Re:Scale

----- Original Message -----
From: "The Pink Phantom" <thepinkphantom@yahoo.com>

> And finally, though I'm sure this is a repeat on this
> list-- 6mm, 15mm, 25mm, etc. is size relative to what
> when describing miniatures?  The size of a 'person'?
> The equivalent to a fixed length (1m maybe)?

The figure 'scales' of 6mm, 15mm etc. are the height of a figure
represent a
normal man.
That was the simple answer.

However, it is more complicated than that:
- Originally, up to at least the  late 1960's the scale was generally
understood to refer to the actual height of the figure/person: from
soles of
feet to top of head.
- This is somewhat difficult to measure if the figure is wearing a
helmet or
hat. So people started to redefine it as from  foot to eye-level,
without
changing the numbers. Effect: figures got taller.
- Many manufacturers produced over-scale figures: easier to get nice
details
and look more impressive. Wargamers liked them and bought them. This has
produced a steady drift in size. Nominal "15mm" are now routinely 18 mm
or
higher, "25 mm" grew to 28 or even 30 mm.
- The use of height to define figure size tempts producers to ignore
real
differences in height between people. A Gurkha figure might well be as
tall
as a Massai warrior.
- as the scale is ill-defined, any large items not directly related to
figures (vehicles, buildings etc.) tend to have a rather vague scale as
well.

IMO, the only proper way to define a scale is as a ratio ( 1 / 300, for
example)

BTW. I have noticed that British railroad modellers also use a "mm"
scale (4
mm, 10 mm etc.), which obviously has nothing to do with either figure
size
or rail gauge. Can anyone explain the rationale behind that one ?

Greetings
Karl Heinz