Just posted - news of an interesting new release from the Czech company Calibre35. The new release consists of a set to produce two realistic-looking willow trees in 1/35th scale. The full story can be seen:

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

They look nice, but MAN... at 22 euros that's just a bit too expensive... Armand sells a set of 5 large resin tree stumps for around $10 !!!

Hmmm, I agree with Keith, € 22 looks to much for this.
I have looked at them for a while, but they don't do it for me. They just don't say 'willow tree' to me. I remember the willows in Holland and they just look different. I find that when you want to add a treestump or tree without leaves and branches, you can't beat mother nature.

Cheers
Henk

Im with Henk here, these look like dead willows to me, not like the live FULL ones I see around here. These are seriously anemic

I have a book (that I can't seeem to find at the moment !!) that describes making trees in detail. It is by far the best book I have found on the subject. There is other stuff in it as well, that is really cool. Once I figure out where in the shop I have it stashed, I'll post the title here. More than likely it is out of production, but if youcan find it, it would behoove you to get it. Mine was $5 and I bought it thinking "Eh, what the hell. There might something useful in it" Only after I had gotten in the car and was headed home did I really take a good long look at it. Amazing stuff. I'll get it posted here once I find it. "Q"

Ok I goofed, but I did find it. The book I was thinking the info was in is titled "The Complete Modeling Workshop" by Stan Catchpol. Its a Squadron book. While this book has info in on how to build trees, its not the book that I thought the "other" tree info was in. THAT book is the Osprey Masterclass book on Terrain Modeling by Richard Windrow. Capter four deals with making trees and is 10 pages long. Very informative. Thats it. "Q"

The tree itself looks pretty ok, but I agree it doesn't look like a very alive one as it has not enough green on it. At least it doesn't look like the ones here....

I'd have made them myself anyway as it's a lot of money for only two trees :-)

they are very nice!
prehaps in the future the price will come down!!
Ron

if everyones smart enought to not spend 22euros on 2 williows, they might and bring the price down.

Frank

Good old Stan, he was a modelling icon during the 70's and 80's in the Millitary Modelling Magazine from the UK. Every month he had a monthly column or page on how to improve your dreaded Tamyiankin figures, Italeri Muntants, way before Hornet heads, and the Verlinden way. Along with very cheap, easy fixes to detail and correct and improve your kits, way before photo-etched, and everything aftermarket.
I often wonder if he is still alive.
As for the Calibre 35 Willow Trees..... Maybe they are some sort of European type, but I've never seen any like that where I live, and I certainly can't see me running out and buying them.

I stand corrected. Look at the forth pic down from the top.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/thread?forumid=47207&messageid=1108314694

This kind of trees are very popular in Poland. They are
chracteristic part of Polish heritage.

Like I said looks like a European type, I've never seen any willows like that.
But thanks for the photos John..... :-) :-) :-) interesting.

Just a couple of points here. I'm beginning to wonder if I made a mistake posting this news story in the first place...

Let me state things clearly so there is no confusion. I pick up news stories from various sources. Principally from the manufacturers own websites. Now sometimes I do tend to 'editorialize'. Quite often a new release does make me 'Wax Lyrical' - for example the new Tiger from DML or the new releases from Formations or Tiger Design... That for me is one of the 'perks' of the job.. I (personally) geta real 'buzz' out of some of the new releases and I do tend to try and transmit this throug the stories I post. I also think the use of a space for comments/questions to link in the news stories, features or reviews is a good way of keeping interest in a product. All comments, on the other hand are welcome...

However, I do tend to wonder if the release of two resin tree trunks (and a bag of foliage) really merits 460+ 'Hits' on the news pages and another (amost) 300 in the forums really merit so much comment and negative press... Just curious...Jim

Jim, here is how I look at it (for what its worth anyway). That the product got 700 hits, and an open discussion is great! That the discussion was more negative than positive is the way it goes. Obviously most, including myself, were ignorant of this type of tree. Now I am no arborist, but this type of tree seems to be rare enough that only one person posts telling us that this type of tree is common in Poland. I love Plus Model products, but maybe they should have posted a pic of a real tree along with their representaion of said tree, this certainly would have had an effect on the types of comments in the thread. Besides any press, good or bad is good for business, or so they say.

I think the problem lies in the fact that the number of Americans here outweighs the number of Europeans. That in itself is not bad, but with the vast majority of Americans here looking a resin rendition of a willow tree that is nothing like an American willow tree causes "most" to be thrown for a loop and a scratch of the head.
The confusion could have been avoided if the tree was titled "European Willow Tree".

Ken, being British, i'm used to the traditional 'Anglo-Saxon' type thingy (the 'dangly' type ) However, the thread has been useful to clarify the difference between the two...Jim

There was an article on Armorama on making a wire armature tree that was the best I had seen. I believe it is in the Hall of Fame.

Now as for "store bought" scale trees, I find the LeMax line are quite good but are mainly related to "dead" trees ... they have a nice willow as well, but it has no greenery... it would be one that is appropriate for a winter scene or a bombed out area.... best of all they run around $8.00 US (often on sale for half price at Michaels and Hobby Lobby).

Some nice egzamples of "Polish Willow Trees"
http://onephoto.net/info.php3?id=18742
http://onephoto.net/info.php3?id=52927
http://onephoto.net/info.php3?id=30151
http://onephoto.net/info.php3?id=54314

Thanks for the photos Tomek, really nice and helpfull.