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Steve_O

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Jun 30, 2026
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Being new to the ship building world, i would like to hear from you experienced fella's which brands of wooden ships you feel are best.
I am sure i am not familiar with all of the kit manufacturers by any means. I am currently building an Occre HMS Beagle and so far, the kit quality seems very good. I am already studying which one i would like to build next but certainly need to stay away from inferior quality. Thank you!
 
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I have completed five model kits since I started this hobby in 1976, most of them all displayed on this web site as "Completed Model" in the post name. My favorite manufactuer right now is OcCre, located in Spain. The kits are of supurb quality with plenty of laser cut or laser marked parts that are easy to cut out of the stock included. Plenty of planking and wood included of various sizes and types. The metal parts are of good quality, unpainted but I have read that some hobbyists complain that the included guns are a bit out of scale, but I am not complaining. The included English instuctions include a color booklet with pictures of each step needed to complete the model. This is unusual for foreign manufacturers to as all other kit instruction are in Italian with English, German and French instructions printed on the plan sheets. My current build, also posted here is the OcCre Montanes. I also own the OcCre kits Albatross, Nuestra Senora del Pilar waiting in the wings to be started. When I first received the Montanes in 2010 I found that there were a few missing parts. I contacted OcCre Customer Service and informed them of the missing parts, using Google translate from my English to Spanish and they air freighted them to me in about four to six days, plus asked if I would like a wood burned name plate as an apology for the missing parts. Below is the name plate that they sent, and the services went above and beyond. I received all of the miising parts with extra's just in case.

Montanes_Name Plate 003.JPG

My next favorite manufacturer is Corel, excellent kits with well done metal parts, unpainted, and fairly exact laser cut or laser marked parts. Again like most Italian kits there are build instructions in Italian, English, German and French on the plan sheets. The Wapen von Hamburg, (awaiting attention), also included two booklets; one totally in Italian with many pictures and illustrations in Italian included and a Second booklet with English, French and German instructions but you have to refer to the illustrations in the Italian manual. My Corel Half Moon completed model is listed on this web sited also.

My third favorite manufacturer is Mamoli / Dusek, but all of my Mamoli kits listed in my signature were bought from 2004 to 2010 when Mamoli was just plain Mamoli. I have the completed models of Mamoli Yacht Mary, and Golden Hind, which included inlaid colored planks unique to the Golden HInd.

Then Mantua Santa Maria, (my very first model completed posted here but did not keep track of the construction), Constructo, Artisania Latina, of which my second model was of the Scotish Maid. I have no build log for that one though. My least favorite manufacturer as you must compare all plan sheets to each other to get the full construction, however there are the usual Italian, English, French and German instructons on those plan sheets.

Finally Euromodel Como, the most expensive I had ever purchased back in 2010, created for Expert / Professional modelers with plan sheets so exact that you could scratch build this model, but it doesn't include some parts in the kit and there are actual two important parts that the modeler has to scratch build. I have a starting build on this website, check it out but I won't be updating that build for some time. More details in that post if you want to look / read it.
 
Steve_O said:
Being new to the ship building world, i would like to hear from you experienced fella's which brands of wooden ships you feel are best.
I am sure i am not familiar with all of the kit manufacturers by any means. I am currently building an Occre HMS Beagle and so far, the kit quality seems very good. I am already studying which one i would like to build next but certainly need to stay away from inferior quality. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Very briefly my experience so far with various manufacturers.
OcCre very clear instructions. Not keen on sapele second planking. Sails (usually included) have primitive hems. Rigging cord OK
Corel Instruction sheets not always clear or accurate. Materials excellent. Walnut second planking. Sails (extra) nicely hemmed. Rigging cord good
Artesania Latina. Instructions on CD and reasonably clear. Materials good. single planking is a plus. Sail hems not brilliant. Cord OK
Mantua As Corel comments
Amati Instructions OK. Good materials, Walnut planking. Nice cord and neatly hemmed sails.
Master Korabel. Poor quality materials. most parts pre-cut and flimsy. One plus: hull planks are pre-cut spiled.
Vanguard Models. Good instructions. But so extensively pre-cut and requiring paint that it might as well be plastic. Keel and bulkhead MDF
All the above come with generic, clunky, cuboid rigging blocks.
I would commend any of the first five on the above list with OcCre possibly as a favourite.
 
Since you’re new to the model shipbuilding world, PLEASE go to the Nautical Research Guild’s website; thenrg.org In the subheading “Resources” you will find a pair of articles “Models that should be built” and “Models that should not be built.” These were written by Howard Chapelle, a giant in the field of maritime history research.

The kit manufacturers discussed above are what we might call “mass market” suppliers in that they offer, subjects with popular appeal. I note that nobody above discusses whether their offerings actually build historically accurate models. By reading Chapelle’s articles you will learn that some popular subjects, eg. Santa Maria, Mayflower, are based on little or no historical foundation, while they be fun to build.

There are also some American suppliers not mentioned above. Model Expo offers a popular Three Boat beginner kit series and Bluejacket is updating old favorites and offering new subjects. Bluejackets offerings in particular seem to be historically accurate.

Roger
 
Hi Steve

It depends on what YOU want.

And another opinion. If you want a model that looks like a real ship there are much better choices. Examples of why I have this opinion:

Their cannon and cannon carriages rarely look like the cannon of the era of the ship. With 3D printing being cheap by comparison, cost is no longer a reason for having such a limited number of patterns
The planking methods they give do not remotely look like a real ship.
The belaying pins look more like bowling pins,
The gratings, grating coamings, and head ledges look nothing like a real ship.
The blocks they supply are awful
The rope they supply looks more like string than rope
Oversized metal work such as pintles and gudgeons on the rudder
Incorrect ship’s boat types and sizes and poor quality overall
Sails that look like burlap bag material
And the list goes on.

Look at as many build logs as you can and you will see the differences between a high quality kit and the poor quality ships that the old school kit makers continue to put out. As you are a beginner it may be best to start with a high quality beginner kit like one or more of the three boat series designed by David Antscherl available from Model Expo. Also take some time to look at contemporary models such as those on the Royal Museum Greenwich Collections website to see the differences of a real ship and a pretend ship. You do not have to be a master builder to create a great model, but you do need to start with a high quality kit.

Whatever you decide on, please start a build log, and if you want to learn, ask for advice.

Allan
 
A model of a simple boat, well executed can be a work of art. See for example some of the better executed dory models here on SOS. An elaborate poorly built Seventeenth century warship model with all of the inaccuracies that Allan points out above plus the garish glued on cast metal kit provided decorations will never be more than a cartoon of the real thing.

Roger
 
Roger Pellett said:
A model of a simple boat, well executed can be a work of art. See for example some of the better executed dory models here on SOS. An elaborate poorly built Seventeenth century warship model with all of the inaccuracies that Allan points out above plus the garish glued on cast metal kit provided decorations will never be more than a cartoon of the real thing.

Roger
Click to expand...

Roger, I totally agree with you, somehow, BUT !! (always a But :-) ) not all modelers want to build a perfect or almost perfect replicate of the original ( a cartoon ? )OR they don't care if it is a "Fantasy Ship" (as someone - will not mention name- posted on my Statenjacht PEGASUS built) , if it is a model the modeler like.

BTW .... I am one of those modelers !!!! :-)

I will not comment more on this topic because I am sure there are hundreds of opinion.
AllanKP69 said:
Hi Steve

It depends on what YOU want.

And another opinion. If you want a model that looks like a real ship there are much better choices. Examples of why I have this opinion:

Their cannon and cannon carriages rarely look like the cannon of the era of the ship. With 3D printing being cheap by comparison, cost is no longer a reason for having such a limited number of patterns
The planking methods they give do not remotely look like a real ship.
The belaying pins look more like bowling pins,
The gratings, grating coamings, and head ledges look nothing like a real ship.
The blocks they supply are awful
The rope they supply looks more like string than rope
Oversized metal work such as pintles and gudgeons on the rudder
Incorrect ship’s boat types and sizes and poor quality overall
Sails that look like burlap bag material
And the list goes on.

Look at as many build logs as you can and you will see the differences between a high quality kit and the poor quality ships that the old school kit makers continue to put out. As you are a beginner it may be best to start with a high quality beginner kit like one or more of the three boat series designed by David Antscherl available from Model Expo. Also take some time to look at contemporary models such as those on the Royal Museum Greenwich Collections website to see the differences of a real ship and a pretend ship. You do not have to be a master builder to create a great model, but you do need to start with a high quality kit.

Whatever you decide on, please start a build log, and if you want to learn, ask for advice.

Allan
Click to expand...

Excellent recommendation Allan !!! . 100% directly to the point.

Cheers
Daniel
 
Short John Bronze said:
Your choices also depend on how many visitors /family members you have with a detailed knowledge of historical ships and a tendency to criticise.
Click to expand...
Now that was funny and to the point, well said.

Our egos sometimes have us forget that a critique is a positive thing as it is meant to create improvements.

Allan
 
instead of going kit builds... get a set of plans for something simple and try scratch building? this way you can get some experiance reading plans, get familiar with materials n tools, and turning it into a model.
 
Being new to the ship building world, i would like to hear from you experienced fella's which brands of wooden ships you feel are best.

i do not think there are "best" in kits because it depends so much on the builder and what you willing to spend and what you want to achieve. I have seen cheap kits built to very high standards by experienced builders and expensive kits mucked up by inexperience.
Question is in the long run do you want to learn the art of model ship building or just enjoy a hobby of building kits?
Over the last 40 some years the basic construction of 95% of all ship kits are built the same. The hobby of ship model kits is a genre of its own and has little to do with scale ship modeling, the methods and techniques are very different.
i suggest picking a kit subject that interest you and just go with it.

Vanguard Models. Good instructions. But so extensively pre-cut and requiring paint that it might as well be plastic.

a prime example of just putting parts together or learning a craft

so i cannot recommend a kit or kit maker because i do not know what your end game is, your goal, or your skill level or if a cartoon style model is fine with you or not. Pick a kit any kit and we here on SoS will do our best to help you along.
 
paul ron said:
instead of going kit builds... get a set of plans for something simple and try scratch building? this way you can get some experiance reading plans, get familiar with materials n tools, and turning it into a model.
Click to expand...

if a kit has poor quality fittings. blocks or wood you can kit bash it by replacing the trash with treasure either handmade or after-market parts. don't worry about instructions that is what Ships of Scale is for post it, ask questions, show us pictures and you on your way
 
Short John Bronze said:
Your choices also depend on how many visitors /family members you have with a detailed knowledge of historical ships and a tendency to criticise.
Click to expand...
Don't those folks become former family members?!?

Steve, I would concentrate first on doing some of the smaller PWC boats, like what was recommended by several. I entered this hobby because my son bought me the Bluenose kit as a gift when I had ZERO shipbuilding experience. I quickly learned that the skill level needed was way over my head. I did two of the Model Expo PWC boats to give me some experience and another larger ship before I felt confident enough to tackle the Bluenose. And now, after completing five ships, I am working on the Constitution. By the time you do a few smaller boats, you will know yourself what ships (and what "brands") you'll want to build.

And, Paul, for what it's worth, THIS is just a cartoon...
superman_cartoon.jpg

Of the real thing...
superman-christopher-reeve.jpg

ROTF ROTF
 
GGibson said:
Don't those folks become former family members?!?

Steve, I would concentrate first on doing some of the smaller PWC boats, like what was recommended by several. I entered this hobby because my son bought me the Bluenose kit as a gift when I had ZERO shipbuilding experience. I quickly learned that the skill level needed was way over my head. I did two of the Model Expo PWC boats to give me some experience and another larger ship before I felt confident enough to tackle the Bluenose. And now, after completing five ships, I am working on the Constitution. By the time you do a few smaller boats, you will know yourself what ships (and what "brands") you'll want to build.

And, Paul, for what it's worth, THIS is just a cartoon...
View attachment 629887

Of the real thing...
View attachment 629885

ROTF ROTF
Click to expand...
Sorry to disagree here is the real Superman!

1787689766280.png

:);)

Rob
 
Steve,
I think the question of which manufacturers are good is so subjective as to be almost unanswerable. I don't know if the reverse question - which manufacturers to avoid - would be any easier to answer. Occre, Vanguard, and the others all have their supporters and detractors. Not to mention the whole scratch vs. kit issue. As Allan said, it depends on what you are looking for. I enjoy building kits because I like following instructions and building things - the same reasons I enjoy building Lego sets, something I expect most scratch builders would not like. Kits also give me all (or at least most) of the wooden parts I need (I currently have neither the tools nor the drafting skills to create my own from plans). I am new at this hobby (approaching one year, and am working on my 4th build (the Model Shipways Harriet Lane) after building the Model Shipways 3 ship starter kit. Model Shipways kits have their challenges, but I would recommend them to anyone interested in starting out in this hobby. Clear instructions, good customer service, clean laser cutting (although quality control is not always consistent).
I have Occre, Vanguard, Artesinia Latina, Mamoli and Caldercraft kits in my stash, as well as more Model Shipways, and I look forward to trying all of them.

If you are enjoying your Occre Beagle build, you probably won't go wrong buying another Occre kit. One thing to think about is buying used kits on Ebay. I have gotten several good deals there on brands I might not otherwise try. Model Expo is also always running sales. They stock several of the major manufacturers mentioned above.

At least that's my two cents.
Tom
 
Thank you all very much for your posts, very interesting and informative!
Time will tell where this hobby goes for me, i am an old school scale rc builder and flyer, i am enjoying this hobby that i have thought a lot about over the years but never allowed myself the time to try it.
 
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