The Best Ship Model Kits (Occre vs Artesania vs Billing Boats)

Comparison, 3 kits 3 manufacturers, Occre, Artesania Latina, Billing Boats.

Welcome to our latest video, where we dive into the world of model ship kits from three renowned manufacturers: Occre, Artesania Latina, and Billing Boats. Whether you're a seasoned model shipbuilder or a newcomer to the hobby, this comprehensive comparison will help you choose the best kit for your next project.

In this video, we will:

Unbox each kit and give you a close-up look at the contents.
Discuss the quality of materials provided by each manufacturer.
Highlight the differences in instruction manuals and ease of assembly.

Join us as we explore the craftsmanship and attention to detail that sets these kits apart. Whether you prefer the historical accuracy of Artesania Latina, the robust design of Occre, or the intricate details of Billing Boats, this video has something for everyone.

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth reviews and comparisons of the best model kits on the market. Hit the notification bell so you never miss an update!

[joshualopez]

great video, as someone trying to get into this hobby i am basically binge watching all your vids haha

[DayTwo-wn]

Why is everyone condemning Billings? The plastic hull is ideal for RC. Your comparison of the 3 is not fair as the Billings is in a different category.

[dougthomson]

Billing’s Boats are outstanding kits. How you managed to select a plastic build is beyond me … they are clearly identified. To be fair to Billing’s I do think you need to obtain a wooden boat kit from them and start over with their segment. Their advanced models are particularly good. I’ve built the Danmark twice thanks to a three year old (he’s now 46) who was demonstrating tumbling and that was the end of the Danmark. Tumbling was great though. The second kit was actually much more detailed and than the first and turned out very nicely. Rigging the second Danmark was much more of a challenge and required completely new strategies from the more simple kit. It required different tools as well. I also built the Victory which was much different to the Danmark with different challenges.

[jayfluegel]

Was looking forward to watching this video, however, the music drowns out more than half the dialog. You put lot of time and effort into making the video please lose the music. I would assume if you were having a conversation with a friend you wouldn't have music blaring to the point you couldn't understand each other.

[simonfunwithtrains]

I have built many wooden boat kits over the last 50 years quite a few A L but only one Billings boat kit, probably tells you all you need to know. A very thorough review of these three models, although I found the back ground music a little distracting.

[genojoe]

Well done! This was a fantastic review of all three ships and I totally agree with you. It's almost like the best combination of the three would be OcCre for the wood, AL for the brass details, and Billings to get your money back.

[richardweiner]

Nice comparison. From time to time the music drowns you out. I would be interested in a full build of the OcCre model. Thank you.

[TheClassxxfan]

well, i'm really enjoy the Marie Jeanne by billing boats, ive changed a few small things based on research and seeing other people's builds, but the detail is superb

[tedmouser]

It looked like your videos would be quite enjoyable, but for the LOUD background music. The music was so LOUD that all I could catch were a fleeting image as I really tried hard to make sense of what was being presented. Please, I beg you to shut off tyne fluff so I can understand what's being presented. Thanks!

[grackleone]

Thanks for the vid. The music is a bit loud at times.

[GregWilson]

Great comparison video. Totally agree with you regarding the kits. I have the Billings Boats HMS Victory and the instructions are poor, the rigging instructions are terrible and the wood quality average at best.

[wayshrtgrad]

I've only built 2 Occre kits and working on an AL kit at the moment. I absolutely despise the fact that no plans were given with the AL kit as they want to "save on paper". There are a ton of measurements and explanations missing. Of course I'm an amateur ship builder coming from plastic/wood aircraft the past 20 years, so I've got a lot to learn still.

[pierremainstone-mitchell]

Your observations reinforce my long held view that Billing Boats are aiming for the lower end of the market. If you accept that and/or they have a kit that nobody else has then their 'deficiencies' can be tolerated!

[wolfgangzinn]

In my experience, models from OcCre have the nicer wood, but building instructions on paper (including 1:1 plans) are often not as detailed and do not come with a stand. In addition, the rigging twine is very fluffy. Artesania Latina usually has only linen wood, relatively thin frames and you always have to paint to get colour, plus there are no plans on paper, but sometimes finer details. Sorry, but the plastic boat from Billing Boats is a no-go (my Bluenose also had plastic parts).

[davidbell]

After 60 years of modeling ships, my opinion is A. L. is your biggest bang for buck. Occre is pricy and good. Billings is very close to scratch building. Billings is probably my favorite. Expect to carve the ornamentation. The wood stock in all isn't very important. You are modeling. I built the Billings Royal Yacht. Beautiful mahogany for hull planks. Then they suggested to paint them white.

[johnjones]

I can understand why you're less keen on the Billings model, but surely a little research would have revealed that it had a plastic hull and deck. I've built or am in the process of building 3 Billings models so far, one with a plastic hull and 2 with planked hulls, and in each case, I knew whether I was getting a wooden or plastic hull before purchasing. My main gripe would be the instructions or lack thereof. That said, a close examination of the diagrams usually tells you what you need to know. Usually, but not always.

I like what you're doing here, but please turn the music down a bit.

[muddlersworkshop]

It all comes down to whether you want to assemble a kit of a ship then you want all the timber to be the same. If you are going to build a model of a ship then then the timber size is irrelevant as A good builder can handle the difference in timber size and it all has to be sanded so thickness dose not mater. But yes, I agree with your sentiments about the Billings boat kit is the same as mine.

[anguscampbell]

I’ve just come across your channel and I like your content and style. You seem like a nice chap but you sure have attracted a bunch of cranky wankers in the side galleries. I follow several modeling channels and many feature a pleasing musical track, but you might want to find a track with a flatter volume profile in order to let your calm and easy voice to stand out.

I think that your side by side comparisons of model kit manufacturers is unique among modeling channels and I find it interesting and useful. I have built A.L. and Model Shipways kits and enjoy learning about other vendors, but the Billings kit just about made me puke on my cat when I saw the plastic. You potentially save me some money there. Considering that Billings claims to have invented the model ship concept, their plastic hull was a disappointment.

Thanks for the great vids and I look forward to more. Cheers from the Chihuahuan desert, USA

[korbendallas]

Very interesting topic, but I had to stop watching due to the horrible "background" music. Maybe next time!

[philsreef]

Typical Billing kits are so poor. Shame really as they have some of the nicest ships ever built. I’m just finishing off the Calypso from Billing and it’s been a challenge understanding the instructions and missing parts. They tend to have part numbers on the diagrams but the part does not exist on the parts list. I’ve already got the Soleil Royal from AL and San Felipe from Occre as my next build.