'll be done!:)

A GREAT find... a garbage can?!

Okay, how's THIS for a random story!?

So, for years a buddy of mine has always had the greatest garbage can in his war room... it's a garbage can that looks like it is a civil war rope tension drum!  It was always such a cool thing... small but noticeable, and essential to boot!  

The thing was... his father had bought it 40 something years ago at a reenactment at Gettysburg.  There were no markings on it, so there was no way to figure out who made it.  Trying to google "rope tension drum garbage" or some variation of that sequence got me nowhere, although there are some great whiskey barrel garbage cans out there, and lots of people sell 55 gallon drums!

So about a month ago my buddy moved to a new home and I went over to help him set up... I'll have more photos of Valhalla when it's finished, but for now here is a taste of it, half-way set up.

Anyway, as I helped him move all of his collections and stuff into the new building I again remarked about how much I loved that garbage can, but...

Fast forward about three weeks, and I'm in Connecticut visiting the family.  Now, they live in a town with a few antiques places.  I've stopped in them a few times over the last ten or fifteen years, although I've never really found anything worth noticing.

Until this time:)

We woke up one morning and suddenly I thought "I want to go check out this one antiques store."  No idea why.  I had once bought a LAW rocket tube there, but that was the only thing of interest.  

So down we go.  We walk in, walk up to the front counter looking, and then back down... and voila.  With some umbrellas in it is one of those rope tension drum garbage cans.

What is the chance?

Anyway... the room is SO full up that adding anything of value or interest is difficult at this point.  This, to me, is the ultimate little piece of detail awesomeness:)

BTW, the company that makes them is The Old Drum Shop in Granville, Mass.

I made it into Wargames Illustrated!

Hey all!

Well, how cool and unexpected is THIS?!

So, about a year ago, I posted on Wargames Illustrated's Facebook page, asking if they could some day run a series on great wargames rooms.  If you've read this blog for a while, you know how much I love that sort of thing, and for years I had been picking through the backgrounds of photos in magazines and books, trying to see every bit of John Stallard and the Perry's wargames rooms.  There was just always so much cool stuff packed away in there, and I was hoping some day that maybe we could have some articles that would highlight the antiques and the storage and all of the other things that I wanted to see!

Well, eventually they did it, doing a series called "Wargamers' Spaces," featuring some GREAT spaces.  And that's when I thought... why not write a little something up and send it along about my OWN room?  I've worked awfully hard on making it nice... maybe people would enjoy it?

Eventually I did this, and took some photos, and sent it along to Wayne Bollands and the WI crew, pretty sure they wouldn't want some article from some nobody, but at least I'd have the fun of writing it.

And lo and behold, I get an email from them saying they'd like to send me a copy of the December issue of WI, because I had contributed to it!  I had?  Oh, I HAD!  How great!

Anyway... it is really one of the great thrills of my wargaming life, and I hope people enjoy the article.  And if you have any other questions or want specific photos of specific things, please do let me know!

Now I just need a second copy so I can cut the pages out and frame them.... don't make fun, it's a big deal for me!:)

A great new Holiday addition to the House of War!

Well, courtesy of St. Nick (or, more accurately, a whole host of family members!) I found this under the Christmas tree this AM!

So... I've been a fan of samurai for nearly as long as I can remember.  When I was maybe seven or eight I saw "The Seven Samurai" and it completely changed my life.  Since then the samurai have always held a place in my heart... through the board game "Shogun" and the online game "Shogun Total War" and everything else.

This Christmas I was able to add a little something from that era to my war-games room... namely, this great Takeda helmet!

While is tough to paint, there is nothing quiet as beautiful as samurai armor.  The lace, the lacquer, the mustaches... it is so bad ass that they based Darth Vader's armor off it.  I thought a helmet is the perfect piece of samurai kit; instantly recognizable, and with the full personality that Japanese armor can have.  Mine was courtesy of Iron Mountain Armory, and I am chuffed with it:)

So... it was great, and long, Christmas day, and now I retire to the couch for some snacks, some X-Box, some reading... and this cool helmet!:)

Some new shelving at the House of War!

Hi all!

Well... I had run out of room in the House of War!

It's a depressing moment, when you realize you are just plum out of space... nothing more can be added!

And unfortunately I know that a pretty cool Christmas gift is on its way, which DESPERATELY needs room... 

So I added one LAST shelf!  Overall I think it fits fairly well... maybe a *touch* crowded, but not really... and it leaves space (where the viking helmet USED to be) for the likely final addition!

So here is the room, with it!

The Fridge... snacks and drinks for all!

Hey all!

Well listen... I take my toy soldiers seriously, but you also have to be able to entertain, you know?  So... here is an updated shot of the fridge!

On top of the fridge is the booze... some whiskey, some vodka, some tequila, and a home-brewed Italian liquor.

I got this fridge at a yard sale down the block... twenty bucks!  Yes please!  A fridge on the bottom for the cold things, and a compartment for the snacks above!

Here is the door... two each of rum, vodka, and whiskey on top, and then a mix of beer and hard lemonade on bottom.  Trying to have something for everyone!

Here is the main friday... on the very bottom you've got the little Diet Cokes and the chilled mini York Peppermint Patties... then some other beers and some cranberry juice.  Above that, the cans... Coke, Sprite, and seltzer.

The snacks are of two sorts; crunchy/salty, and sweet!

On the left you can see the candy "box."  I put them in this because you can just take it out and put it on the table when you game.  It has a wide variety of candies... Hershey Kisses, assorted Lindt truffles, assorted Ghiradelli squares, and a bunch of minis (Milky Ways, Twix, Milky Way Midnights, Snickers, and Three Musketeers.)

Behind the candy is a can of Snyder pretzel rods... they are wicked crunchy and delicious.  Then the assorted individual packs of chips... I think right now it includes Doritos, Cool Ranch Doritos, Cheetos, pretzels, and Sour Cream and Onion potato chips.

The Baker and Bess on the wall...

All hung up!  I have to add a few holes to the Baker's sling...

But I think they look great!

An updated panoramic photo of the House of War!

Hey all!

Well, I FINALLY got the Baker, so I figured I'd do a full panoramic shot of the House of War again, so I could get the newest stuff in there.

Very happy with the room.  Running out of space, which sucks, because I am NOT running out of things to buy.  Got the next thing already picked out... :)

A Baker Rifle for the House of War

Hey all!

Well, I FINALLY got a new piece for the House of War that I had been waiting for for almost a year...

... a Baker rifle!

Now, most of the folks reading this will likely know, but this is an English-made rifle that first really appeared in the Napoleonic Wars.  It is best known as the rifle of the fabled 95th and 60th Rifles, made famous by everyone's favorite Napoleonic Era hero, Dick Sharpe.  I had really wanted one for quite some time... it is SUCH an attractive gun... compact, great brasswork, fantastic sword bayonet... and so, now I have one!

I'll have photos of it on the wall when I get home and get it mounted.

What a treat!

Did some other fun stuff when I was picking it up... a few nice views, including this...

And sorry, I only filmed this one, so none of me just emptying the mag full auto!:)

A new (Dark Ages) decoration for the House of War!

Hey all!

Well, a birthday just passed, and thanks to a generous mother who asked "Is there anything you want?"... well, we have a new decoration in the House of War!

This time it is a Viking helm... a fancy one, too, fit for a thane!  I wanted to get a little something from a darker time for the room of war, as nearly everything I have is black powder and forward, and I think this does nicely!

New shelves, and a bit of rearranging...

Hey all!

Well, I added another shelf to each of my cabinets, at the bottom, where there was room, and then I moved some stuff around... so I thought I would take a few snaps!

Above is cabinet one... the 25mm French Napoleonic army, with the "Retreat from Moscow" (WIP) project in there too, so you can really appreciate how it is really just a smaller size of the normal army.

Cabinet #2... from top to bottom... Space Wolf Terminators, Zombie Survivors, some X-Wing stuff, a Warhammer Empire General, and Al Swearengen in the Gem Saloon.  Shelf two, my 15mm WWII Germans.  Shelf three, some 25mm ACW, the Fellowship of the Ring, and an OLD school army banner from when I was 12.  Shelf four is the Old Guard, and five is a ton of modern 15mm ACW.  Shelf six is my Bloodbowl team (WIP) and finally, on the bottom shelf, is a portion of my 10mm Napoleonic French Cavalry.

Next cabinet!  Top shelf is Star Wars Armada stuff.  Shelf two is more of my modern 15mm ACW.  Shelf three is my 15mm Moderns (although most of them aren't out on the shelf yet!)  Shelf four is more Star Wars Armada.  Shelf five is a huge amount of 10mm Napoleonic British.  Shelf six is my customized 15mm ACW Longstreet army.  And the last shelf?  Some of my vast old-school 15mm ACW collection from when I was little.

And finally, last cabinet... Top shelf, Star Wars Armada.  Shelf two, ships for my naval game.  Shelf three, 25mm Napoleonic Austrians and a few random British.  Then, the rest of the shelves are my 25mm Napoleonic Russians!

So, that is the new layout!  If anyone wants any close ups, just let me know!:)

A new gun for my wargames room

I picked up a FIRST rate replica M1 Carbine.  Would love an original, but that's a pretty serious weapon for right now, and with the Bess having just joined and the Baker on the way, I figure a replica is okay:)  I think it looks really sharp on the wall… really brings the modern!

Oh, and I have a few corrections and additions for the Cold Wars photos... I'll get to that ASAP!

The Workbench...

Hey all!

Well, my Bloodbowl team is nearly complete... the tray is 85 percent done; just need to do the signage, scoreboard, and some other knick-knacks.  Overall I am pretty happy with how they look!  I'll get some real photos when I am done with them... still got some touching up to do!

And, when I was shutting it down for the night, I happened to be standing right here with the camera, and I liked the lighting and all that, so thought I would take a shot!  I DID add a new shelf to each cabinet recently... more on that soon!

The House of War: Shelf #4

Hey all!

Well, I thought I would finally post Shelf #4!

Now, this shelf is entirely dedicated to a single army; my 25mm Napoleonic French.  It is possibly my best large-scale army, and was the first of my revival in toy soldier painting after years of not painting... so it gets a good spot!

Here is the top shelf.  In the back is Napoleon and all of his command.  It is a large tray, obviously, and not really suited for wargaming, but I wanted to do it, soooo... I did!:)  I love all the little stories in it... the irritated General being delayed by Napoleon's Aide de Camp, the General up on the ridge conferring with his adjuncts, the officer just arriving at command, the orders being written... all of it.  Also on the shelf are the two sets of foot officers for the army, and the army commander himself.

Now, the soldier shelves are largely the same.  Here are two trays of skirmishers, backed up by two battalions of Old Guard.  The heavy cavalry (cuirassiers) are backing the whole group up.

In the middle are my two "special" scenes... the surgeon and hospital wagon, and the blacksmith.  I put two stands of skirmishers in here to give them a little protection (and because I didn't have any other room!)

Soldier shelf three has another two trays of skirmishers (defending a stone wall, this time), two battalions of infantry, and some hussars.

Another shelf of soldiers has another two trays of skirmishers, two more battalions of line infantry, and some French Lancers.

Finally, the artillery!  Two pieces of foot artillery, and two pieces of Guard artillery (although I think I got the heads wrong when I did the conversions) with limbers and caissons.

So!  That is the last toy soldier shelf!  They've actually changed up a bit since I originally posted (the Vikings from Shelf #3 are on the table, with more Star Wars Armada figures taking their place...) but at least it is a lot to look at!:)

Thanks for coming by!