SQUADRON! In lieu of a live stream this week I thought this would be a perfect time to tantalise you with some truly exclusive previews. Not just the reveal of the physical patch but a little bit about the process involved too!
I’ll keep it brief because I am a chap who enjoys consuming information through pictorial means and I’d prefer to follow that example in my own interactions. So without further ado!
Phase One!
The artwork you would have seen produced over a live stream is sent to a place that we will ominously call, THE FACTORY.
THE FACTORY receive the artwork gracefully and produce a model picture which in essence simplifies the lines. My lines are oftentimes too detailed for the size I request the result to be and so THE FACTORY do a really swell job of compressing those lines. Really swell.
They send me the first model picture and I swiftly decide it’s not puffy enough and I would like it to be 20% puffier in selected areas. They puff those areas and I am happy. Good job THE FACTORY. Onto the next phase.
Phase Two!
Once THE FACTORY have received my email telling them they’ve done a swell job and everything is hunky dory, it takes just over a week for them to carve the model out of a plate of metal. Some of this is carved by robot hands and then finishing touches are made with human hands. Robots need respectful acknowledgement so either way I like to think it’s hand carved.
Pantone coloured plastics are applied to the mould and then it goes through a process likely involving a lot of heat and dark magic. Revealing the first model. THE FACTORY usually get the colouring pretty spot on and Caedes has been no exception. The fur colour looks a lot richer and friendlier than the original artwork which can seem a little too muddy when translated to the Pantone versions. THE FACTORY know this and have selected the colours accordingly.
However the jacket greens really didn’t end up with the best selection. Luckily TinyHats come to the rescue with their military greens making the perfect example.
Phase Three! The Final Phase.
THE FACTORY make the requested colour changes swiftly and send over another model. When I open up the file it always feels like opening up a present and I am personally so happy with the result. The captain of the TinyHats stands by for comparison (And to shout at Caedes apparently… He’ll be going in the thinking box to think about what he’s done very soon I imagine).
And so, very pleased with the results I give the not to THE FACTORY to go ahead with the run. The stickers are already in the post so it’s now just the backing card to be printed and then a day of sitting and sticking and packing, which I always look forward to. And that’s not written with any sarcasm, I genuinely love sitting and constructing these packages haha.
Final Thoughts…
This is the first time I have ever shared this process with anyone and I can’t imagine anyone better to do so with than you awesome people. To look at these patches so closely when they are produced at such a small size it can be very easy to spot some places where there are imperfections and something I’ve learnt over time is that this can be quite a trap to fall into. And an expensive one at that.
Things like the lower bullet in the wheel gun or the way the knife reflections seem a bit disjointed. the coloured citations aren’t exactly even and the medal ribbon isn’t perfectly symmetrical. Each of these issues appear to melt away when the patch is held at arms length, which I believe is the how they are mostly viewed, and are the result of limitations within the process that can’t always be known ahead of time or fixed without ramping up the overhead cost of the patch. But personally I feel that at 3″ these small imperfections are easily overlooked if not a result of my own personal overthinking scrutiny, especially once it’s sat nestled among its patch buddies on a wall.
I am excited for this patch to arrive so I can package it up and ship it out to all the new owners. My hope with this patch is to make it the most affordable one in the line of Tactical Teddies patches to date. As Squadron Elite members you will have 24hr prerelease access and the Squadron stores discounted rate. More information on that soon.
Have an awesome weekend! I am off for a short break, back late next week so I will aim to get a live sorted over the following weekend if not during the week, I want to get Prince’s body sorted!
HIWEZ OUT!