1:72 French Kepi

A French kepi 1:72

A small accessory for figures in 1:72 scale, not a figure on its own and not a kit of a model. The set captures the French kepi, that is a low cap with a flat round crown and a short peak. It serves for replacing the headgear on figures that the manufacturer supplies in a helmet or in field dress, while the scene needs them in a cap.

The real subject

The kepi is one of the most recognizable pieces of French headgear. Characteristic of it are the flat round crown set above a lower band, the short peak over the eyes and a distinct welt around the circumference. It was worn in training, in the rear and on ceremonial occasions, that is where soldiers were not in helmets, and in later decades it remained part of the dress of selected units. For exactly that reason it also suits dioramas outside a combat scene, for example scenes from barracks, from a parade or from a rear area.

Fitting, cleaning up and painting

If the figure carries headgear of its own, cut it away with a scalpel and level the crown of the head with a file, so that the kepi seats with no gap. Try the part dry, watch the angle of the peak and how deep the cap sits on the head, because the set of a kepi markedly changes the expression of a figure. It is glued with super glue, and you will even the seam around it out with a thin strip of two-part filler. Spray the whole with a base coat before painting. With a kepi a clean transition between the crown, the band and the peak decides: apply thin layers, suggest the welt around the circumference with a thin line and a fine brush, and draw a dark wash in under the peak.

Who the set is for

• builders of dioramas with French figures in 1:72
• modelers who build scenes from barracks, a parade and a rear area
• conversions of figures from a helmet to a cap
• more experienced modelers working with very small parts

The accessory is supplied unpainted. Glue, paints and the figure itself are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.