Review and photos by Torvosaurus, edited by Suspsy
Howdy from wonderful, windy Wyoming! This will be my first review and warrants a Western welcome to introduce myself, as well as introducing the Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company’s models. I’ve seen them mentioned on the forum, but these models lack reviews. In the future, I’ll review some of the other HLBS models and other metal miniatures used for role-playing and skirmish games. Today I will be reviewing the Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company’s “Hadrosaur” figure.
This figure was sold as a “hadrosaur” and came with four heads to choose from: Corythosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Lambeosaurus or Saurolophus. I chose the Corythosaurus head. The model is approximately 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) long, which puts it in the 1/54 scale range. Honourable Lead Boiler Suit figures were originally designed for use with 25mm and/or 28mm figures. In respect to gaming, the scale works well, but the model is small compared to many dinosaurs offered by other companies. It does fit well with many smaller CollectA figures.
This figure is not for someone who relishes the detail of a scientifically accurate model. The Corythosaurus appears to be transferring to a four-legged stance from a run. The stance is awkward, with the body levelled vertically from the back legs forward, trying to stand on all four legs. The figure is narrow through the body and the back rises to create a fine edge at the crest.
The hindmost rear leg has a long, curved metatarsal, and the fore-most rear leg barely shows one. It appears these were made to allow the legs to attach to the base, but give the figure a disjointed appearance when examined closer. There are three toes on the back feet; the front four toes are elongated and have no clear toes/hooves. In reality, I could sit here all day and hack this piece apart, but I think the reader can see the piece and continue from where I left off. Although primitive, the head is reasonably well done, with clear hadrosaur features. The crest clearly marks it as a specific species of hadrosaur, in my case, Corythosaurus.
The model came unpainted and unassembled. It was easy to assemble, gluing the head in place and gluing the model to the base. My figure is a white metal model, sculpted circa the late 1980s – early 1990s. The Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company stopped making models for a time, but are again making figures. Not all original models are being produced. Today, the “hadrosaur” figure is sold with a single Parasaurolophus head and now has a resin body instead of metal. The buyer no longer has a choice of heads to choose from. This product is more of a “big boy” toy, for gaming purposes. It is not suitable for younger children who can bend and break the model, and who could be injured by its weight (maybe half a pound, or 226 mg for the white metal model) if dropped or thrown, as kids are known to do.
Overall, the model is poor by today’s standards, but when compared with other dinosaur models of the pre-internet era, it was a reasonably accurate representation (compare with the Carnegie Collection 1988 Parasaurolophus model, for example). It would be a great model for collectors who enjoy showing how dinosaurs have progressed over time, and of course is still good as a gaming piece for players who only want to “run from” and “shoot” big, dumb dinosaurs, without a single care about how they look.
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Thank you. I’ve tried to take good care of things. I dropped the Euoplocephalus a couple of weeks ago and broke a horn from its head, and that made me sick. These have been in and out of boxes over the last 30 years or so due to moving and kids needing rooms, but I think I finally have a room to keep the collection out for good.
I’m thinking of stripping some of these original figures and repainting them. My painting skills were not what they are today back then. It’s hard to go up from 1 or 2 inch figures where there is little in the way of details to going to something with more detail.
I’ve been dimly aware of HLBS game miniatures for a while, but it’s cool to see some in-hand photos of a painted-up one. Nice review!
Excellent first review! I never would have guessed that this figure is as old as it is, it’s fantastic for its time, and size. Looking forward to seeing more of these on the blog.
Thoroughally enjoyed your Blog.
These figures as they were and are,
are a testament too time in how original and Uniquely they are put out there for us to purchase and assemble.
Big Thanks