Variations: Man O' War

Here's an oldie from my carpet herd - Man O' War!

This guy has been with me since 1970 or 1971. 

He feels like an old friend.

Breyer made twelve models with molded on tack, Man O' War being one of them.

My first one is pretty unremarkable but since he's a carpet herd piece, he holds a place in my heart that most of the rest of my collection does not.

Sadly, he has developed mold spots, a phenomenon that happens to some Breyers. There is nothing that can be done to remove or stop them. (Maybe he is simply trying to be an Appaloosa since he knows that is my favorite breed.)

My second Man O' War is from my sister's carpet herd.

She gave me all her old Breyers years ago, and while I am not a big fan of this mold, I didn't want her models going to a thrift shop, either.

His blaze is off center and shaped a little differently than my piece.

(I will always think of this one as Leslie's even though I have had it longer than she ever did!)

My third Man O' War is an early version that I bought at a flea market back in the 1990s.

There are several things about him that make him special and collectible. Look at those battleship grey hooves!

And he has eye whites!

Very early Breyers got those.

My carpet herd guy, my sister's, and the one with eye white and special hooves.

I think that he may also be a chalky.

Look at the difference in how their manes look. His is thicker, which is how the manes on chalkies usually look due to the white basecoating.

I looked for other clues to his being a chalky. He does have the speckled paint that many of them have, so that was two indicators.

I found a third in two small paint chips on his tail. (He is in remarkably good shape with very few rubs. Whoever had him before me took very good care of him!)

When I scrolled in to look at the smaller one, I saw the sign that I was looking for.

See the edge at the top? That's the plastic underneath the white base coat. (The darkened photo shows the contrast better.) So essentially you are seeing three layers here: the original dark plastic, the white paint that covered it, and then the red color painted on as the horse's coat.

Three Man O' Wars, three keepers.