general
For my new diorama I needed to get my hands ons some shovels. During my search on the web, I used three criteria. The shovels had to be :
Available in 1/35th scale
Accurate
Affordable
Searching the web I ran into the site of
Plusmodel and, after a short search, I found hat I was looking for. They had a set they called Sapper Tools.That set included all the shovels I needed and it met with all the criteria above!
the package
Plus
model sure knows how to pack their products properly. The full color box is made of sturdy cardboard. Inside the box the products are packed in plastic bags that are wrapped in bubble plastic. This packaging minimizes the risk of the products getting damaged during transport. This way is so much better than the cheap plastic bags that a lot of the manufacturers use.
Opening the package I found all the items in undamaged condition. The package contained all the materials to make :
4 shovels with small T-handles
4 shovels with medium T-handles
4 shovels with long straight handles
1 sledgehammer
3 small axes
2 pick-axes
2 wirecutters
In total this kit provides 20 items that are made of resin and photo etched materials.
the resin parts
The resin parts are casted in high quality resin. The material is hard and can easily be cut and sanded. There is some flash on the individual parts, but it's so thin that it can easily be removed with a sharp knife or just with the use of your fingers. On the ends of the handles for the shovels, I noticed some tiny airbubbles. Nothing that drop of putty can't cure, but you know me.... I'm a pain when it comes to details.
The overall detail looks good. It's highly accurate as it comes to size and form.
the photo etched parts
The photo etched parts are very well executed. They are simple, but very effective. The material is thick enough to work with and it's thin enough to look realistic in any diorama. In total there are 12 shovel blades, that make three different sets of shovels.
conclusion
When I have to write a verdict on a product, I always ask myself : "Looking at this kit, will I buy more products from this manufacturer in future ?" In case of this Plus
model kit, my answer would be without any doubt 'Yes I would".
This kit provides excellent sapper tools that add realism and small eye-catchers to almost any diorama. The scale, the used materials, the packaging.... it's all of the same high quality. I can only find one minor point, and that is the issue of the few tiny airbubbles. Without any doubt I would say that this kit meets the three criteria I mentioned before. My verdict would therefore be :
Excellent value for money 
