THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR PRODUCTS
- Each model is handmade and takes hundreds of hours of meticulous craftsmanship. Our models are built by specialized artisans. Some top of the range sailing vessels like the Sovereign of the Seas, the Vasa war ship, the Soleil Royal, the San Felìpe, the HMS Victory and others require hundreds of hours of handcrafted work.
- We use the only best wood to make our models. The various steaming treatments prevent deformation or breakage due to changes in climate.
- The colour of each model is identical to those of the original, in terms of the materials used.
MANUFACTURING OUR MODELS
All models are handmade to scale by skilled, expert craftsmen using original designs and drawings from our archives and borrowed from museums. The hull is carefully assembled from pieces of fine, dried wood. The keel is assembled with a special glue that prevents the wood from cracking and deforming, even under extreme weather conditions.
Several layers of wood are applied on the ship frame. Then small slats of wood are glued to the exterior of the finished keel.
These pictures show the different methods of assembling the hulls.
MATERIALS
We use some of the most exclusive wood available:
- Teak, rose wood and English sycamore – for keels
- Mahogany and acajou – for masts and bridges
- Redwood, yellow wood and Canadian maple – for decks and waterlines
- Ebony – for small components
Cannons, muskets, anchors and other small details are aged with a particular process to achieve a look that resembles the original. Linen and cotton fabrics are used to produce sails and ropes. Modern vessels are also produced in wood and painted with the original colours. We never use metal and plastic.
MODELS MADE TO MEASURE
We are able to reproduce any type of vessel to suit our clients’ requirements. All we need are drawings and photos of the model they require.
In the factory, each production department is subject to very strict quality control procedures, including the extreme care with which each individual model is packaged.
Each model is placed inside a protective wooden frame and secured. The frame is then packed inside a heavy cardboard box with polystyrene chips.