In the past 6 months or so I’ve been using tufts on my bases and have been very happy with the results. A number of folks on this forum have contacted asking where I got them and what brand they are. I’ve recently become aware of some interesting information about basing tufts that I thought I would pass along in a general post as opposed to trying to track down each individual who had contacted me in the past.
For those that don’t know what I’m talking about here is a picture…they are the long clumps of grass on this base:
Here is the low down…I’ve been doing my bases with the Army Painter tufts…and have been really happy with the results…but the packs are quite small and I’ve been tearing through them pretty fast. So I was doing some research on this product and have come to find out that AP buys these tufts from the manufacturer Silflor…and repackages them and doubles the price…:mad Also Silflor offers them in much bigger packs (like 8x as big!) at an even better savings.
So if you are looking for tufts I highly recommend that you bypass the AP tufts and go straight to the source for the best deal. Silflor is the company that makes the tufts and they can be found on a couple of websites and at some hobby stores…particularly those that cater to mini RR builders.
I’ve just ordered a couple of the big packs and hope to have them in hand in the next week…I’ll post some comparison pictures with the AP pack when they arrive.
...So I was doing some research on this product and have come to find out that AP buys these tufts from the manufacturer Silflor...and repackages them and doubles the price...:mad Also Silflor offers them in much bigger packs (like 8x as big!) at an even better savings.
...
Blue
I don’t think the Silflor packages are 8 times as big or as much tufts, more like twice as much. Still, it does pay to go with SIlflor if you can, but if you’re in North America, I think Army Painter is easier to get.
Wow! I just got my first pack of army painter tufts… and yeah, I was surprised by how little there was… then again… I haven’t touched it since I received it… but eh… soon soon… awesome tidbit though! Thanks Blue!
I don't think the Silflor packages are 8 times as big or as much tufts, more like twice as much. Still, it does pay to go with Silflor if you can, but if you're in North America, I think Army Painter is easier to get.
GRNDL
Well I should have been more clear...the big packs are at least 8x the size...the smaller close to 2x the size. I'll try to get pictures of the big pack up tonight...mine should be arriving but here are the numbers:
Army Painter Tufts: 4.5cm x 15cm=68 square cm cost:about $6
Small Silflor Tuft Pack: 3.8 X 15cm=114 square cm cost: $5.99
Large Silflor Pack: 30 x 22=660 square cm cost: $24.99
So the savings is quite significant. Yes AP ones are easier to find but if your going to do a whole army with these things its well worth the hassle of ordering them online.
Small Silflor Tuft Pack: 3.8 X 15cm=114 square cm cost: $5.99
GRNDL
Hmm! think you need a new calculator :P but if it's 8.3cm double is more like it.
Did you go for the 4mm or 6mm ones. I think the 6mm from AP can be a bit to big for dwarfs - and are thinking about ordering the 4mm ones. What colour did you order? Maybe a mix of colours?
Looking forward seeing what you've got.
And quite off topic - if you want to add even more realism to you base - I'll recommend these leaves:
Small Silflor Tuft Pack: 3.8 X 15cm=114 square cm cost: $5.99
GRNDL
Hmm! think you need a new calculator :P but if it's 8.3cm double is more like it.
clam
HAHA...you know though its actually the second number that is wrong..its 3.8cmx30cm=114squarecm
As far as size goes...I agree that the 6mm can seem a bit long on a dwarf base...So I was pleasantly surprised when I received my package from Scenic Express and found that the large packs contain two sheets...one of the 6mm tufts and one of the 4mm...a really nice mix. Here is a pic:
You can see the two sheets from the big box...the 4mm (top) and 6mm...to the right is the AP sheet (mostly used). This gives you an idea of the difference in size...the big box is a LOT of tufts for 25$. I see the 4mm as being much more useful to be honest...not only are they shorter but a larger % of them are an appropriate size for use on smallish bases.
As far as colors go....man this is where it gets really confusing because different names are used in Europe than they are here in the states. The 2 colors of Army Painter tufts I used were the "Swamp Tuft" and "Highland Tuft". In the US the Silflor Equivalents from Scenic Express are:
Swamp Tuft=Late Summer Buffalo Grass (shown in the pic above)
Highland Tuft=Autumn Tone Buffalo Grass
In Europe from Antenocitis Workshop I believe it would be
Swamp tuft=two-colour Early Autumn
Highland tuft=two-colour Late Autumn
Very confusing...:~
Anyway I hope that clears things up a bit...I'm really happy with the big pack and it will the last one I need to by for a long time.
Clam...thanks for leaf recommendation...I'll have to check those out.
Thanks for those links. I,ve got a WIP that needs this sort of grass. Below is a link to an australian supplier of the silflor tufts (but I haven,t personaly dealt with them yet) http://www.irresistibleforce.com.au/
