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aka_mythos wrote:

Mattlov wrote:Some of Ral Partha's stuff is still produced by Iron Wind Metals, but I doubt any of the really old stuff still is.

Iron Wind Metals, is Ral Partha's US division. I believe they changed the name due to restructuring.

It is a different company, technically. Even if some of the workers are the same and it is in the same building.

Mattlov wrote:

aka_mythos wrote:

Mattlov wrote:Some of Ral Partha's stuff is still produced by Iron Wind Metals, but I doubt any of the really old stuff still is.

Iron Wind Metals, is Ral Partha's US division. I believe they changed the name due to restructuring.

It is a different company, technically. Even if some of the workers are the same and it is in the same building.

RalPartha was bought by FASA, and FASA was bought by WizKids. In 2001, WizKids wanted to spin off RalPartha from it; to separate corporate holdings, assets, and taxes. That spun off company was Iron Wind Metals. Iron Wind Metals is all the casting and sculpting part of RalPartha that existed separately before. The only difference between RalPartha and Iron Wind Metals is the name and who they license the IP to produce miniatures.

Kroothawk wrote:Again:
Ral Partha is still existing and selling most of their miniatures under their original name:
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/
No need to find obscure Iron Wind or Dark Sword sources.

There's alot of figs there, but I have a feeling it's only a fraction of the sculpts Ral Partha produced in it's history. Also, it's likely that any companies selling Ral Partha sculpts under new names are selling sculpts not offered by Ral today. All this to say, folks looking for newly produced Ral miniatures would do well to investigate all their sources.

Iron Wind, is a different case altogether, as mentioned previously, it's essentially Ral in America and produces many of the same miniatures as Ral Partha Europe.

Anyone know, between Ral Partha Europe and IWM, who is the owner of the figs and who is the licensee? I have a feeling that IWM holds the figs, but I don't know for sure.

"Ral Partha Europe Ltd" is the European distributor from before "Ral Partha's" purchase by WizKids, because of preexisting agreements between the Ral Partha and its European distributor they retained the rights to continue to distribute and produce the minitures from before the Wizkid's purchase. That agreement appears to be one reason Iron Wind Metals had to take on a new name, rather than go back to being called "Rall Partha." Everything Iron Wind Metals has produced since then, "Ral Partha Europe Ltd" sells by a licensing agreement.