Etched brass does what injected plastic cannot: it delivers detail thinner than a hair. Photo-etched parts for model figures cover belt buckles and helmet straps, harness clasps, spectacles, the microphones of field and aircraft radios, complete sets of American, German and Israeli infantry equipment, and sewing patches for naval fighter squadrons that can be painted and placed on a pilot's sleeve.
One fret usually carries enough parts to dress several figures, so a single purchase can serve a whole diorama. The guide below explains what etching actually is, how to separate and fold the parts, and how to make paint stay on bare metal.
A fret is produced by chemically etching a drawing into thin sheet metal, usually brass or steel. The result is parts a few tenths of a millimetre thick: belt buckles, chinstraps, harness clasps, goggles, canteen fittings and insignia so small that a plastic version would simply be a lump. Painted and fitted, they read as the real thing rather than a representation of it. The thinness is the whole point: a plastic buckle has to be thick enough to survive moulding, while a brass one can be as thin as the real strap it sits on.
Most infantry equipment sets target 1:35 model figures, while squadron patches and flying kit are cut for 1:48 model figures and larger. The scale is always in the product name, and patch sets name the units they belong to, so a figure can be matched to the aircraft standing behind it.
Cut each part from the fret with a scalpel on a hard surface, then ease the cut edge with a fine abrasive. Fold over a steel rule or in a dedicated photo-etch bender; brass is ductile and one accurate fold lasts better than three corrections. Keep the fret itself until the figure is finished, because the spare frames are useful for test folds.
Bond brass with the smallest possible drop of cyanoacrylate. Degrease and prime before painting, otherwise colour will not grip the smooth metal, and finish with matt acrylics so the part settles into the rest of the figure instead of glinting at it.
Bulkier equipment, insignia sheets and scenic extras are listed together under figure model accessories.
