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D&K Workshop IDF Givati Brigade in Gaza Strip
D&K Workshop IDF Givati Brigade in Gaza Strip (DK-80001)
I was excited when Brian, from Black Ops Toys, contacted me about doing a new review – Brian is a cool guy, and his wife Jen is a cool lady, so I always enjoy doing stuff with them. Plus, reviews are fun to write – and, I sincerely hope, in the case of my reviews, fun to read.
This time out we will be looking at a new company, D&K Workshop, and their IDF Givati Brigade in Gaza Strip figure.
Here is a little quote from a spokesperson (?) for D&K Workshop that I culled from OSW:
“D&K WORKSHOP is a newly established 12" Action Figure workshop. We have great respect for all 1/6 forerunners. Hope we can survive in this brutal market and bring the market more fresh design. We are willing to listen all kinds of voices and we will do our best to improve our products. “
This was from the New Product Announcement thread, where we sixthscale junkies first set eyes on the D&K Workshop, and their IDF Givati Brigade in Gaza Strip figure.
To say that an IDF soldier of any stripe is a long overdue subject in the sixthscale world would be a gross understatement. True, about ten years ago, we were offered an IDF soldier, as well as an IDF Givati Recon soldier, from Armory. They were a company from the way back when good old days, and their stuff was pretty decent - not to mention uncommon. There was also the much anticipated IDF/Israeli Female Weapon Instructor figure from TUS ( The Ultimate Soldier – or 21st Century Toys ). That one never materialized, but we all got to drool over the prototype pics. While those two aforementioned figures from Armory were very good offerings, they were not up to the detail and finish that is held herein with the D&K Workshop IDF Givati Brigade in Gaza Strip figure.
Base body and Head-sculpt:
The base body is very similar to the Cal-Tek base body, with a smidge of the Crazy Dummy base body thrown in. One note – as with the CT body, the D&K body does seem to have disproportionally long arms, so I draw the similarities to the CT body there. However, unlike with the Cal-Tek bodies, the D&K body does not come with an overly long neck sculpt. True, the neck sculpt is part of the head-sculpt, but I thought that it sound be included with the discussion of the base body as some base bodies these days do come the option of a separate neck post, or come with a neck that is a congruent part of the body sculpt ( i.e. some Dam Toys, Hot Toys, and all of the Soldier Story bodies ).
In the areas that matter most with a base body – sturdiness, and overall anatomical trueness ( or realism ), the D&K measure up. With the exception of the intersection of the head-sculpt neck post and the base body, there were no discernable wobbly or weak joints with the sample that I got.
Before I go further, I want to touch on the aforementioned wobbly neck post. When I undressed the figure to capture some pics of the base body for this review, I removed the head from the base body, and to my surprise there was a little gob of adhesive on the base body neck ball ( where the head-sculpt neck socket attaches to the body ). This tells me that D&K Workshop must have been aware of the wobbly head ( bobble head? ), issues – or else why put a gob of adhesive there. Perhaps this is an area that they will address I n the future. After all, what company hasn’t had issues with their first base body that they later had to address?
Getting back to the overall sturdiness of the base body ( neck post withstanding ), of all the must have’s in selecting a sixthscale base body sturdiness in at the top of the list. In the case of the D&K base body, sturdiness was put to the test when I examining and testing the figure for this review. I was happy to find that the joints were all stiff enough to allow the figure to stand unsupported by a stand or by propping it against a vertical surface. I would not however, display this – or any figure without a stand – too much risk of an unexpected and unwanted shelf dive.
Anatomically speaking, the figure ( as mentioned earlier ), could be characterized as a fusion of the Cal-Tek, and the Crazy Dummy base body. And this is a good thing despite the somewhat overly long arms ( which may not seem too long to others – one must judge for oneself ).
Once the figure is dressed and kitted, it has a very natural and anatomically true look. It even looks good in just the basic uniform ( minus the MD Combatant Vest, and the IDF IIIA Helmet ), which is a good thing - one can then option to have the figure appointed in his religious garb - i.e. the Tallit, the Teffilin ( Phylacteries ), and the Kippah ( Yarmulke ). You could then display the vest, helmet, and Tavor aside on or near the figure, on a stand or diorama. Note, no figure stand or diorama is included with this figure.
Other notes to mention before moving on to the head-sculpt.
I do like that the D&K base body feature ball and socket ankle joints – which make pulling the feet off pretty easy - so no need to unlace and remove the boots to fuss with the rest of the uniform elements.
There are also three sets of hands included in the set – one pair of bare flesh bendable hands ( similar to the Soldier Story bendies ), one pair of posed bare flesh hands ( similar to the Soldier Story posed hands ), and one pair of olive drab posed gloved hands.
These gloved hands were a little odd in that they were all one color, and they did not seem to be proportional to the rest of the figure. In fact, they look like they would be better suited for female figure. The same could be said for the gloved hands that come with the Flagset figures.
So looking at things in a strictly pragmatic way, if you need gloved hands for a female figure ( and there are very few gloved hands out there for female figures that are tactical in nature ), you could set the gloved hands that come with this set aside for one of your female operators.
Note: in many of the pics I viewed online of IDF soldiers, It seemed that most, if not all, were not wearing gloves. So I opted for the bare flesh posed hands to go with the figure.
Alright, on to the head-sculpt.
The D&K IDF sculpt is decent – good finishing – good lines. The paint effects are clean and not too heavy, and eyes are clearly rendered. The hairline is crisp without being blunt, and the skin tone pretty well matches the base body and the bare flesh hands that come with the set. As far as whether or not the head-sculpt seems IDF-like, at the risk of offending the very easily offended, I would say that it has an Israeli, or Jewish, or if you like, Semitic look. At the same time, you ought to take a trip through Google images ( with the search word IDF soldiers ), and you will see that Israeli’s come in many shapes and sizes ( so to speak ), and there are as many different looks as one could imagine. So it is all good.
To this end, I was once building up an IDF themed figure for my HDFL collection, and I e-mailed my Israeli friend Eitan Meyer to ask him what he thought would be a good direction for the sculpt using existing sixthscale sculpts as my pool from which to pick. Eitan is an accomplished military writer and a huge fan of sixthscale, and he is Israeli, so he was the right guy to ask. After many e-mailed images to and fro, we decided that one could pretty much take one’s pick – with a note from Eitan, to just make sure the guy had a HDGL UZI. I love Eitan, he is a good guy and a got to source for sixthscale stuff.
Note: for those who feel uncomfortable discussing this sort of thing, take a moment to consider that Semitic is not a racist or racially insensitive term. Despite the fact that one can be anti-Semitic, using the word Semitic, does not make one a racially insensitive creepazoid from Plant Super ........ Semitic, is like Dinaric, is like Nordic, is like Hispanic, etc, etc. And in fact, Semitic is derived from the Biblical Shem. And Shem was one of the sons of Noah in the Hebrew Bible. So there you go – we can all exit the safe-space and breathe a sigh of relief.
Uniform Elements:
Givati Beret
IDF Combat Shirt
IDF Combat Pants
IDF Combat Belt
Black Combat Boot
IDF Tactical Knee Pads
Givati Shoulder Tag
IDF Army Officer field ranks Segen
The uniform elements are all very good – clean and well-constructed – very little slop or loose threads. It had been noted on the board ( OSW ), that the look of the uniform ( as seen in early pics ), looked somewhat like TUS offerings of old. And while the material is a little on the heavy side for a tropical uniform, it is still not so heavy as to give the figure a “stiff - starched out” look. Bottom line, the uniform works well – and looks the part – especially with the trouser legs bloused up over the boots - which I will get to momentarily.
The technique that I most like to use when blousing trouser legs over boots is pretty basic and easy to replicate. Back in the olden days, I would Just stuff the trouser hem into the top of the boots – which were very typically molded and rubbery. Later on, I had to refine my technique as materials and figures began to improve, The figures got better – my techniques had to follow suit.
So I started using very small rubber bands or scotch tape to affix the bottom hem of the trouser leg to the figures leg ( about the height where the boot tops out, and where the blousing effect is to take place ). After applying the rubber bands or tape ( I used rubber bands this time out ), I then slip the boot back on and begin to work the trouser leg down over the top of the boot. The part that you banded or taped will stay in place while the rest of the trouser sort of drapes over the top of the boots. Works well, and looks legit.
One stand out piece ( or should I say pieces ), that I have already briefly touched on is /are the black combat boots. Some may have a question here – why not TAN combat boots? After all, the Armory Givati guy had tan boots - so why not this guy? I did my best to find pics of IDF Givati soldiers, and in my searches I found many examples of soldiers wearing black boots that were an almost spot on match to these. So I felt like that was another signal ( among many ), that the folks at D&K did their due diligence in research and development with the respect to this figure. Even the MD Combatant Vest looks to be spot on ( no easy task there ), but I will get into that in the next section.
So new paragraph to explain just why these boots are so dang cool…
First off is the fit – they fit on the figure so well and look so realistic that they could be shrink rayed ( if you know what I mean ). Secondly, is the lines and construction – the detail is almost perfect - from the metal eyelets, and real laces, to the tiny stitching and way that the leather uppers closely conform to the figure’s calves. They just look right – similar in many respects to boots I have worked with from New Line Miniatures. And luckily, as mentioned earlier in the base body and head-sculpt section, the boots can be popped off via the ball and socket ankle joints. This saves having to hassle trying to untie and un-cinch all of that lacing to remove the boot from the foot. Who knows how hard it would be to drag the boots off of the figure’s feet, and then place them back on. It is way easier to just pop the foot off with the boots still laced.
Lastly for the uniform elements, I want to mention the beret. It is not the first cloth beret out there, but it is certainly one of the best I’ve seen. The material of the beret is nice – very scale specific, and easy to pose. The inside of the beret is lined with a satin like material, and the edge is trimmed with a leather like material. There is also an internal draw cord running through the channel of the leather like trim, as well as to black metal grommets provided to act as ventilation details.
Tactical Gear:
IDF IIIA Helmet
Elastic Helmet Bands
Mitznefet (Headwear)
MD Combatant Vest
M24 7x28 Military Binoculars
IDF Tactical Shooting Glasses
Tadiran PRC-710MB Multi-Band Radio
H-189 Handset
IDF Source Hydration 3 Liter System
IDF First Aid Bandage
Okay, there are three major things I want to cover in the Tactical gear section.
First off, let us talk about the IDF IIIA Helmet. The helmet was a nice surprise for me –and despite one of the four attachments being so loose that it came undone ( easy fix with a dab of superglue), I was very impressed with the shape and fit of the helmet. But the coolest bit of detailing in my opinion is the liner – even though it came loose in one corner.
The detailing of the lining is intense – right down to the materials and the placement. There is even an unseen adjustment buckle that you would not even notice unless you peeled the lining out ( which I did ). I say “ peel out ”, as the lining is attached with more of that odd sticky glue that was basted all over the base body neck ball. Does one need to remove the lining? No – not unless one of the attachment points comes loose – then you may ( may ), have to peel the lining back to make enough temporary space to re-glue the webbing back onto the little black plastic pin that fits through the helmet and intersects with the lining straps. Sounds confusing, but once you have the helmet in hand and have looked it over you will get the gist of what I am trying to say.
Secondly, I want to talk about the MD Combatant Vest. Okay, so this thing is full of pouches, pouches, and more pouches… There are pouches inside of pouches, pouches connected to pouches, and did I mention there are pouches? I was sort of gob smacked over all of the little places that there were to place things on this vest. I would imagine that it is a good system – and that it is especially good for extended wear. There is even a pouch on the back of the vest which could conceivably be converted into a small day pack. This is the same pouch/pack into which you are to place the Tadiran PRC-710MB Multi-Band Radio ( and yes, there is a little radio pouch in there – amazing.
Stitching, finish, and quality wise, I would compare this vest to vests and plate carriers made by A.C.E. Workshop, MSE, and Playhouse Toys. This vest ( along with the IDF IIIA Helmet ), would be really sweet loose parts purchases for building up a custom IDF operator.
The third major item that I want to discuss is the IDF Source Hydration 3 Liter System. I was really stoked on this thing – I have one of my own, and I picked it for my own use based on how kick ass Source Hydration products are.
The 3-liter hydration bladder and drink tube that we get with this set, is spot on detail wise to the full-size version that I use – like SPOT ON. The other cool item included with the hydration bladder and drink tube, is a pouch cover with all sorts of ideograms, and Hebrew verbiage. A sort of “ this is how you use - and clean the hydration system “ guide in words and pictures. Too cool.
To wrap things up with respect to the Tactical gear section, I can tell you that the remainder of the stuff is all good quality and unique to this figure – with one exception – the M24 7x28 Military Binoculars.
Detail and quality wise, they are good – an almost exact copy of the M24 7x28 Military Binoculars that Playhouse Toys released with their VBSS SEAL figure. And that is a good thing. The problem I had with pair that came in the set I received for review, is that there was no strap included - which was not mentioned in the parts breakdown that D&K announced ( so no big whoop there )> the other issue is the fact that one of the mounting points was missing from the side of the binoculars. I tried to look for it in the box, but I never could find it. All in all it is a small foible, and may only be unique or singular, to the set that I received.
Weapon Elements:
IMI Tavor-21 Assault Rifle
5.56 x 30mm Magazine
MEPRO 21 Day / Night Illuminated Reflex Sight
MEPRO MX3 X3 Magnifying Scope
FAB Tactical LED Flashlight
FAB Quick Release Tactical Foregrip
Custom Gun Rail Cover
IMI Magazine Coupler
IDF Rifle Sling
Jericho 941 9x19mm Pistol
9x19mm Pistol Magazine
IDF Stun Grenade
IDF Tear Gas Grenade
First, a brief history of the Tavor ( from wikipedia ):
The Tavor is an Israeli bullpup assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition with a selective fire system, selecting between semi-automatic mode and full automatic fire mode.
It is produced by Israel Weapon Industries ( IWI ). It is produced in three main variants: the TAR-21; the CTAR-21; and the MTAR-21 (export designation X-95)[citation needed].
Built around a long-stroke piston system ( as found in the M1 Garand and AK-47 ), the Tavor is designed to maximize reliability, durability, and ease of maintenance, particularly under adverse or battlefield conditions.
In 2009, the MTAR-21 ( export designation X-95 ) was selected by the IDF to gradually replace the M16 rifle variants as the standard issued weapon of the Israeli infantry by the end of 2018. The first Tavor ( MTAR-21 variant ) rifles were issued to new recruits of a main IDF infantry brigades in 2013, replacing the M-16 rifles.
Okay, so to say that the sixthscale community has been pining for a decent Tavor, would be an understatement. The same can be said for the Jericho pistol ( which I will discuss shortly )…
But first, a brief history of the Jericho ( pistol )… ( from wikipedia ):
The Jericho 941 is a double-action/single-action semi-automatic pistol developed by Israel Military Industries ( now: Israel Weapon Industries ) that was launched in 1990.
It was first imported into the US in 1990 by K.B.I., Inc. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was later imported by O.F. Mossberg & Sons and named the Uzi Eagle and by Magnum Research, Inc. as the Baby Eagle until the end of 2008. Some pistols from Magnum Research are marked Desert Eagle Pistol. Despite these names being used in the US market, the Jericho 941 is not related to the IMI Desert Eagle other than its manufacture and design by IMI, and bears only a slight cosmetic resemblance to the larger pistol.
From January 2009 until they ceased business in January 2010, K.B.I., Inc. ( which also imported Charles Daly firearms ) imported the handgun as the Jericho. Magnum Research, now a division of Kahr Arms, announced a renewed importation of the Jericho.
In December 2014, IWI US, Inc. announced they would begin importing both the steel and polymer versions of the Jericho 941 in early 2015.
Okay, so there you have it – the lowdown on the Tavor, and the Jericho 941.
So how do they look? Freaking cool – how’s that for an answer? The quality of both ( and of the other hardlines in the set ), are on a par with other companies offerings – such as E&S, MSE, Soldier Sorry, Playhouse, and DamToy. The D&K Workshop Tavor has some very nice detailing – including a spring loaded charging handle, a pair of flip up iron sights, and a very nice detail – weapon manufacturer markings featured on the non-port/ ejection side of the weapon.
The accessories that come with the Tavor are also very nice – and joy of joys – they fit on the Tavor’s Picatinny rails with NO fuss or muss – in other words, I did not have to “ tune them in ” with my needle files – they fit right as rain straight out of the box. That is a great thing sixthscale weapon wise, as you almost always end up with a bit of the Goldilocks and the Three Bears scenario fit wise. With an optic’s fit being a tad bit too loose, a forward grip’s fit being a wee skosh too tight, etc. But this time we had the “ Just Right “ thing happening.
The only flub with the Tavor was that one of the little metal pinch rings that act as attachment points for the sling was MIA. I ended up looking throughout the box, and even inside of the foam cutouts, and I eventually found the missing ring in the very bottom of the box itself. At that point I used a pair of forceps to reattach it and everything was up to scratch.
As for the Jericho 941, it is a real gem - with great detail and a very cool overall look. I have to say that this is one of my all-time favorite handguns - even though I have never held or fired one. What can I say, I think the Jericho 941 just plain and simply looks freaking cool. Quality wise, I would rate it right up there with sixthscale handguns made by E&S, MSE, Soldier Sorry, Playhouse, and DamToy. I am guessing that when this figure gets parted out the Jericho will get gobbled up toots sweet.
Religious Items:
Tallit
Teffilin ( Phylacteries )
Kippah ( Yarmulke )
Book of Psalms
So this guy comes with a rather pleasant surprise – highly detailed religious items ( as they were referred to in the company’s loadout description ).
From looking at the company’s pre-order pics, I had expected the Kippah ( Yarmulke ), to be molded plastic – but alas, it was actual fabric – in the form of a sort of rolled up jute-like cordage. The overall look is really nice.
The same can be said for the Tallit, the Teffilin ( Phylacteries ), and the “ Book of Psalms ”. I place the Book of Psalms in quotes, as I cannot ascertain whether or not this is, in fact, a Book of Psalms ( in the pre-order pics, I had guessed it was probably a copy of the Tora ). What I can tell you is that each page is printed with Hebrew writing. So that in and of itself is impressive – especially since the verbiage ( or characters ), on each page seem to be different from the next. And both sides of the page are printed. Wow – such detail – very cool.
To do a better job of trying to explain some of the detail and history of the other items herein, I am now going to hit you with some more circumlocution culled from the internet’s best thing ever – wikipedia:
The tallit katan ( Yiddish/Ashkenazic Hebrew tallis koton; "small tallit" ) is a fringed garment traditionally worn either under or over one's clothing by Jewish males. It is a poncho-like garment with a hole for the head and special twined and knotted fringes known as tzitzit attached to its four corners.
What are Tefillin?
“You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. “
—Deuteronomy 6:8
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发表于 2016-8-22 20:21
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