Pontosmodel 1/200 Bismarck Detail Up Set

[**Mac**]

I recently bought the Tetra set for the 1/200 USS hornet.. very nice set. hopefully they start to produce more ship sets as well. I'll be getting the MK1 set for the Hornet from Free time and pulling the best parts from both sets

[eyeno0]

I like the Pontos sets very much, but unfortunately my patience has come to an end with the Bismarck Advanced Set, too much talk and promises of just around the corner. Life's too short!!

[alang]

Interestingly a very dear friend asked if l would be prepared to make up a 1/200 Bismarck for him but with the Mk1 (KA models) detail sets. I found the Mk1 to be much better and more accurate (especially with regard to the deck handrails) than the Pontos set. The big plus for all Pontos sets is the large and downloadable instructions sheets.....................now if somebody else started doing this sort of thing as well.....................Flyhawk and/or MK1 are you watching/listening?. If this could be done then l for one believe that Pontos would be blown clean out of the market.

[Dennis The Modeler]

I already have a Pontos kit for my 1/350 Yamato. What I really need is one for my 1/200 Bismark and I was really hoping that Pontos would fill the bill but that is looking less and less as time goes on.

[Tobori]

Pontos don't seem to give a damn about its customers - just look at the number of unanswered questions on this site now - not just this Bismarck.
After the way we were all treated over the lacklustre instructions for the original Bismarck detail set (in effect we rewrote the entire set for them and they done there level best to just ignore them and hope it would go away) Granted in the end they did take up the offer of using the rewritten instruction sheets but it was done very bregrundingly with hardly a thank you to all those involved and was only done after a lot of complaints and pushing on this site.
After that saga l made the decision not to touch Pontos products again no matter what quality they were and seven of my colleagues have made that choice as well - we have all now stated that we find Flyhawk sets to be improving on each release (not that they were bad in the first place) - keep up the good work Flyhawk. Look at there range and it is growing fast as well.

Alan

Hi Alan,

I have not used flyhawk PE but I do have the Pontos and MK1 (KA Models) PE sets for my Yamato, I am finding myself using the MK1 kit more, in fact I would go as far to say that in my limited experience it is a much better kit than the Pontos one. Just my two cents

I have purchased several MK1 sets and they are awesome. Unfortunately they also suffer from lack of documentation. MANY parts aren't mentioned in their drawings like Pontos. But the quality and quantity is great. These companies have to invest a little time in docs!

[**Mac**]

FYI,

New Bismarck set is up on the Pontos website!!

[Channell]

Wow! looks like it was worth the wait!

[**Mac**]

Mr Kim,

Will the advanced set come with the correction PE fret from the first set?

thanks

Mac

[kawubke]

the only thing i need now is an order button...

Wow! looks like it was worth the wait!

absolutly

Regards from Germany
Thomas

[Riecan]

It looks better than expected. Nice work Kim

[Pontosmodel]

Hi All,

I am sorry for letting you wait over one year for this small set.
For Last 14 months after releasing Basic set, we have collected many advices, askings, comments, feedbacks, compliments, moans and wiggings from many customers.
Especially the last asking for full decorations for the structure walls have made us spending 3weeks more.
We have tried to realize almost your askings so hope you are happy with this set though some customers have given up already...

The first set is 21001F1 1/200 Bismarck 1941 Advanced Add-on set.


For more details http://pontosmodel.com/html/21001f1.html

For all customers whohave 22001F1/23001F1 or 22001F2/23001F2 (ver.2) Basic sets or for other user who have not these Basic sets Can add this set for their works.

As you know there have been some correction parts and manuals.
This 21001F1 Add-on set has these correction parts and reprinted corrected fulll manal instruction sheets(4 papers 8pages).
So all users who have Basic set(Ver1 or Ver2.) can just add this set for their works.

And this Advanced Add-on set has 2papers 4pages addtional instruction manuals.
So totally 6papaers 12pages manuals are included in this 21001F1 set.

Main additional contents are:

3 polished Brass screws
5 cutters with Resin cast
Two types rail stantions for 0.2xmm wire users
Vent Louvres for almost flat vents
Funnel Pipes with 47 Brass pipes
8 Brass Paravanes and 4 Paravan Booms.
4 Arado Carts
Arado Rails on the hangers
Catapult catwlks
4 Sd.Ah.51 Trailers
Small bits missed at the Basic sets
Waterways for the outer of main deck
Triple layer doors for Starlight windows on the deck
Some triangle aereal Spreaders for rigging between mast to mast etc.
Fire hose reels
Almost Doors
Phone Booth
And fully detailed for the Structure walls including electric wires, vent doors etc.

And so on...

Shipping to our dealers from 23rd July just after when manual instructions are come in from Printer.
So I estimate they can ship from next week to you.
Please contact to your local shop or dealers.

It was too long time for this happy day.

And 27001F1 1/200 Bismrck 1941 detail set "Advanced" incdluding all the contents also will be shipped from same time with 21001F1.


Thank you
Keumho Kim

[Dennis The Modeler]

Thanks for this, it looks like it was well worth the wait. I for one did wait for it however I am having another issue. I have a pending order at Squadron for the version 2 basic set for several weeks and they say that they have not been able to get them. Is there any issue you know of or reason why the version 2 basic set is not being shipped? I would look elsewhere except Squadron is close to where I live so I can pick it up and save shipping costs and time. Thanks!

-Dennis

[eyeno0]

Well I'm afraid I'm going to have to 'eat humble pie' on this and reverse my earlier decision.
This looks fantastic and I shall be one of the first in the queue to place my order.

[tifosi]

Kim,

Would you please read and reply my PM (personal message) or emails I sent to you on 7th May regarding of missing parts for all my 3 Pontos sets that you promised to send to me since February? My email/information is in the PM.

Thanks,

As I replied at email.
I've shipped yours at late March with other customers addresses.
I remember youraddress because your addless is longest one so I printed not writing.
Can you wait some more days?

Thank you
Keumho Kim

Kim,
Since your Bismarck project is done. Is it about time to send missing part to your customer who had been waiting for 5 months now?


To those who might interesting,
I had ordered 3 Pontos update sets early this years. All of them had issues of some sort. Missing parts, in-completed etched fret, badly deformed resin part, broken parts due to insufficient packing. This is what happened.

Dec'13-Jan'14 - I ordered Price of Wales and Yamato set. Both have missing parts and defects.

Early Feb'14 - I sent email to Pontos request for missing part. Kim response to my email within a few hours and promised to sent me the missing part.

Late Feb'14 - Nothing in the mail.... I was stupid enough to order the Iowa set and thinking that I will wait for Iowa set to arrive before sending another email. To save them some postage if the Iowa set happened to have some defects again. Sure enough, missing parts and defect again. The major defect is that the bridge tower has one corner that badly deformed and can not be corrected by bending alone. It can be repaired for sure but I'm not spending nearly $160 for losing another few hours correcting manufacturing defect.

March'14 - I sent another email asking for update on my missing parts for the first 2 set along with the new list for Iowa. Kim promptly reply my email and "said" that it will be shipped on 26th March.

Another month passed......

In April, after 4-5 weeks of waiting, I had send a few emails including PM asking for update of the status of my missing parts. No reply until I posted a message in this thread... He asked me to wait for a few more days. I actually wait for another few weeks...

22nd May'14 - Sending Kim another email after 2 weeks of waiting (total of 2 months since 26th March). FYI, I had ordered many items from all over the world shipped to this address without any problem. Most items arrive in less than a week.

16th June'14 - After 3 weeks, Kim finally reply my email and said that my missing parts will be shipped that week.

12th July'14 - Another 4 weeks passed. No package arrived. I sent email to him asking for update and no reply yet.

In summary. I had ordered 3 Pontos set, the last one on late February. All the 3 set I received come with missing parts/defects. I first contacted Kim for my missing parts since 11th February and as of today, 21st July, over 5 months passed since I first emailed Kim for my missing parts and I still haven't received anything missing parts from Pontos. All these ridiculous waiting with minimum response/communication from Kim.

With all this ridiculous troubles, I'm stupid enough to wait for some of their set to be back in stock at Lucky model again. Most of them a back order for 4-5 months now. I just start to wonder whether they want to stay in the business any longer with this kind of customer service/quality control/product inventory/etc...

[tcl74]

I hope 1/350 Bismarck set will be relesed this year. Lots of work has been done with 1/200 kit. In opposite to some people I can wait with patience.
Great work Pontos!!! keep it up.
Kim, what do you think about releasing a new great set for Fujimi's 1/350 Kaga ?

[alang]

Tifosi
Strange how Pontos can come on this sight to promote their new products yet cannot/will not reply to all your complaints re substandard and/or missing items in sets - l find it even worse that you have been bluntly lied to so many times.
My own personal opinion is that they don't give a damn so why should people be so gullible as to carry on buying their products.

Come on this isn't the first time by far that complaints have been ignored by Pontos (Bismarck instruction sheets?) so what about listing them in the bad traders section so that at least potential new customers can be warned of what can/may happen.

[Bill Livingston]

I am actually getting quite annoyed with all the negative comments regarding Pontos on here.

I have met Kim and one or two others from Pontos at the UK Nationals a couple of years ago and have to say they are amongst the most polite, modest, engaging people you will ever meet.

They make wonderful products, clearly aimed at the more experienced builder, they listen to their customers and try their utmost to make the most accurate, best researched, beautifully finished and packaged detail sets.

Of course there will be small errors in the instructions from time to time and yes, I would expect to have to work a little more than buying a basic kit off the shelf and adding a simple PE set to it... And remember, they are even listening to modellers and adding updates, enhancing the basic sets and incorporating requests from people (some of whom may never even buy their sets...) because they see that these requests are what real MODELLERS want... That has to be applauded and it has to be respected. Of course this will mean things get delayed from time to time... But that's the price you pay for input during the development phase.

And when you leave it to the manufacturer to do the job of not just designing, developing, testing and then selling the items... when it gets to the end user, having to deal with all the customer service issues as well... well of course things get forgotten.

In the earlier, pre-internet world, you would go back to your retailer for help and support... Unfortunately, as people seem to want to spend the least amount they can on anything nowadays, ordering from the manufacturer or a huge international company means the personal service is sometimes less than we would have liked or even accepted a few years ago.

But that is the world we live in now.

If you want your local hobby shop to stock these sets and have several spares just in case you lost or damaged a bit, or it was missing, then you would need to pay a lot more. Spares cost... somewhere they have to be paid for, either in the initial cost of the kit or as spares. But people don't want to pay... which is why the local hobby store has closed... they cannot make their overheads and come away with a reasonable living because some, or most, of their customers are just not prepared to pay for the service they purport to want and need.

As far as instructions are concerned, I don't really understand. No-one would EVER build a model, particularly a large scale Bismarck, and expect to have no additional research material to support the build process. One of the best and most interesting parts of any building of models beyond the basic 'follow the instructions' level is working out how to best do something, scratch building improvements when necessary, adopting already great PE additions if required for an even better, more personal model.

I think Pontos are aiming at advanced modellers who are prepared to put a little extra work in, to think about how they are going about the job and then who ADD to the experience, with their own thoughts and input to make a truly individual model.

I remember the days when actually getting a new ship kit to build was enough of an event... now we have new ships released all the time, in a variety of scales, with numerous update sets for all levels of modeller from the very basic to the most advanced.

Pontos are supplying update sets to the most advanced, and the details and enhancements possible now are beyond the imagination of those of us who started modelling seriously, even ten or fifteen years ago... let alone the thirty or forty years that I have been modelling!

I have their HMS Warspite set. Of course there are areas I would have liked to have been more accurate or to have been upgraded, or some clarification in the instructions... The splinter shields around the 4" HA guns for example changed several times during the ships wartime refits and modifications. But I am a modeller first and foremost. Its part of the fun to research, compare the basic kit, the upgrade set and then a load of contemporary photos and work out whether to assemble as instructed, modify the part or to scratch build something entirely different for that little bit of additional accuracy or that little bit of extra individuality.

Interestingly, I don't see many actual modellers complaining too much on this thread...

I think Pontos and companies like them are a godsend to the hobby and long may they continue to produce products of this level. This is a small market. The returns cannot be high considering the amount of work and development and simple care that goes into these sets. They are a labour of love... I know... I met the people...

[tcl74]

Well said Bill

There are people who will always complain.
Pontos guys will stop writting here because of them and we could only wait for the new sets without possibility to see how they are created.
I'd rather read the comments on the sets, where are accurate and where not.
Not only complains about release date.

Tomasz

[BJohnson]

Agree with Bill, I am amazed that Pontos get anything done with the time they spend dealing with requests.

[Ronald47]

It was too long time for this happy day.

Thank you
Keumho Kim

Great work, Kim, super set, my well meant compliments!!!

Good to see a small firm doing such great sets for us plastic modellers. I know it does take up much time, effort but also money as manufacturer. I only can encourage this as a modeller. Top!!

@Bill; totally agree!