SHIP MODELING: WHICH MODEL COMPANIES ARE STILL ACTIVE? WORLD OVERVIEW, CHARACTERISTICS AND PECULIARITIES.


Following the news of Dumas' closure and the loss of its wealth of experience and knowledge (because no one will take over the company and continue the production line), I wanted to provide a summary of the situation of ship modeling companies (both static and dynamic RC) around the world.

I'd like anyone interested to comment on the specifics of the company they know from direct experience, or to add those I've omitted.

I've organized them by country, not in order of importance, but in alphabetical order.

The first list (it's just a bare list without any indications) is from A to Z and then in reverse order for "equal opportunity."
The second list includes a commentary on the characteristics and specifics of a country's modeling industry, followed by a commentary on the characteristics and specifics of that country's individual modeling companies.
Where I didn't know the company directly, I gathered information from online research.

It's interesting to note how many companies integrate what others don't produce. Overall, there is a very large (if not complete) representation of the major ships of all eras.

It's also interesting to note how there are differences in construction procedures and materials; in short, there's something for everyone.

Unfortunately, I believe not all of them are easily accessible from anywhere in the world. In addition to the companies themselves, large shops and distributors are also very important.

I checked (when I wasn't directly familiar with the products) that the comments posted online were consistent with what's offered in each company's catalog. If there are any errors or omissions, please correct me in your comments.

In each company's profile, I've specified whether they specialize in static or dynamic modeling.
I've specified the scales in which they produce their kits.
I've specified whether they also sell accessories and materials for nautical modeling.

The information, as mentioned, is taken from the internet (the companies' websites, their catalogs, other forums, etc., etc.).

Anyone who finds this topic useful and interesting can:

1. Check, based on their own personal experience, whether the information written about a specific company they know is accurate and, if necessary, point out inconsistencies.

2. Add comments or details about a specific company you know well, if this information has been omitted due to lack of information.

3. Add any other companies I have omitted, specifying their characteristics and peculiarities. If the company does not have a direct destruction line, please indicate their distribution centers, including online ones, if known.

After this research, I discovered many things I didn't know; some really surprised me. I hope this work of gathering and evaluating the information available online will be appreciated by some of you.

I already knew some things, but I discovered many more during this extensive research, such as some of the companies' peculiarities, some of their specialties, and some of their flaws.

I discovered that some only make upgrade parts and not entire kits, but they are leaders in this sector.

I discovered that some companies produce models in very small scales for building entire fleets.

I discovered that some companies were about to close their doors and were instead absorbed by others.

I discovered that many companies opened just a few years ago.

I considered some to be ship modeling companies, although according to a more restrictive criterion, they should not be included in this list. I am referring, for example, to the English companies "Premier Ship Models" and "Cornwall Model Boats" (you'll understand why when you go into more detail).

From what I've seen, there is no summary document of this kind, which, in my opinion, could be useful to everyone.

With your contributions, I can create an (updatable) document to be placed in the Wiki section, accessible to everyone.