Tente

[www.doyouremember.co.uk]

I came across some of these building blocks once in a doctors surgery as a child.....

More...

[Emettman]

Re: Tente

Tente had a brief vogue in the UK around 1982-83 (? I can't be precise)
They did several ranges: one similar to Lego basic sets, Space ("Astro"), Transport, Army, and latterly a range of Transformer-style sets ("Roblock")
Above all, three ranges of waterline ship-building sets: grey warships, multicoloured merchant vessels and liners, and a futuristic set of ships which incorporated pieces from the Astro range.

There are always a good few examples for sale in eBay, often commanding high prices, especially the navy ships.

The same firm also produced, under the label Exin Castillos, brick sets purely designed for the building of castles,
and Exin West, which only made Hollywood western towns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMx9upBzFzY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGWIe...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73qQ8nX9-cs

What fascinated me at the time (though I didn't buy any *then*) was a feature unique to Tente which I saw demonstrated at Hamleys 1982-ish:
motorised waterline ship models, which would glide over a smooth surface, as if going through water. *Without wheels*

This was such an odd memory, and never seen again, that I was by early this century starting to doubt my recall, until I went hunting.
I now have three examples. They work by having a vibrating motor and backward-pointing bristles barely sticking out under the ship.
No youtube video, that I can find...
I have a destroyer and a hovercraft, now, and the effect remains a surprising ghostly one.

[Richard1978]

Re: Tente

I mentioned these in a posting a few weeks ago.

[davidthomas27]

Re: Tente

Here's a model I made back in 1996 and recently found the parts to make again - can you tell who it is?

[victorbrunswick]

Re: Tente

For a brief time I remember seeing adverts for Tente here in the US but for some reason I never saw them in the stores.

[davidthomas27]

Re: Tente

Here's a model I made back in 1996 and recently found the parts to make again - can you tell who it is?

[zabadak]

Re: Tente

Buzz Lightyear?

[davidthomas27]

Re: Tente

That's it!

[zabadak]

Re: Tente

[George 1978]

Re: Tente

I am certain that they were compatible with Lego bricks.

[davidthomas27]

Re: Tente

I've tried putting them together and I'm pretty sure they're not.

[Richard1978]

Re: Tente

I've tried putting them together and I'm pretty sure they're not.

I remember the studs on Tente bricks were bigger than the Lego ones.

[George 1978]

Re: Tente

I remember the studs on Tente bricks were bigger than the Lego ones.

They would have been a lot smaller than Duplo bricks, I assume.