Today’s product review focuses on several new items from custom house BrickForge that we are classifying under a common theme of ‘soldiers gear’. Although we compare many of the items here to items used by military groups during World War II, they can have a wide variety of uses and purposes no matter what theme or subject area. The items under review today include the Backpack,Ammo Pouches, Canteen, Shovel, and Grease Gun.
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| BrickForge Soldier's Helmet (Sand Green) |
Another recent release which could easily fall under the ‘soldier’s gear’ category is the
BrickForge soldier helmet. This was reviewed recently with other military headgear which can be found
here.
It is our objective to provide everyone with enough information to decide which of these products are right for you.
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| BrickForge Backpack (Dark Tan) |
The
BrickForge backpack is not modeled or styled after any particular backpack or rucksack. This accessory has applications for your military minifigures, as well as for campers, adventurers, and mountain climbers.
The backpack is hollow on the inside allowing for storage of small accessories, but does not open. It attaches to the minifigure via the head post as shown.
The BrickForge backpack is unique in that it has two clips on each side allowing for additional accessories to be added. The picture here shows both the shovel and canteen attached; however, any accessory that can be held in a minifigure hand should be able to clip on.
The backpack sits higher on the minifigure’s back so it can be used with other BrickForge accessories like the
centaur bodies or to allow for ammo pouches to sit beneath. The top of the pack is also low enough to not only work with various military and soldier helmets, but also other LEGO head gear which come down to the back of the figure's neck. This is not possible with the
standard LEGO rucksack with bedroll.
The backpack comes in seven colors - Black, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan, Reddish Brown, Tan, and White.
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| BrickForge Ammo Pouches (Dark Tan) |
The
BrickForge ammo pouches are a new accessory with a lot of custom potential. The packs attach to the minifigure by a single torso post. They can be arranged to sit toward the front, side, or back. You can even place two going in different directions without any problems.
Ideally you would want to place one pouch on each side. When only one pouch is in place, there’s a gap on the opposite side between the hip and the torso.
When the ammo pouch is in the side position, it can obstruct full arm movement. The picture above shows how far the arm can go back in this case. The ammo pouches are sold individually and come in seven colors - Black, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan, Reddish Brown, Tan, and White.
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| BrickForge Canteen (Silver) |
The
BrickForge canteen is styled after a general type used by the US military. The canteen is one solid piece, with connection points on either side and on the cap. The canteen can attach to the backpack via the cap (as shown above). The canteen comes in five colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver.
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| BrickForge Shovel (Silver) |
The BrickForge shovel is modeled after portable military entrenching tools often carried by infantry soldiers. The piece itself, measures 2.5 cm in length with 1.3 cm of that being the handle. The handle is not long enough for the minifig to grip with two hands, only one. As with the canteen, the shovel can attach to the backpack via the handle (as shown above). The shovel comes in five colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver.
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| M3 sub-machine gun and BrickForge Grease Gun (Dark Blueish Gray) |
The
BrickForge grease gun is based on the M3 sub-machine gun used by US soldiers during World War II. The M3 was an automatic, air-cooled blowback-operated weapon that fired from an open bolt. The design of the M3 was initiated when the US Army noticed the effectiveness of sub-machine guns being used in Western Europe, such as the British Sten gun. The nickname ‘grease gun’ came from the weapon’s resemblance to the mechanics tool.
The BrickForge grease gun has two primary connection points - the handle of the gun and along the body. The gun measures 2.0 cm in length and 1.3 cm from top to bottom. The gun can only be held by a single hand. The grease gun comes in four colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, and Silver.
In summary, all of these parts are recommended buys. All of the parts we've covered had firm connections and solid ABS construction. These are great accessories to add additional details to your military style minifigures or other custom creations.
Additional Stats - BrickForge BackpackWebsite: www.brickforge.comLocation: United States
International Shipping: Yes (see store for
details)
Colors: Black, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan, Reddish Brown, Tan, and White
Retail Price: $1.50 USD
Additional Stats - BrickForge Ammo PouchColors: Black (sold out), Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan (sold out), Reddish Brown, Tan, and White
Retail Price: $0.75 USD
Additional Stats - BrickForge CanteenColors: Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver
Retail Price: $1.00 USD
Additional Stats - BrickForge ShovelColors: Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver
Retail Price: $1.00 USD
Additional Stats - BrickForge Grease GunColors: Black (sold out), Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, and Silver
Retail Price: $1.00 USD
Reference photos and historical information provided by Wikipedia.
