Figurehead: Noble Miniatures produces an expanding line of aircraft (Cap Aero) and small warships in kit form suitable for both wargaming and collecting (www.nobleminis.com).
Fleetline: An extensive line of British made kit-models covering WWII period warships of the major nations as well as several U.S Civil War ships.
Foerde: (Klaus Dietzsch) produced a considerable number of WWII German naval auxiliaries, many of which were patterned in camouflage.
Framburg: US producer of WWII identification models.
GEM: A small line of finely detailed sailing ship models.
GHQ/Micronaut: Good quality Napoleonic era sailing ship model kits.Also produces an extensive line of 1/2400 scale warships from the 1860’s to present (www.ghqmodels.com).
Grifo: Italian producer of Italian warships, long out of production.
Grzybowski: Eccentric German producer of merchant, liner and occasional warship models in the 1960’s. Many of his models were reissued by other producers (CM, Mercator, Rhenania) after his death.
Gwylan Models: (Will Jayne) until recently offeried commercial and naval ship models incorporating the latest rapid prototype detailing as well as decal/transfer sheets for customizing generic ship and aircraft models, and photoetch upgrades for Hobby Boss model kits.
H&B: (Jurgen Streich) produces a small line of about 30 ships, nearly all Japanese, and mostly warships. None of those are major warships, but instead are submarines, gunboats, sub chasers and auxiliary warships. Most models out of production; all highly detailed, including his classic submarine I-8 with a tiny GLEN seaplane aboard.
H.P. Weiss: These models are made out of paper in incredible detail. Unique, one-of-a-kind, definitely collectors items, they carry prices to match.
Hai: (Peter Krtina) An extensive line of warships spanning the period from the 1860’s to the present. Subjects are eclectic, often representing unusual navies, time periods and ship types with a heavy recent concentration on the late 19thcentury.
Hammonia: (E.A.Meyer) specializes in small German merchant and harbor vessels with a few borderline naval vessels.
Hansa: One of the oldest lines of German made models and considered a classic standard by many collectors. Hansa has produced an extensive line of 20th century warships and merchant ships. Purchased by Conrad in the 1990's, the company has been around since the late 1950's, long enough to have produced three different versions of the CGN Long Beach over the years. Hansa models are not considered comparable in quality to Neptun, but they have produced some desirable models which have not yet been made by anyone else.
Heinrich:(Wilhelm Heinrich) produced a limited series of exceptionally detailed fully rigged historical sailing ship models complete with wall mounted display case.Extremely delicate and rare, these are among the most prized models to be found anywhere.
Helvetia: Swiss-made merchant and small passenger ships with a sub-line of ancient Greek and Roman galleys.
HF: (Helge Fischer) produces a small line of ships, mainly submarines, gunboats, and patrol craft. All models are Neptun quality.
Highworth: (Martin Brown) A new UK line, which has begun offering present-day Russian subs and British warships.
HL: (L.Hermann) an early producer of merchant and warship models, mainly Austrian.
Hobby Boss: A new producer of 1/1250 scale plastic full hull model kits based in China.Its limited range concentrates so far on present-day US warships.Ideal for kids, though photoetch upgrades are available for more serious collectors. (www.hobbyboss.com).
Holsatia: (Eckart Bolte) A small line of modern ferries, cruise ships and merchant ships.
Hydra: (Axel Deisinger) offers a range of small European ferries and lightships (www.hydra1250.de).
Intug: specializes in tugs, mainly European.
JW: (Johann Wolkersdorfer) has produced an exceptional, well-researched line of unusual historic ships from ancient times to the 16th century.A sub-line JWX offers a selection of 19th century ships, mainly ironclads of the Turkish and Russian navies.
Klabautermann: (Thomas & Norbert Br?cher) produces highly detailed merchant ship models as well as a sub-line of post-WWII French warships.
Konishi: The only maker of 1:1250 waterline models in Japan, the bulk of this line is comprised of WW II Japanese warships. The company also produces some merchant ships, liners, modern Japanese warships, ships of the Russo-Japanese War, and some non-Japanese ships. Unique in having brass parts fitted to hard metal hulls, these models lack the fine detail found in the best European models, but are still very desirable models (www3.ocn.ne.jp/~konishi/english.htm).
Laiva: (Ralf Baumanns) produces a selection of Baltic Sea ferries, icebreakers, passenger and sailing ships.
Langton: (Rod Langton) produces a very extensive line of 1:1200 kits of ancient, Renaissance, and 18th and 19th Century sailing warships, as well as a wide array of buildings, and harbor parts. Also produces a large number of American Civil War vessels.Flags, accessories and wargame rule books are also available. (www.rodlangton.comwww.rodlangton.com ).
Len Jordan: Unique among producers, Len Jordan made unfinished 1:1200 models in resin and metal. Few others work in resin, and hardly any sell models unfinished. The models come cast in one piece, lacking masts, and unpainted. Masts are not included and must be made by the purchaser. Jordan specialized in British merchant ships and liners, but did produce a few U.S. vessels, including the Liberty and Victory ship, T-2 tanker, and C-3 cargo ship.
Lloyd: (Peter Krtina) a small line mostly of merchant ships, ferries and small passenger ships.
Llyn: (Steve Cracknall) offers models of British tugs and small working ships.
Loftlines: (Gary Anson) A recently introduced line of modern resin naval and commercial ships produced in the UK. (gary.anson@talk21.com)
Luna: Mainly late 19th and early 20th century merchant ships including a number of sailing ships.
MBM: (Martin Brown) a small but growing line of models produced by various model makers and sold under a common label.Subjects cover surface warships from WWII to the present, and will include the eventual completion of the line of British submarines begun by Duncan Robinson (www.waterline-ships.co.uk).
Mercator: (Gerald Schweizer) One of the major producers of the 1960’s through the 1980’s, Mercator temporarily ceased production in the 1990’s when ownership changed. Primarily a producer of liners and merchant ships, Mercator also produced a few warships and is famous for its line of Russian “ Tsushima” ships. Most ships in the line are no longer available except second-hand, and Skytrex, the present owner of the Mercator line, seems to have ceased production completely.
Mike’s Modelle: (Michael Reiss) is both a dealer and producer of a small number of unusual warship and aircraft models (www.mikes-modelle.de).
Minitec Models: A Portuguese producer/dealer specializing in cruise ship and liner models of good quality at a reasonable price. They also offer selected Risawoleska models for sale.
Mountford: (David Love) offers a line of reasonably priced 1/1250 scale models and kits covering US and British warships, harbor facilities, scale vehicles and armor, icebergs and, most recently, space rockets. Mountford will also be introducing a line of decals in the near future starting with helo circles and other deck markings for post WWII ships. (www.mountfordmodels.com).
MZ Models: (Mark Zolna) is the newest 1/1250 scale producer. Starting as a joint venture with Mountford in 2011, MZ now produces metal finished models and kits on its own from its new home base in Michigan. Initial concentration will be on littoral warfare ships of the USN.
Nautilus: A small, out-of-production line specializing in never-built designs of Germany’s WWII Kriegsmarine.
Navis/Neptun: (Rudi Kraus) Neptun is by far the largest producer and sets the standard by which all models in the scale tend to be judged. All models are of a uniform, high quality. The Neptun line is devoted to warships of the major navies of WW II, and is expanding into the post-war era. The Navis line is devoted to warships of WW I. Older Navis models generally lack the level of detail of Neptun models, but the line is gradually being upgraded to Neptun quality. In addition, the company has renewed its new old line of Copy models to produce high quality copies of the famous Von Stauffenberg models.(www.navis-neptun.de).
NN-CAD: (Egbert Kraus/Johann Ottmann) An offshoot of Navis-Neptun, this new producer utilizes the latest in computer aided design technology to produce high quality models in the mid to high price range. Areas of concentration will be the Cold War era, the pre-WWI/Tsushima period and possibly some WWII and civilian ships (http://nn-cad.de/).
NAVWAR has produced a line of wargamer quality 1/1200 and 1/300 scale models since the 1970's. Time periods cover ancient and Renaissance galley warfare, the Armada, Dutch wear and Napoleonic eras and the US Civil War.
North Head: (Simon North & David Carlton) a relatively new line of 3-D printed acrylic kits covering British, Latin American, Russian and Turkish ironclads and small attack craft from the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, produced in New Zealand. Producers have suspended the line for personal reasons, but models can still be obtained through Shapeways Miniatures (www.shapeways.com/shops/nhminiatures).
Oceanic: (Gerry Skinner) An extensive line mainly of small British WWII and postwar naval ships.
OMS/Orzel Model Ships: (David Orzel) a new U.S. producer specializing in resin models of ironclad era ships.
Optatus: (Oliver Maertins) covers a broad range of original models and reissued, upgraded models cast from the molds of several out-of-production lines, such as Vindabona, Sextant and Ostrowski.The original models include several complete WWII Japanese and British destroyer classes customized in camouflage (www.schiffmini.de).
Ostrowski: A line of Polish made models, all merchant ships, mostly post World War II era.
Pharos: (Norbert Broecher) focuses on European lighthouses and lightships.
Pier Head: (Chris Hankin) Neptun quality models of British ferries, tenders and other small ships.
Pilot: one of the founders of the hobby in Europe, long out of production.
Poseidon: (Carlo Marquardt) a line of unusual models including a number of OpSail “tall ships” and the WWII Thai navy.
Quadrant: (Alain Picouet) produces a line of hand-painted limited edition resin models, including most of the SURCOUF Class escorteurs, the CHARLES DE GAULLE, U.S. CVA FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT circa 1957 and the U.S. CVA SHANGRI-LA, as well as many post-war US and Soviet submarines. These fine models are beautifully done, but production has been suspended indefinitely.
RG: (Rainier Grouls) produces a variety of different ships, from small odd warships to large liners and merchant ships. Quality is uniformly excellent.
Rhenania: (Norbert Broecher) A varied line of fine, high quality models, featuring a variety of eclectic warships and merchant ships. Production is limited and, unlike the bigger manufacturers, models are discontinued when a run of castings is done.
Rhenania Junior: (Matti Broecher) A fast-growing line of mainly modern European commercial ships and harbor craft. A recent offshoot (RJN) offers naval auxiliary and coast guard vessels, all of which are extremely well done.
Risawolewska: (Burkhard Schuett) produces a line of beautifully detailed vessels, mostly ferries and merchant ships of the countries that border the Baltic Sea as well as selected passenger liners (www.risawoleska.de).
Rodkling: (Roland Klinger) Finely crafted harbor accessories and dockyard cranes.
Rostocker: A high quality line of 19th-20th century sailing ships
Santa Rosa Ships:( John Staggs) Resin models, mainly of UK WWII auxiliary and coastal ships.
Saratoga Model Shipyard: (Paul Jacobs) A small but growing line of models, most of which are small French naval vessels and tugs, and U.S. Navy auxiliaries of the inter-war era.
Scherbak Models: (Alexander Scherbak) One of the few US producers offers high quality resin models of modern cruise ships.Fully painted “Collector” and partially painted “Souvenir” grades are available. (scherbakshipmodels.tripod.com).
Seavee: (Sean Pritchard) This is a small, limited production, line of models. Most are post WW II US and British naval subjects. High quality models, with excellent detailing, including decaling and photo etched brass parts. Not sold through dealers, they can be obtained, when available, direct from the manufacturer. Contact him at: Seavee2006@hotmail.co,uk or 41 Route De Moissun, St. Junien, 87200 France. (Sean Pritchard)
Sextant: This line of models dates back to the 1970's. Production numbered over 200 different models, nearly all modern merchant ships. Many have been refurbished and reissued under the Optatus and Hai labels.
Skytrex: (John Hammond) This British firm, which now owns Mercator and Triton, has discontinued most of those lines, but still occasionally produces a few Triton models and kits of modern UK warships. It also produces an extensive line of harbor parts and a line of 1:1200 kits of ships from ancient times to the mid 19th Century
Shapeways Miniatures: The New York based "Marketplace" for 3-D printing offers just about anything conceivable that can be printed in three dimensions using the latest commercial rapid prototyping technology. One can not only buy and sell, but also create one's own products online. Among the thousands of products available are several lines of 1:1200 and 1:1250 scale ship models including a range of Soviet/Russian warships by Decapod and the revived North Head Miniatures. The best way to navigate the site is to utilize the search option by typing in 1/1200 or 1/1250 (www.shapeways.com).
South Salem: US producer of WWII identification models.
Star: Long out of production, Star was one of the main producers in the 1960's and 1970's, producing over 170 warships including quite a few American Civil War ships.. One of the few to produce kits, most Star models are by today’s standards mediocre in quality. A few unusual models in the line are still sought after.
Stauffenberg Modelle: (Graf Markwart von Stauffenberg) These beautifully painted and detailed models, mainly of rigged 19th century ironclads, were made in limited numbers and are hard to get. Navis/Neptun produces some for commercial sales under the Copy label.[Historical note: Graf von Stauffenberg was a distant nephew of Claus von Stauffenberg, who led Operation Valkyrie, the abortive coup against Hitler in July, 1944.]
Superior: (Peter Paschal) Distributed by Alnavco of Belle Haven VA., this is one of the few U.S. producers of waterline models. The line is primarily warships of WW II. Unlike all the continental European makers, Superiors are 1:1200 scale (as are models made in England). Superior has a long history dating back to 1962 when it began production after purchasing the old Comet/Authenticast line. Superior models are of uniform quality, but that does not place them in the same league as the European made models. The line is a direct descendent of the WW II identification models made for the Navy and as such are based on moulds designed in the 1940's. Despite attempts to upgrade them they simply cannot compare in detail or accuracy of scale with their more modern European equivalents and are not popular with collectors of European models. Cheaply priced, and very hardy, they are favored by war gamers (www.alnavco.com).
Target: (Gerry Skinner) is a limited line of WWI era destroyers and subs long out of production and fairly rare.
TreMo: TreForest Moulding was started in Britain in the 1930's and put out of business when the war began and the owner was interned as an enemy alien! Crude by today’s standards, during the 1930's they were one of the mainstays of the business along with Wiking. Although claiming to produce ships of several major navies, most of their production was of British ships. Check the ads in Jane’s Fighting Ships of the 1930's, and you’ll find theirs with photos of some of their models. Because their production was more limited than that of Wiking, their models are much more scarce.
Triang: Among the more toy-like of 1:1200 models, this company began production in Britain in 1958 and continued for about 10 years. Later, models were issued under the Hornby label. The warships produced were all British from the 50's and 60's and very simple. Early Triang warships were painted a bright blue color. Later models were a more conservative grey however. About two dozen liners and merchant ships were produced and an extensive series of harbor parts. The liners and merchant ships were also mostly British, and generally were better castings than the warship models. Cheap and popular back in the early 60's, Triangs were largely discarded by collectors as the better German made models came into large scale production. But in recent years Triangs have become nostalgic collectibles, as men who grew up with them as boys, now remember them with fondness. In recent years, an English collector Charles Shave, revived the line and added many new models including modern Royal and U.S. Navy ships (www.triangminicships.com).
Trident: Also out of production, this was a large line of models covering ships from as early as the 1890's to the present. Quality may vary widely. The moulds have been purchased by Hai, who may produce some of the models in this line
Trident Alpha: Now out of production, Trident Alpha produced a large number of post-WW II warships, including a number of U.S. Navy super carriers. Many are available second-hand. Quality may vary among models.
Triton: Kits of modern warships made in the UK during the 1980’s and 90’s.A number of their British ships have been reissued by Skytrex, current owner of the molds.
TTH: The Technology House is a product development firm that produces a small line of spin-cast 1/1200 scale pewter models of US warships. Collectors may be disappointed in the filled-in tripod and lattice masts, but the company claims to have rapid prototyping capabilities (www.tth.com).
U-9:(Gunter Koch) A small line of excellent quality limited editions of small German WWII ships.
USA: A small relatively new line issued by George Elder of MSM with models by different master builders. It has been inactive in recent years.
Unicorn: (John Staggs) A limited line of UK produced British WWII ships.
Vagel Grip: An eclectic line of coastal vessels and other European small craft produced by Reinhard Kramer of Rostock.
Valiant: Nicely done U.S. made kits of ancient galleys, Spanish Armada and Napoleonic sailing warships suitable for wargaming and collecting (www.veltd.net).
Vindabona: (Richard Sattler) A line of 50 different models, mostly merchant ships.Molds are now owned by Oliver Maertins (Optatus), who has reissued a number of retooled versions of the models.
Welfia: (Winfried Bormann) produces a line of mainly small, unusual and rare vessels converted to German warships; also coastal forts, and other odds and ends. Quality of the ship models is excellent, but production is very limited and the models are not readily available through dealers.The line recently seems to have ceased production.
Wiking: Clearly the first in the lineage of 1250 scale European cast metal models, Wiking dates back to the late 1920's. Producing a line of European and American contemporary warships, Wikings were used by the German military for ID purposes during WW II. Some Wikings were copied by Comet. The war put the company out of business, but it was revived in the late 1940's and during the 1950's it produced a number of new models, some in metal, some in metal and plastic such as the CVA Forrestal, CA Boston, and the Soviet CL Sverdlov. Some of the older models were also re-released in metal and some done entirely in plastic. Production finally ceased forever in the 1970's, due to competition from the newer higher quality models then coming into production. Pre-war Wikings in good condition have brought high prices in recent years as they have become collectable "antiques." These models clearly lack the detail of the more modern models, but they can be attractive and interesting (www.wiking-schiffsmodelle.de).
Wirral: (Les Hodder) until recently offered unfinished Len Jordan models completed as beautifully finished products. All are merchant ships and liners, primarily British. His work is being continued by his brother Alsn (see A.H. Models).
Yorck: (Dr. G.Judas) An eclectic collection of ships, mainly secondary and auxiliary warships of the 20th century and the largest proportion, German. Originally sold as unfinished metal castings, Yorck models have out of production since the 1980's and can only be obtained second-hand.
YSM: (John Youngerman) A US producer well known for his scratchbuilding skills, Youngerman maintains his own line as well as producing models for the Hai, Neptun and other producers’ labels (Youngerman Ship Models).
