Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Jacklex vs Ral Partha Comparisons

I got a request from Brigadier Dundas for a Jacklex/Ral Partha comparison so here are some pics and comment to that end:





OK so here is the basic comparison: Left to Right: Jacklex Pathan leader, Partha Pathan standard bearer, Jacklex Pathan rifleman, Partha Pathan bugler




Here are two Jacklex Highlanders next to a Ral Partha Pathan bugler and a Jacklex limber rider and horse. You can see here in the two Highlanders that the Jacklex line has a "large" and a "small" version of the figure line. I'm guessing that Peter over at Spencer Smith is having the line added to so the smaller figures are probably from the earlier castings. Pay attention to the basing when you compare these because I've tried to put all the figres at about the same level but there is some slight difference between my rectangular bases and the round metal fender washers.




To my eye both lines seem pretty compatible despite the scale difference. The main difference is the general "heft" of the Partha's...and most telling is the distinct differences in the horses as you can see in the pic below....




...but the riders are roughly the same in scale....





Here is a (L to R) Jacklex, Partha, Partha ...and on the far right a Jacklex RHA 9 pounder.





Here is the limber with an array of Jacklex and Parthas...the standard bearer, horse and rider andbugler are Parthas and the limber, Pathan rifleman and swordsman are Jacklex





Jacklex Highlander officer, Jacklex Highland NCO, Partha bugler, Jacklex Pathan leader...Partha horse and rider in the background as well as the Brit limber riders...


Hope this helps make the distinctions between the lines clearer. To my mind both lines will mix on the table perfectly well if you are not a stickler for the odd 1 or 2mms....and I am especially happy that I can use the great Jacklex colonial limbers and wagons (and that "Oh So Cool" 4.7" oxen drawn field gun!..) with Parthas so now,... horizons expand!




...and one additional pic showing a Partha Pathan leader on a Jacklex horse and the jacklex limber horse and rider on the right... seems workable to me...



4 comments:

Brigadier Dundas said...

Wow! A great job with the comparisons, thank you. I seems clear that the Jacklex "equipment " is a viable way to add needed wagons/limbers etc. to the Ral Partha figures. Your estimation that a few 'mm won't matter seems right as well; especially with the later additions to the Jacklex figure line.
Super pictorial, thanks again.
Don

Bluebear Jeff said...

People don't come in a standard size anyway . . . so, yes, I'd say that they were compatible.

However I am not sure that the musketman is Ral Partha . . . or at least not from their Colonial line. All of those were Tom Meier sculpts and are very sharply detailed . . . that casting looks too rough . . . perhaps it is from the Frontier line, or maybe a home-cast of some sort.

Nevertheless, the bugler looks right (although he might be from the Dervish command pack rather than the Pathan command pack -- but if so that hardly matters).

I'd certainly use RP and Jacklex together.


-- Jeff

Bluebear Jeff said...

On another matter, rather than using washers, I use pennies . . . but not just any pennies.

A great many "copper-looking" pennies (at least in Canada) are actually a steel alloy and thus can be used with magnets . . . and they are much cheaper than washers as well as being a better (i.e., slightly smaller) size.

My suggestion would be to get a strong magnet as well as several "hand-rolled" penny rolls from the bank.

Dump them into a small tub (a roll at a time) and use the magnet to see if any are steel (I can't speak to US pennies, but I've found about 25% of Canadian penny rolls are copper-colored steel).

It is worth a try, isn't it?


-- Jeff

littlejohn said...

Jeff good idea on the pennies, I'll give it a try. The guy with the musket is a Jacklex (and the smaller of the Jacklex lot) and you're right, the bugler I think is a Ral Partha Dervish.