Introduction

This is another figure from the former Jakrei range which was originally made in white metal, but is now issued under the Wee Friends banner in resin. A “Spiv” was a term used to describe a flashily dressed petty criminal, often dealing in black market goods. Anyone familiar with the BBC TV Series “Dad’s Army” will see a marked similarity between this figure and Private Joe Walker.

The Kit

The figure comes in a blister pack with a colour photo insert of the painted figure. Inside, the figure is contained in a ziplock bag. The figure is depicted in a very casual pose leaning against something with his left leg crossed in front of his right, one hand in his pocket and the other raised to his mouth holding a cigarette lighter. He is dressed in a double breasted suit and wears a fedora hat. No instructions are provided, but for a figure with such a simple breakdown of parts none are needed.

Cast in a cream colored resin the detail on the figure is good. As I said the breakdown of parts is quite simple with the body complete with legs and left arm cast together, and the head with shirt collar attached and right arm being separate parts. A neat little attaché case for the Spiv’s “Samples” also comes with the figure.

Assembly

Separating the head from the resin plug was tricky as it is attached both at the brim of the hat and at the neck, and needs sharp tools and patience. There were a lot of air bubbles in the brim of the hat which will need filling. There are also two runners on the collar of the shirt which need to be removed. The head was a good fit to the body and the separate collar gives a nice undercut to bring out the detail when painting. The right arm was easy enough to separate from its resin plug and fitted perfectly to the shoulder. There was a large seam running down the right hand side of the figure across the crossed legs which will need careful clean up.

Conclusion

I like this figure and the change to resin is great as it makes it even more versatile. Now that we have some civilian cars coming out in 1/35 scale this type of figure will be very useful. Apart from a Spiv, he could be a resistance fighter, a policeman or an escaping POW. The detail, while good, could be sharper in places.

For another take on this figure see the original Jakrei offering in white metal Reviewed Here on Armorama by Henk Meerdink.