Man of TIN blog two

These six metal figures were spotted in a ‘retro’ or ‘vintage’ style charity shop, much reduced in price.

Lead soldiers are a bit of a rare sight in charity shops these days.

They arrived attractively boxed or packaged by my family!

Although my family’s box suggests “we need arms and legs and rosy cheeks” (or what my family call “nice faces”), I think that these will proudly be keeping their play-worn appearance for now.

It’s nice to keep them as they are because you can’t restore that battle hardened veterans [look or patina].

It’s nice to track down who made them.

The two 54mm redcoat line infantry are proudly marked on their base Britain’s Ltd. “Copyright Britains Ltd Made in England Proprietors”

Finding the cavalryman’s maker took longer, a happy look through the Great Book of Hollowcast Figures by Norman Joplin eventually helped me identify this figure on horseback.

They were made by Segal (1938 to 1951 when Philip Segal died), so most are likely postwar 1947-51?

The horse has quite a distinctive pattern of foreleg raised on the right front foot, the left front foot is straight. Most other toy cavalry that I looked at in Joplin are the reverse of this front leg pattern.

I was distracted by the H letter on the horse blanket, thinking it might be a maker’s mark. Hill, Harvey, Hanks etc. However Segal moulds after his death in 1951 were sold on to Halberd Castings for a short while of production for a year or two.

Looking at the figure again, I realized that one metal leg has already been competently repaired and secured with hot glue gun? .

Different markings (reins, saddlecloth etc) from my painted cavalry figures and the Joplin book examples. Factory done or home paint jobs enhancing their figure?

What about the redcoat line infantry?

The cavalry figure looks like it might have had a simple basic face.

On Britain’s figures, things like moustache were beginning to be phased out or simplified, especially the more affordable second grade or basic paintwork. Similarly, pink cheek dots etc.

I wonder if the front and back armour chest plates and the metal helmet is metal left unpainted or was once shinier and painted?

Both figures have the attractive play-worn patina of battle-hardened veteran troops, their rifles now reduced to a new type sawn off short carbine.

It does not look like the crossbelts were painted, even before hard usage.

At some point I will paint up a similar spike free helmet type figure as a Flash Gordon type space 1930s space guard to join my Solar Legions.

Despite the missing worn paint, they look like they are very basic (second grade?) paint work – dark red jacket, flesh paint face, then the rest is black, their trousers, base and black line infantry spiked home service helmet.

Such playworn conditions suggests that these have fought many Little Wars in their time in gardens and on floors.

What bold battles, stirring retreats, desperate defeats, skirmishes and counterattacks these three warriors might have seen in their time! If only old lead could talk …

“Faking Lead …”

Looking at wear patterns of play-worn or battle veteran figures gives me useful clues for “faking lead” on plastic figures …

One of my Faking Lead posts with appropriate links to other posts: https://manoftinblogtwo.wordpress.com/2023/08/07/faking-lead-3-drilling-dark-trooper-helmets-with-hollowcast-mould-holes/

Some interesting comments below about classic shiny toy soldier style painting and space colours and costumes.

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Blog post by Mark Man of TIN, 19 February 2026