Manufacturers

A.J Fisher

11 kits

A. J. Fisher is a long-running American ship model kit and fittings company based in the United States, originally founded in 1925 in Michigan. The company was founded by Archibald J. Fisher, a seaman who spent years working as a chief engineer on the oceans and Great Lakes before turning his practical knowledge of ships into a business making scale model parts and fittings. Fisher ran the company until his death in 1957, after which it passed through the Irwin family (Robert Irwin, then his son Robert) until 2001, and was purchased by William Partridge in 2003, who relocated operations and worked to update and reissue the classic kit line; the business is now based in Newburyport, Massachusetts. A. J. Fisher is best known for classic solid-hull wooden ship model kits, historically produced at a scale around 1/8 inch to the foot, along with an extensive line of cast (often pewter or brass) scale fittings, blueprints/plans, and building supplies for scratch builders. Notable subjects in their catalog include Great Lakes schooners such as the Lucia A. Simpson and Challenge, pilot schooners like the John McKeon, the War of 1812 brig/privateer Lark, and various historic American sailing vessels, trawlers, and tugs. Each kit traditionally included a pre-carved solid hull, stripwood, dowels, fittings, rigging, plans, an instruction guide, and a display base, reflecting the company's decades-long reputation among model shipbuilders for authentic, accurately scaled fittings and classic American maritime subjects.

Academy (MRC/Academy)

1 kit

Academy Plastic Model Co., Ltd. is a South Korean plastic model, chemical, and toy manufacturer headquartered in Uijeongbu-Si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, established on September 1, 1969. Over its history the company has expanded internationally, maintaining additional offices in Seoul, Korea; Gelsenkirchen, Germany; and Rosario, Cavite, Philippines, and has developed and supplied over 500 products to more than 60 countries worldwide, earning several Modell des Jahres awards for product quality since 1989. Academy is best known for injection-molded plastic model kits covering military aircraft, armor, and ships, alongside radio-controlled cars, battery- and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel paints, airsoft guns, and modeling tools. Its range is especially strong in 1/72 and 1/48 scale military aircraft (jets, propeller fighters, helicopters) and 1/35 scale armor, while its ship line spans various scales including warships and submarines; kits are generally noted for clean molding and good engineering at accessible prices, making the brand popular with beginner and intermediate modelers. In North America and other Western markets, Academy kits have historically been distributed and marketed under license or partnership with MRC (Model Rectifier Corporation), which is why the brand is sometimes listed jointly as MRC/Academy in retail catalogs and hobby shops.

Aeronaut

34 kits

Aero-naut (also styled aero~naut) is a German model making company based in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg. It traces its roots to 1922, when master carpenter Alois Eggenweiler founded a one-man furniture joinery in Urach at the foot of the Swabian Alb during the German inflation period; the business relocated to a larger workshop in Reutlingen in 1924, where it unintentionally began producing model-making parts alongside furniture components. Over subsequent decades, under Alois's son Adalbert, the model division expanded rapidly, adding kits, wood strips, plywood cut parts, imported balsa wood, and ship fittings, eventually leading the company to adopt the name AERO-NAUT (combining "aero" for air and "naut" for water) to reflect its dual focus on aircraft and ship model kits. Today aero-naut is recognized as one of Germany's leading manufacturers in RC model making and architectural model making, known for both radio-controlled aircraft kits (gliders, electric and motor planes, jets) and a substantial range of wooden and plastic-hull ship models, including sailing boats, yachts, tugs, trawlers, racing boats, classic steamers, and RC-capable warships in scales commonly around 1:20 to 1:33. Its kits are noted for precise laser-cut wood parts, detailed fittings, and accessories such as motors, electronics, and hardware, and are sold worldwide primarily through specialty hobby retailers.

Agora Models

1 kit

Agora Models is a UK-based company, headquartered in Canterbury, Kent, that specializes in premium, museum-quality "big scale" model kits sold through a partwork/subscription format (monthly installments) as well as complete kits. The company operates under Agora Models Ltd (with Saloto Ltd cited as page operator) and has an Agora Models US arm, distributing internationally through a network of warehouses. The company is best known for large, highly detailed scale ship and vehicle kits, often produced in metal, wood, and photo-etched brass components with working lights and effects. Notable ship subjects include a 1:200 scale RMS Titanic kit with a die-cast metal hull and wooden deck, and a 1:76 scale wooden USS Constitution kit built using mahogany, oak, and walnut with hand-sewn cotton sails. They have also produced officially licensed film-tie-in vehicle kits, such as a 1:16 scale Orca boat from Jaws (licensed via Universal Products & Experiences) and 1:8 scale James Bond vehicle kits (as an official 007 licensee), reflecting a broader focus on collectible replica models beyond just ships. Agora Models emphasizes licensed, historically accurate reproductions using laser scanning and 3D modeling, pre-painted parts, and accompanying build diaries or magazines with historical background information delivered alongside each kit installment.

Airfix

5 kits

Airfix is a British model kit brand founded in 1939 by Hungarian-born businessman Nicholas Kove, originally to manufacture inflatable rubber toys before moving into injection-moulded plastic products. The company adopted plastic injection moulding in the late 1940s, released its first construction kit (a 1:72 scale Ferguson tractor) in 1949, and began mass-producing model kits for the hobby market from 1952 onward, making it the oldest UK manufacturer of scale plastic model kits. Airfix is best known for popularizing affordable, constant-scale plastic model kits, using standard scales such as 1:72 for aircraft, 1:76 for military vehicles and figures, and 1:600 for ships, which let collectors display related subjects together in accurate relative proportion. Its range grew to cover aircraft, ships, military vehicles, cars, railways, space subjects, and figures, with iconic ship subjects including HMS Victory and the Golden Hind, alongside famous aircraft kits like the Supermarine Spitfire. In the UK the brand name became so dominant that "Airfix" is still used generically to refer to any injection-moulded plastic model kit. The company changed ownership several times, being acquired by Humbrol in 1986 and then, following Humbrol's 2006 collapse, by Hornby plc in 2007, under which it continues to operate today as a leading brand in plastic scale modelling.

AJM Models

2 kits

AJM Models is a Polish manufacturer of resin ship model kits, operating as a small workshop (Pracownia modelarska Joanna Palkiewicz) based in Opole, Poland. According to the founder's own account on the company site, his interest in ship micro-modelling grew out of discovering articles and photos of ship micro-models in a Polish magazine decades ago, made by members of an informal association of Polish micro-modellers who exhibited annually in Gdynia; that passion eventually led to founding the brand. Scalemates records the company's first tracked kit release as occurring around 2015. The company specializes almost exclusively in 1/700 and 1/350 scale waterline and full-hull resin warship kits, often supplemented with photo-etched brass parts, focusing heavily on lesser-known British and Commonwealth vessels from the WWI and WWII eras — including sloops, destroyers, minelayers, seaplane/aircraft carriers, escort carriers, and auxiliary cruisers such as HMS Adventure, HMS Argus, HMS Vindictive, and various Rapana-class escort carriers. Their catalogue is popular among specialist naval modelers for covering obscure or rarely-kitted ship classes not produced by mainstream plastic kit makers, and their kits are distributed internationally through hobby retailers in Europe and North America.

Alexander Engel KG (Engel Modellbau)

1 kit

Alexander Engel KG (trading as Engel Modellbau) is a German manufacturer based in Knittlingen, Baden-Württemberg, active in the R/C model building sector since 1952, making it one of the oldest companies in Germany dedicated to radio-controlled aircraft and ship models. The firm began with flying model kits and model engines, becoming known in the 1960s for the Telemaster, one of the first glider tow-plane designs, and later distributing MRC Mark radio control systems in the 1970s. In the 1990s Engel pivoted its ship-modelling line toward radio-controlled submarines, achieving a breakthrough with the first model submarine that could reliably dive and resurface using its own piston-tank ballast diving systems. This diving/submarine segment has since become a core part of the business, and the company describes itself as a world-leading manufacturer of model submarines, having supplied tens of thousands of dive systems and piston tanks worldwide. Today Engel Modellbau's catalog centers on R/C scale model submarines (including types such as the Type 212A, VII/C, Typhoon, Akula, Gato, Lafayette and the fictional Nautilus, generally around 1:32 to 1:70 scale) alongside surface ship kits like stern-wheelers, plus RC electronics, motors, and general model-building tools and accessories. The company remains family-owned, now in its second generation.

Amati Models

12 kits

Amati is a historic Italian model-making company founded in Turin in 1879, originally specializing in fretwork (traforo) and woodworking before expanding into ship model kits by the 1920s. Now run by the Marletti family and organized as an S.p.A. (since 2002), the company operates from a modern Turin headquarters with a roughly 2,000 square meter warehouse and distributes to over 50 countries worldwide, from Canada and Brazil to South Africa and Japan. Amati is best known for high-quality wooden scale ship model kits, typically featuring laser-cut Finnish birch ("Avio" grade) plywood hulls, photo-etched brass fittings, and detailed rigging materials, sold across beginner (First Step), advanced (Victory Models), and Classic Collection lines. Notable subjects include historic sailing ships such as the Santa Maria, Niña, Pinta, HMS Bounty, Mayflower, Bluenose, Titanic, Bismarck, and the Robert E. Lee steamboat, plus racing yachts like the Riva Aquarama and America's Cup boats (Endeavour, Rainbow, Columbia). Beyond ships, Amati also produces wooden kits of aircraft (e.g., Blériot XI), carriages/stagecoaches, and trains (e.g., Orient Express), along with modeling tools, fittings, and figurines, and distributes third-party plastic model brands such as Tamiya, Academy, Fujimi, and Eduard through its website.

Artesania Latina

50 kits

Building together since 1970. Artesanía Latina is a brand with 50 years of history specialized in making wooden and metal scale model kits. Its models offer a great building experience with astonishing quality, even in starter kits. Either if you’re an experienced modeler or somebody who is asking himself if this hobby is for you, we have the perfect kit. We also offer a complete range of fittings and special tools so you have available anything you can need to build a great replica.

Billing Boats

44 kits

Billing Boats has been a market leader in the USA since 1965 with over 400,000 model boat kit varieties sold. These model boat kits are renowned for their authenticity and quality and are highly sought after by model and hobby boat enthusiasts the world over. Billing Boats model kits include a range of sleek, fast Viking ships, famous wooden sailing ships from history including, Frigates, Man-O-Wars, & Clipper Ships. Historical significant ships such as the Mayflower or HMS Bounty, and a host of old and new boats that have made maritime history! In addition to our authentic "plank-on-frame" construction (exactly the same way that real ships are built), we have some models with ABS (plastic) hulls that are ideal for making these remote control boats! www.billingboatsusa.com is the one stop source for consumers, museums, and hobby shop retailers interested in purchasing our quality model boats, hobby tools, craft tools, model boat fittings, and accessories. The site is ideal for safe and confidential e-commerce, so shop with confidence - we're committed to your complete satisfaction. Look here for frequent special offers, helpful links for tips and "how-to's" hobby shop retailer listing, tips and suggestions to help make creating your Billing Boat masterpiece most rewarding. Start with our entry level kits and graduate up to our most detailed. Model boat making is a fun, educational, and satisfying activity and is a hobby that stays with you for life!

BlueJacket Shipcrafters

66 kits

BlueJacket Shipcrafters, Inc. is the oldest model ship and model boat company in the US (in continuous operation since 1905). Specializing in the design and manufacture of fine wooden model kits, custom built models, antique restorations/repairs, and model ship fittings. All work is performed by our talented Maine craftsmen, not outsourced. BlueJacket Shipcrafters offers wooden museum quality ship model kits, fully built models, half hull models, fittings, tools, supplies and books, and model ship repairs & restorations. We are proud that BlueJacket has such a fine reputation and is considered a prime resource by professional modelers, museums, and educational institutions, and has so many friends in the modeling community.

Caldercraft

18 kits

We are often asked ‘Are you JoTiKa or Caldercraft?’, the simple answer is both. Caldercraft is the company name under which we manufacture our own products while JoTiKa is the parent distribution company through which Caldercraft and many other manufacturers’ products are distributed. Formed in 1988, JoTiKa is a small family owned and operated business based in Hadzor, Droitwich, UK and was originally set up in order to manufacture, under licence, and distribute products throughout Europe from Aeromarine Laminates Inc. Manufacturing and distribution rights for Caldercraft were added in 1992 with one simple company goal: not just to produce model ship kits but to produce actual scale replica ship kits, paying attention to quality, fine detailing and overall authenticity to the chosen subject. It is this underlying principle that catapulted Caldercraft to market leader status and, thanks to continual development and investment, remains the benchmark for the competition. Development and manufacturing using the latest CAD/CAM and rapid prototyping technologies ensures accuracy of all of the kit contents from metal castings to CNC routed and profiled wooden components, from metal extrusions to brass etched fittings. Manufacturing and distributing a range of over 100 model ship subjects ranging from the static Men of War to steam yachts and from World War II submarines to 80mph power boats, coupled with literally thousands of fittings and accessories allows JoTiKa to cater for the many and varied tastes of marine modelling enthusiasts around the globe.

Constructo

28 kits

Constructo is a Spanish wooden ship model kit manufacturer based in Barcelona, founded in 1942. It began as part of an established Spanish toy and games company that later expanded into wooden ship kits, and today the brand operates within the Barcelona-based toy group Diset. Constructo is recognized as a pioneer in the wooden model ship field, having been an early adopter of laser-cut technology to make kit assembly more accessible for hobbyists of all skill levels. Its catalog spans easy beginner sets with pre-carved or pre-painted hulls up through advanced plank-on-frame builds, and kits typically include detailed, photo-illustrated instructions along with brass, cast metal, and other hardware fittings. The company's range covers many famous historic and naval vessels, including the Bounty, USS Constitution, Mayflower, Cutty Sark, HMS Victory, and Spanish training ships such as the Juan Sebastián de Elcano and Galatea, with kits generally produced at scales from roughly 1:50 to 1:200 depending on the subject.

Corel

4 kits

Corel (Corel S.R.L.) is an Italian manufacturer of wooden ship model kits based in Milan, Italy. Corel has been making models of period and modern ships since 1971, building a reputation over more than five decades for historically accurate, high-quality static display kits aimed at ship modeling enthusiasts. The company is known for using top-quality materials with almost no plastic parts: selected hardwoods in various shades, cast and gilded metal fittings, and photo-etched brass or copper parts, together with a "fully pre-cut" system wherever possible so that wooden parts are pre-cut and ready for assembly. Most models use traditional plank-on-frame or plank-on-bulkhead construction, often with double planking, and kits typically include multi-lingual instructions, sail cloth, rigging line, and detailed multi-sheet plans. Corel's catalog spans roughly 1:24 to 1:100 scale and includes well-known historic sailing ships and warships such as the Wasa, HMS Bellona, Wappen von Hamburg, Prins Willem, Half Moon, and the modern training ship Corsaro II, as well as smaller traditional craft like the Italian Paranza fishing boat. Their kits are distributed internationally, including through longtime exclusive distributors such as Krick Modelltechnik in Germany.

Disar Model

1 kit

Disar Model (also styled Disarmodel) is a Spanish manufacturer of wooden model kits based in Cabezón de la Sal, Spain. By its own description it is a family business, relatively new to the market but staffed by a team of professionals with over 20 years of experience in the model-making and hobby sector. The company is best known for wooden ship model kits that reflect the maritime history of Spain, producing faithful replicas based on verified plans and documentation rather than generic or repeated subjects. Notable subjects include historic Spanish vessels such as the 80-gun ship-of-the-line Rayo, the galleon Santiago de Compostela, and the Nao Victoria (the ship that completed Magellan/Elcano's circumnavigation), as well as other historical craft including Viking longships. Kits typically feature laser-cut plywood parts, quality timbers and dowels, metal fittings, rigging cords, and in many cases pre-sewn sails, packaged in segmented snap-tight parts boxes, with step-by-step color photographic instructions provided in multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. Beyond ship models, Disarmodel's product range has expanded to include dollhouses, junior/educational model kits, and other wooden craft and hobby accessories, reflecting a broader focus on wooden modelmaking beyond just nautical subjects.

Dusek

17 kits

Dusek Ship Kits is a family-owned wooden ship model kit manufacturer based in Vsetín, Czech Republic. The company was founded in 2007 by Ing. Daniel Dušek, initially producing a single kit, a Greek Bireme, and has since grown to offer more than 20 different kits; in 2014 it moved production into a larger facility in the Vsetín industrial estate. In 2016 Dusek acquired the rights to manufacture all Mamoli kits, expanding its catalog with that historic Italian brand's ship designs. Dusek kits are known for laser-cut wooden parts, cast metal and wood fittings, rigging cord, and detailed illustrated instructions and plans, and the company is regarded for historical accuracy and high build quality. Their product range spans small boats and longboats up to large galleons and frigates, and they also produce a few architectural models, including a medieval Swedish church and a Norse stave church, alongside their ship kit lineup.

GHQ Models

2 kits

GHQ Models is an American miniature wargaming manufacturer founded in 1967 by Gregory Dean Scott, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company describes itself as "the oldest Miniature Wargaming Company in the world" and built its reputation on pioneering micro-scale gaming miniatures, including the trademarked Micro Armour line of 1/285th scale armor models. For ship modelers, GHQ is best known for its Micronauts range: highly detailed 1/1200 scale unpainted Napoleonic and Age of Sail warships, and later 1/2400 scale WWI, WWII, and modern-era warships covering destroyers, cruisers, battleships, submarines, and aircraft carriers for major combatant nations (US, British, German, Japanese, Italian, and others). Their naval miniatures are widely regarded among wargamers as some of the most finely detailed small-scale ship models available, supporting tabletop naval wargaming as well as display/collecting. Beyond ships and armor, GHQ also produces HO (1/87) and N (1/160) scale model railroad vehicles and accessories, along with rules systems like Micronauts: The Game and Micro Armour: The Game. All products are made in the USA and sold directly through their online store.

Heller

3 kits

Heller is a French model kit manufacturer founded in Paris in 1957 by Léo Jahiel, who had previously worked at the plastics company SOMAP. The company set up headquarters in Paris and established a production facility in Trun, Orne (Normandy) in 1963, where manufacturing still takes place today. Heller's first kit was a 1/100 scale Sud Aviation Caravelle, and the company grew to become one of the largest French model kit brands, with a catalogue of over 300 references covering aircraft, military vehicles, cars, and ships. Heller is particularly noted for its ship subjects, including large, highly detailed sailing ship kits such as the 1/100 scale Soleil Royal (Louis XVI's flagship, with over 2,300 parts) and HMS Victory, as well as modern vessels like the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in 1/400 scale. The company has passed through several corporate owners over the decades, including Borden's Hobby Products Group (alongside Humbrol and Airfix) in the 1980s, an Irish investment group in the 1994, and various French owners in the 2000s before financial difficulties led to receivership in 2006. Since 2019 Heller has been owned by the German company Glow2B, with production continuing in both France and Germany, though the brand retains its strong French identity and Normandy manufacturing roots.

HiSModel

3 kits

HiSModel is a family-run company based in Ostrava, Czech Republic, specializing in historic sailing ship models and accessories. On their introduction to the Model Ship World community, they describe themselves as a family company from the Czech Republic engaged in the production and sale of models and accessories, specialising in historical sailing ships. The company both produces its own detailing accessories and resells wooden and plastic ship kits from established manufacturers such as Amati, Billing Boats, Mamoli, Kolderstok, Dusek, Revell, Heller and Airfix, covering subjects from ships of the line and frigates to clippers and exploration vessels in various scales. Their own manufacturing focus is on premium upgrade sets for well-known ship subjects like HMS Victory, USS Constitution, Cutty Sark and Vasa, including CNC-cut wooden blocks, turned brass cannons, laser-cut wooden decks, rigging line, photo-etched parts and cloth sails. HiSModel positions itself as a specialist supplier for modelers wanting historically accurate detailing, offering rigging advice and technical guidance alongside its parts catalog, and ships its accessories worldwide to modelers building period sailing ship kits.

I Love Kit

1 kit

Kolderstok

1 kit

Kolderstok is a Dutch (Netherlands-based) manufacturer of wooden ship model kits, founded in June 2015 after its founder completed a scratch-built model of the Batavia in 2014 and decided to market a line of kits depicting Dutch ships. The company name refers to the "kolderstok" (whipstaff), the old steering device used on ships before the invention of the ship's wheel. Kolderstok specializes in highly detailed wooden model kits of 17th (and some 18th) century Dutch Golden Age vessels, including famous VOC (Dutch East India Company) ships and vessels associated with renowned Dutch naval commanders such as Michiel de Ruyter, Maarten Tromp, the Evertsen brothers, and Adriaen Banckert. Notable subjects include the Batavia, De Zeven Provinciën, the Duyfken, and De Halve Maen, designed using historical images and existing ship models for accuracy. Kits typically include laser-cut keel, frames and decks, hull and deck planking, masts, yards, rigging materials, and a full set of hand-cast resin ornaments, generally aimed at intermediate to experienced modelers, with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to very advanced. Though a relatively young company, Kolderstok has become a well-regarded name in Dutch wooden ship modeling and ships its kits worldwide.

Lindberg (originally tooled by Pyro Plastics)

1 kit

Lindberg is a long-running American model kit brand tracing back to the 1930s, when Paul W. Lindberg began drawing plans for balsa "stick and tissue" flying model airplanes that appeared in Popular Aviation magazine. After WWII he partnered with a Mr. Olsen to produce early molded-plastic airplane kits under the "O-Lin" name, using tooling purchased from a defunct competitor, Varney; once Olsen left the partnership the brand was renamed "The Lindberg Line." Lindberg became one of the pioneering U.S. plastic model companies, and over the decades produced kits of aircraft, automobiles, ships, military subjects, dinosaurs, and even science-fiction and pirate-themed model sets. The company (and name in the record) reflects its later absorption of Pyro Plastics Corporation, a New Jersey toy and model firm founded in 1939 by William "Bill" Lester, which was known for pioneering "two-part, mirror-molded" kit construction and for a large catalog of ship, car, aircraft, and dinosaur kits. Pyro was sold to Life-Like in 1972, and Lindberg subsequently acquired much of Pyro's tooling, reissuing many of its molds—including numerous ship subjects—into the 2000s. Ownership of the Lindberg brand passed through several hands over the years, including George Toteff (ex-AMT/MPC/Lionel) in the 1990s and J. Lloyd International in the 2000s, before Round 2, LLC acquired the Lindberg and Hawk brands in 2013. Round 2 continues to reissue classic Lindberg tooling—spanning ships, aircraft, military vehicles, and automobiles—often restoring vintage box art and the brand's well-known yellow rectangular logo.

Mamoli

7 kits

Mamoli of Italy was one of the mainstays of wooden ship model manufacturers, and many of their classic kits are favorites among model builders. Mamoli Model Ship Kits & Mamoli Model Boat Kits are concerned with historical accuracy and fidelity of scale. Mamoli wooden model ship kits offer a large variety of subject matter to please almost everyone. The materials used in their wooden model ship kits are always first class and the plans are highly detailed. After Mamoli burned down in 2014 (date needs confirmation), Dusek bought the rights to produce and manufacture all Mamoli kits.

Mantua Model Ships

6 kits

Mantua Model (also known as Mantua Modellismo or Mantua Model Group) is an Italian manufacturer of wooden ship model kits based in Roverbella, in the Mantova province of Lombardy. A Facebook listing for the company notes "Modellismo per tutti dal 1963," while retailer descriptions describe it as a firm that has existed for over 50 years producing period model boat kits. The company built its reputation on large, elaborately detailed wooden ship model kits using plank-on-frame and double-planked construction, and was among the first manufacturers to introduce laser-cutting technology to the model shipbuilding hobby. As one retailer describes it, the parts in Mantua kits "are laser cut for maximum precision," and kits typically include quality timber, cast metal and photo-etched fittings, and multilingual instructions and plans. Mantua's catalog spans historic sailing ships and naval vessels such as the Amerigo Vespucci, HMS Victory, Soleil Royal, Sovereign of the Seas, San Felipe, Cutty Sark, Bounty, Endeavour, and Constitution, generally offered in scales from about 1:50 to 1:200, as well as radio-controlled boats like tugs and motor yachts. The brand operates alongside related Italian model-making brands Sergal and Panart, and its kits and spare parts are distributed internationally, including through a long-standing UK distributor and a Benelux distributor.

Maquettes Gerard Schmitt

1 kit

Maquettes Gerard Schmitt (MGS) was a French manufacturer of traditional wood-and-metal-fitting ship model kits, founded and run by Gerard Schmitt from a workshop in Vaujours, near Paris, with the registered company based in nearby Villeparisis, Seine-et-Marne. A modeler who bought kits directly from him recalled "il avait son atelier à Vaujours et je prenais mes maquettes chez lui." French corporate registry records show the firm's INSEE status was closed for insufficient assets on 3 March 1992 and it was formally struck off (radiee) on 3 September 1996, meaning it has been defunct for decades and has no current official website. The company specialized in scale kits of historic sailing vessels and traditional French working craft, typically at 1/40 and 1/50 scale, alongside at least one small-craft/pleasure-launch subject. Known subjects include the privateer schooner Prince de Neufchatel (1/50), the pilot schooner L'Etoile (1/40), the Cotre Langoustier de Camaret (1927, 1/50), the corsair ship Le Tonnant (1793, 1/50), the barque/allège Saint Gilles of Arles (1877, 1/50), a Dutch koff-type vessel (1/50), the Thonier de Groix "Saint-Gildas" (1908, 1/50), and a small pleasure launch model called "Sabrina" (roughly 1/12). After the company's dissolution, several of its tooling and kit designs were reportedly carried on by other French wooden-kit makers; one forum poster referred to MGS and its successor as "Maquette Gérard Schmit et après Maquette Gamme Soclaine," and another confirmed the Camaret langoustier design was "reprise actuellement par la marque Soclaine," a French wooden-ship-kit specialist still operating today. Because MGS itself ceased operating decades ago, no verifiable current corporate website or logo could be found; the brand survives mainly through modeling-forum recollections, secondary-market kit listings, and French business registry records.

Metal Earth

1 kit

Midwest Products

21 kits

Midwest Products no longer produces ship modeling kits.

Model Shipways

39 kits

Model Shipways is America's oldest wooden ship model kit manufacturer, founded in 1948 (some sources say 1946). In 1987 it was acquired by Model Expo, a Miami, Florida-based company that had been importing historic European ship model kits since 1976; today the combined company designs and manufactures its kits in Miami, Florida under the Model Shipways, Model Airways, Model Trailways, and Guns of History brand names. Model Shipways is known for historically accurate wood and metal ship model kits built using plank-on-bulkhead and plank-on-frame construction methods, and the company states it was the first in the industry to introduce laser-cutting technology, converting many older solid-hull kit designs to the more advanced plank-on-bulkhead/plank-on-frame style. Notable subjects include iconic American vessels such as the USS Constitution, along with schooners, lobster smacks, longboats, and other historic sailing ships, offered across a range of skill levels including the beginner-friendly "Shipwright Series." Kits typically include finely crafted wood and cast-metal components, rigging line, sailcloth, and detailed multilingual plans and instruction manuals, with the company promoting features like machined brass fittings, extensive laser-cut parts, and free replacement parts for lost or broken pieces. Model Shipways is frequently cited alongside Bluejacket Shipcrafters as one of the two principal American manufacturers still producing wooden sailing ship model kits domestically.

Modelship Dockyard

3 kits

Modelship Dockyard is a relatively young, China-based manufacturer of high-end wooden ship model kits, founded by a team of ship modeling enthusiasts frustrated with outdated designs, poor materials, and imprecise production found in older kits on the market. The brand emphasizes rigorous historical research, precise 3D design, and modern manufacturing (laser cutting) to create plank-on-frame (POF) and plank-on-bulkhead (POB) kits using premium woods such as pear and boxwood. The company is best known for detailed kits of 18th-century Royal Navy sailing warships, particularly English frigates, including HMS Blandford (1719 Establishment 20-gun ship), HMS Pandora, and HMS Enterprize/Enterprise (1774, 28-gun sixth-rate frigate), which has been released in both 1:96 and 1:48 scales. Their designer and representatives (referred to in community forums by names such as Victor and wuxiaomeng) are active on modeling forums such as Ships of Scale, engaging directly with builders and offering support such as planking upgrade packs. Modelship Dockyard kits are distributed internationally through specialty retailers such as Dry-Dock Models & Parts and Premier Ship Models, and the brand has built a growing following among wooden ship modelers for its historically researched subjects and precision-engineered parts, despite some builder feedback noting that instructions can occasionally be brief or inconsistent.

NNT Modell+Buch

1 kit

NNT Modell+Buch is a German company specializing in ship modelling, based in Karlsruhe. It was founded as a one-woman-business by Mrs. Niklová-Thiel in January 1996 with the support of her husband. The main business was as a shipping company, and it was her aim to bring a wide-spread offer to the modeller. The company is specialized in ship modelling and 1:700 Waterline kits, and its range contains not only plastic kits but also resin kits from small companies, a big range of accessories such as conversion kits, photo-etched parts, decals, and respective literature. To meet customer wishes even more, an own range of resin ship kits in 1:700 scale was started in 1999, and by the time of this history several of these kits had been awarded "model of the year" by the German modelling magazine Modell Fan. Beyond its own resin kit line, NNT Modell+Buch operates as a large specialist retailer/distributor carrying an extensive international product range covering ship kits, etched and upgrade parts, decals, paints, and modelling publications, alongside kits for aircraft, ground vehicles and other genres. The founder became a specialist in the 1:700 ship scale over the years, building up contacts with international producers, and has been a longtime member of the IG Waterline, the largest private modellers' society in Germany for waterline kits.

OcCre

28 kits

At OcCre we design each of our models with the same illusion that you have when assembling and making up the model. We take care of every last detail, so that our kit models can offer a design that is true to life. We manufacture using quality materials and ensure that every cut is made with precision. This makes the results of the assembly perfect. We use a range of different materials to make sure our models are more realistic. We guarantee that our model kits you will enjoy your enthusiasm for naval modelling, railway modelling, the modelling of trams and the modelling of vintage vehicles.

Portland Scale Model Company

0 kits

Portland Scale Ship Co. is a small American manufacturer based in Portland, Oregon, run by a designer known in the ship modeling community by the forum handle "scrubbyj427." The company sources its wood locally from Portland's Gilmer Wood Company and produces original 1:48 (quarter-inch) scale wooden ship model kits, sold in sequential build "chapters" rather than as a single boxed kit, which the company says is meant to make advanced, complex builds more manageable for modelers. The company is known for historically-based Royal Navy sailing ship subjects from the 17th-18th centuries, most notably HMS Portland (1770), a 50-gun 4th rate two-decker, and HMS Winchelsea, a frigate. Kits are designed as plank-on-bulkhead/plank-on-frame hybrids intended as "semi-scratch" projects bridging conventional kit-building and full scratch construction, and are built from premium woods such as boxwood, pearwood, cherry, and yellow cedar, with CNC-carved figures, laser-cut components, and 3D resin-printed fittings. The company appears to be a relatively new entrant, having been introduced to the ship-modeling community (e.g., on Model Ship World and Ships of Scale forums) as kit prototypes and chapters became available, with its own e-commerce website only recently going live to sell kits directly to modelers worldwide.

Revell

7 kits

Revell was founded in 1943 in Venice/Hollywood, California, USA, by entrepreneur Lewis H. Glaser as a plastics molding firm originally called Precision Specialties. The company pivoted to hobby products, popularizing plastic model kit assembly in the early 1950s and adopting the Revell brand name; an early landmark kit was the USS Missouri battleship. In 1956 a German subsidiary, Revell Plastics GmbH, was established in Bielefeld (soon relocated to Bünde), which later grew into an independent design and manufacturing arm. Corporate ownership has changed hands many times: the American company merged with Monogram in 1986 to form Revell-Monogram, was later owned by Hallmark Cards, then Hobbico, and since 2018 the German-headquartered Revell GmbH has been owned by Quantum Capital Partners. Revell is now based in Bünde, Germany, and is recognized as one of the best-known names in plastic scale modeling worldwide, with a presence in dozens of countries. Revell is known for injection-molded plastic scale model kits across aircraft, automobiles, military vehicles, spacecraft, and ships/submarines, spanning skill levels from simple snap-together kits to detailed builder's kits, plus licensed pop-culture subjects (e.g., Star Wars, Jurassic World, Stranger Things). Notable ship/naval subjects include the USS Missouri, the Bismarck battleship, and Titanic-themed kits, alongside various submarines and historic vessels, typically offered in scales like 1:72, 1:144, 1:200, and 1:700 depending on the subject.

Scientific Models

1 kit

Scientific Models, Inc. (SMI) is an American model kit maker founded in 1928 in Newark, New Jersey. It began by selling rubber-band-powered wooden airplane kits before expanding into wooden ship model kits, dollhouse furniture, and other hobby structures. The company traces its origin to the Scientific Model Airplane Company, whose founder set up shop as a teenager to manufacture and sell model airplane kits. Scientific is best known for a long-running line of wooden sailing ship kits aimed at both beginner and experienced modelers, typically molded around historically famous vessels. Notable subjects include the USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides"), the clipper ships Cutty Sark, Flying Cloud and Thermopylae, the yacht America, HMS Bounty, the schooner Bluenose, the Spanish galleon of 1550, Sovereign of the Seas, and the USCG training ship Eagle, generally produced in scales ranging around 1:60 to 1:180. Designers associated with the ship line over the years included noted maritime historians Harold Underhill and Walter Musciano. In 1983 the company launched Micro-Mark as a tool and distribution offshoot, and Micro-Mark eventually became the parent/owner of the Scientific brand, restarting Scientific-branded manufacturing (including wooden ship kits and, from 2018, laser-cut and 3D-printed model railroad structure kits) at a New Jersey facility to mark the brand's 90th anniversary. Today Scientific Models kits are sold through Micro-Mark's website and other hobby retailers as "Scientific by Micro-Mark."

Sergal (Mantua Model Group)

1 kit

Ships of Pavel Nitikin

6 kits

Ships of Pavel Nikitin is a Ukrainian wooden ship model kit maker based in Kyiv, founded by modeler Pavel Nikitin. It became a sponsor of the Model Ship World forum in late 2022, where it was introduced as a new Ukrainian company with a small but growing lineup of original kit designs featuring distinctive building features. The company is known for historically researched, laser-cut wooden kits of early sailing vessels and small craft, typically in 1:25, 1:32 and 1:48 scales. Notable subjects include the Viking ship Oseberg, the Nef of Winchelsea, the Santa Maria caravelle, the galleon/carrack San Bartolome, the Gokstad ship, and Captain John Smith's Shallop, along with smaller ship's boats. Kits are noted among builders for heavy, thick-planked "true eastern European" construction and finely engineered fittings, with Pavel Nikitin himself known for producing high-quality painted finishes shown in build demonstrations. The business has continued operating through wartime conditions in Ukraine, with customers on modeling forums occasionally checking in on its status amid the ongoing Russian invasion, though communications and shipping delays have been reported at times.

Shipyard (Poland)

1 kit

Stephens and Kenau (The Model Shipyard)

1 kit

Stephens and Kenau, trading as The Model Shipyard, is a South African company based in Mossel Bay on the Southern Cape coast. The firm states it is the only designers and builders of the STEPHENS & KENAU™ range of model ships in the entire world, and its studio is located within the Mossel Bay Maritime Museum complex, part of the Mossel Bay Maritime Museum complex where a full size replica of the Bartholomew Diaz Caravel is permanently on display. Visitors can observe the craftsmen at work, since the studio is designed in such a way that one can walk through and watch craftsmen at work. The company is known for large-scale, museum-quality, fully built (not kit-form) wooden sailing ship models rather than mass-market kits, produced entirely to order. Notable subjects in their range include Bluenose, Alabama, Cutty Sark, Eagle, Flying Cloud, Gorch Fock, Bounty, Endeavour, Surprise, Victory, King of the Mississippi, Mystique, San Francisco, Santa Maria, Thermopylae, Constitution, and Victoria, alongside other famous vessels such as HMS Bounty, HMS Surprise, and USS Constitution. Pricing is not fixed but instead reflects labor and materials, as the prices of their models are determined by the number of hours spent and materials used. Each commission is treated as a bespoke, documented piece rather than a standard product: every model ship is registered in the name of the owner, and a certificate of authenticity and registration is issued with every ship model. The company frames its craft within a long historical tradition, noting that the art of model ship building is as old as maritime history itself, with plans of proposed new vessels historically requiring a fully detailed scale model for admiralty approval, many of which still survive centuries later.

Syren Ship Model Company

5 kits

Syren Ship Model Company is a small American ship modeling supplier founded by Chuck Passaro, a master modeler and one of the designers of kits for Model Shipways. The company is named after the US Brig Syren (1803), one of the historic vessels Passaro designed a well-regarded kit for; he said fond memories of that project led him to name the company after it. Based in New Jersey, the company got its start selling ship model fittings and supplies before branching into complete kits. Syren is best known among wooden ship modelers for its precision boxwood ship model rigging blocks, miniature rope and rigging line, turned brass cannon and swivel guns, and milled lumber sheets (Boxwood, Swiss Pear, and Alaskan Yellow Cedar). Chuck Passaro makes many of these fittings by hand himself in his New Jersey workshop, and the products are all made in the USA. The company later expanded into producing its own plank-on-bulkhead laser-cut kits, including an 18th century English frigate project, and other small craft kits such as the Medway Longboat, aimed at experienced modelers seeking high accuracy and detail at scales like 1:48 and 1:24.

Tamiya

2 kits

Tamiya is a Japanese model manufacturer headquartered in Shizuoka, Japan. The company was founded by Yoshio Tamiya in 1946 as a sawmill and lumber business, and it ventured into modeling in 1948 with a scale wooden ship model kit before transitioning to plastic models, introducing its first plastic kit, a 1/800 scale Battleship Yamato, in 1960. Tamiya has gained a reputation among hobbyists of producing models of outstanding quality and accurate scale detail, reflected in its longstanding motto "First in quality around the world." Tamiya is best known for its extensive range of scale plastic model kits covering military vehicles, aircraft, automobiles, motorcycles, and ships, as well as radio-controlled cars and its popular Mini 4WD line. In ship modeling specifically, the company is notable for popularizing the 1:350 scale for warship kits, launching its 1/350 Scale Ship Series in 1978 with the German battleship Bismarck, and later reviving the line with an all-new tooling of the Japanese battleship Yamato in 2011. The company also operates international subsidiaries including Tamiya America, Tamiya Europe, and Tamiya Philippines, and continues to be regarded as one of the world's leading and most influential model kit manufacturers.

Trident Model

1 kit

Trumpeter

5 kits

Trumpeter is a Chinese manufacturer of injection-molded plastic scale model kits, headquartered in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, just north of Macau, and operating under parent company ZhongShan YaTai Electric Appliances Co., Ltd. The brand began producing kits in the mid-1990s and grew rapidly into one of the most prolific model kit makers in the world, with all design, engineering, and mold-making (including spark erosion tooling) handled in-house at its Zhongshan facility. The company's catalog spans military ground vehicles, aircraft, cars, and especially ships across scales from roughly 1/700 up to 1/16, covering subjects few other brands attempt. Trumpeter is particularly renowned for its large-scale ship kits, including impressive 1/200 and 1/350 aircraft carriers and warships (most notably its well-regarded 1/200 Titanic), as well as highly detailed 1/32 aircraft and 1/35 armor. Trumpeter kits are known for extensive parts counts, frequent inclusion of photo-etched detail parts, and multi-version tooling that appeals to intermediate and advanced modelers. The company is closely affiliated with the more beginner-friendly HobbyBoss brand, sharing ownership and production facilities, and it also produces kits under license or OEM arrangements for other companies.

Vanguard Models

9 kits

Vanguard Models is a British wooden ship model kit manufacturer founded in 2019 by Chris Watton, a designer with over 25 years of experience in the hobby. Watton previously developed Amati's well-known "Victory Models" range as well as numerous magazine part-work ship model designs for publishers such as Hachette before launching Vanguard Models as his own independent, family-run venture based in England. The company is known for high-quality, historically accurate wooden model ship kits in 1:64 scale, featuring laser-cut wooden parts, photo-etched details, and fittings in wood, metal, and resin, with instructions written in English. Vanguard organizes its kit range into five skill levels—Novice, Amateur, Experienced, Advanced, and Master—to help modelers of all experience levels choose an appropriate project. Notable subjects in their catalog include British sailing vessels such as the HM Armed Cutter Sherbourne 1763, HM Cutter Trial 1790, and the Baltimore privateer schooner Grecian (1812), as well as various fittings, figures, tools, and accessories for ship modeling. Kits are distributed internationally, including through partners like Ages of Sail in the USA.

Woody Joe

2 kits

Woody Joe (株式会社ウッディジョー) is a Japanese wooden model manufacturer headquartered in Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Japan. The company traces its roots to a wood-crafting/materials supplier founded in 1947, and the present Woody Joe entity was established in 2002 when it took over the wooden-model division of Imai (formerly Imai Kagaku), a well-known Japanese plastic model maker. The name "Woody Joe" is derived from the founder's family name Tsuneki, combining "Jo" from Tsune and "Woody" (wood) from Ki. Woody Joe is widely described as the only dedicated manufacturer of wooden sailing ship model kits in Japan, and its catalog centers on wood construction kits with laser-cut parts for precision assembly. Their ship subjects range from famous Western tall ships and the age-of-sail era to traditional Japanese wasen (Edo-period boats) and modern Japanese vessels such as ocean liners, plus more unusual naval subjects like Japanese submarines rendered in wood. Beyond ships, the company is also well known for detailed wooden architectural kits depicting Japanese temples, shrines, and castles (tenshu), as well as portable shrines (mikoshi) and other traditional cultural structures, reflecting a broader focus on precision wooden craft models of Japanese heritage subjects alongside its sailing ship line.

YuanQing Ship Models

1 kit

YuanQing Ship Models is a Chinese wooden ship model kit manufacturer based in Beijing, named after its founder, Mr. Yuan Qing. According to a Ships of Scale kit review, the founder first saw a picture of a model sailboat online in 2005 and became hooked, at a time when no ready-made ship model kits were available in China and enthusiasts had to scratch-build from plans found on the internet. Seeing an opportunity, he began developing and producing Western sailing ship kits starting in 2006, despite early obstacles including a lack of manufacturing tools and limited industry experience. The company is known for wooden, laser-cut plank-on-frame ("full-rib") and plank-on-bulkhead kits of historic sailing ships in scales such as 1:50, 1:60, and 1:72, including subjects like the Bluenose schooner, San Felipe 1690 galleon, Royal Caroline, HMS Kingfisher, and a "Mayflower" model. Its Bluenose kit, released around 2020, was noted as the company's first plank-on-frame model and was designed using Rhinoceros 3D software; it was marketed as the only fully-ribbed Bluenose kit available at the time. YuanQing kits are frequently distributed through third-party retailers such as ZHL, which some modelers have mistaken for the manufacturer itself, and the company has also had a products agreement with another Chinese manufacturer, Luhaiqingkong Models, to cross-sell certain items like the Royal Caroline 1:30. No verified official company website or logo image could be confirmed through search; the brand is primarily documented via hobbyist forums (e.g., Ships of Scale) and third-party retail listings.