This is an FYI post (spoiler alert), not a 'rush to buy' post

As most regulars here know, the '170 Brown Bess' by Humbrol was a vital part of the colonial marine color scheme. It was used for everything from the Pulse Rifle shrouds, to motion trackers, to hand welders, to belt tools. Its unique properties often look 'olive drab' in a low light, cool color setting. (which filmed with a blue filter, virtually all of "Aliens" appears this way). But it was the beloved "Brown Bess". Original Humbrol brown bess has LONG been discontinued. It was replaced by "Super enamel" Humbrol brown bess (of the same color code 170, but lighter and different in appearence). The reformulation was NOT the same. This is nearly a moot point because even the reformulated "Super Enamel" version was also discontinued. It is by all accounts a dead color!!! So we search for its equal...

Until now, sort of...
I introduce to you...a brand called "All Clad" and what they deem "British Brown Bess". Because they literally call it "brown bess", I felt it needed its own thread/review. This UK company is known for their 'airbrush ready' paint colors, typically famous for their chrome an metallic themes. It appears they also do military colors. Case in point: ALCE062-British Brown Bess.

Now without further adieu, it is 'ok'. It is NOT original brown bess. From other comps I have seen, I feel like this is more akin to the reformulated Brown Bess "super enamel". It looks good, but there is no doubt: This is NOT Alien Brown Bess. It is just OK...

Original formula brown bess on the right in all cases
Here is "cool color" bathroom lighting.


Here is "flash" on warm lighting



Here is low light basement lighting (no flash). Looks darn close here, but then most color comps look close in this light. Not really 'special'


All in all, it looks better than many of the 'store bought' colors on the market today (as documented in the spray can thread), but nothing seems to replicate the original.

The search continues...

I bought some when you said you got it. As a group I think it helps a lot if we can use colors that are easily made and applied.

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The impossible takes a while longer and goes over budget too...

I have been using alclad British brown bess on all my aliens props apart from my belt tool which i hand painted with humbrol 170. It is a very close match, well close enough for me to use anyhow and im in the UK so readily available!

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Happy Happy, Joy Joy

Has anything closer been found in the states?

I have not. Fortunately international shipping is becoming more and more common so foreign purchases are not a big deal any more. Just stay up on the order as sometimes customs loses things.

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The impossible takes a while longer and goes over budget too...

these look interesting. apparently brown bess is "brown grey, RAL 7013"




http://soldiersystems.net/2015/04/06/mi ... rban-grey/


https://www.airsoft-milsim-news.com/uf- ... le-colour/

heres two other possibilities.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vallejo-Model- ... 0373.m3226


https://www.ebay.com/itm/KHS-SCALE75-SC ... nav=SEARCH

May want to note the 'Vallejo brown-gray' listed on ebay/amazon states RAL7050 (not the 7013 the target 'brown-gray' claims) on the package. The 'brown gray' designation alone
may not quite suit our needs, but I am still curious to see the effect.

I've seen the RAL7013 listed a few times before. I wish it could come in something more practical than a powder-coat.

I cannot figure out why brown bess is so unattainable. Ive become interested after seeing all the posts about it. is it possible that a new color code is needed due to aging paint? sort of like how the humbrol greens look like they have an almost turquoise tint on some screen used armor?

And for those who have a true original humbrol can, does it look accurate against screen used stuff?

When painting my schotti armor i found that my humbrol 110 (light tan/sand colored) looked like two different colors depending on each can. mixing a lot vs mixing a little. I also think TE thins his paints. Look how they self level and have minimal brush strokes, that makes a distinguishing difference.

Age can be a component. The issue is that when they did the film they used what they could obtain and had on hand. The 80s was a bit of an odd creature as there was a lot of innovation and products changed drastically during the time period. The problem is that humbrol changed formulations making our iconic paint color hard to get. The fact they changed hands so many times pretty much doomed efforts to see any more of that formulation being made.

From Wikipedia:
Humbrol was founded in Kingston upon Hull as the Humber Oil Company in 1919. During the 1950s and 60s, Gerald Barton turned Humber Oil Company into Humbrol which developed a range of model paints and other modelmaking paraphernalia. In 1976, Humbrol became part of the Hobby Products Group of the international Borden, Inc. group. Five years later, Borden also acquired the French kit manufacturer Heller.

The Airfix model company joined the group in 1986, transferring its kit production to the Heller factory in Trun, Orne, France. In 1994, the group was acquired by an Irish investment company, Allen & McGuire, and the business was restructured under the Humbrol name. Heller was sold off in 2005 but continued to manufacture kits for Humbrol.

On 31 August 2006, following the collapse of Heller SA, Humbrol went into administration. It was announced on 10 November 2006 that Hornby Railways would acquire certain assets of Humbrol, comprising Airfix, Humbrol paints and model accessories and the Young Scientist brand for £2.6 million.

Humbrol is possibly best known for the enamel paints manufactured for use with plastic model kits. The archetypal container was a 14 ml tin with the lid coloured to illustrate the paint colour and an embossed reference number. Humbrol did, however, sell 50 and 120ml tins and spray cans in some colours. The 50ml enamel paint tins and spray paints are still available. The tins are called "Humbrol DIY".

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The impossible takes a while longer and goes over budget too...

awesome joker, well put.
ive found a few webpages that talk about "grey-brown" and its superior abilities to change color in differnet lighting conditions. I think that was a deciding factor in the choice to ise that color in Aliens.
It sure was effective in the film. today i got dollar general "premium brown" and walmart "camouflage deep forest green". i alternated misting coats back n forth for many coats.

the result was almost a flip-flop color. but im satisfied with it. just seems too dark and I cant seem to get a photo that represents what my eyes see. ha