For a third review in a row, I must thank the generous folks at Happy Hen Toys who donated this review sample. It is very much appreciated :-). I initially didn’t have any intention to obtain this figure, but now having it in-hand, I am glad I had the opportunity :-).
The Valais Blacknose is a breed of sheep (Ovis aries) that originated in the Canton of Valais, a region of Switzerland located in the Alps. Records of the breed date back to at least the 15th century, but it’s possible they are descended from sheep introduced to the Valais region during pre-Roman times. It is now a popular breed in other parts of Europe, especially England, and the USA. The Valais Blacknose is a dual-purpose breed, being used for both meat and wool.
The figure has a shoulder height of approximately 4.3 cm which would make it 1:16.7-1:18.1 for a ewe or 1:17.4-1:19.3 for a ram at two years of age; the figure cannot be sexed based on the sculpt. It has been pointed out on the forums that this figure represents a yearling, as it lacks horns (both sexes of Valais Blacknose have horns after a year old). A person on the STS forum who, if I am reading their comments correctly, breeds Valais Blacknose and has stated that it resembles one of their own yearlings. So, assuming this figure represents a younger sheep, the scales above should be taken with some caution. The sculpt has an incredible amount of detail in the wool and face. Interestingly, the bottom is stamped ‘Made in Bosnia’; I didn’t realize Bosnia produced PVC toys!
The base color is a semi-gloss white. I have to admit, I am not crazy about the gloss finish; I would have preferred a dull matte. Also, the sheep are not this white in real life, but rather a dirty off-white (a collector on the STS forum added a dirt wash to their figure and it’s a marked improvement). Other features are spot-on for this breed, including the black face and ears, black hooves, and black spots on the front knees. One feature of the breed’s standard that this figure lacks, however, is the presence of a black spot on the ankle (rear of the back legs). In female sheep, a black spot on the tail is desirable but it must not be too big. The eyes are a glossy black which stand out nicely against the rest of the black face.
Overall this isn’t a baaad representation of an animal often called ‘one of the world’s cutest sheep breeds’. Other than an overly glossy appearance and the lack of ankle spots, it is fairly accurate for a yearling Valais Blacknose. It’s hard to tell, but I think the only other figure of this breed made was also by Schleich in 2019 in conjunction with McDonalds restaurants in Austria and Germany. If I had my choice I would have preferred this figure to be a horned adult, but even as a yearling it joins my small domestic sheep herd which also includes the Papo Marino ram and CollectA Jacob sheep (next pic). This figure is available in the United States at Happy Hen Toys here.
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Nice little figure but I would have preferred a mature adult too. I might get it eventually. That Marino ram and Jacob sheep are much higher priorities though.
Interesting that it is made in Bosnia. The Schleich Gastonia is made in Portugal and the extant animals I have are made in Vietnam. Seems like a lot of manufacturers are moving out of China. I think most of my recent Mattel toys are made in Vietnam too.