T H E J O U R N A L O F T H E C O N T E M P O R A R Y L O N G R I F L E A S S O C I A T I O N VOLUME 4, NO. 1
WINTER 2013
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David Dittmer Cousin Dave Silver Smith
7 6 2 M O N R O E S T. , G A L E S B U R G , I L 6 1 4 0 1 • W W W. C O U S I N D A V E S I L V E R S M I T H . C O M
COLLECTING & CELEBRATING THE ARTISTS OF THE CONTEMPORARY LONGRIFLE ASSOCIATION SPONSORED BY BARRY AND DOROTHY MAXFIELD Merrill, Wisconsin
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T H E J O U R N A L O F T H E C O N T E M P O R A R Y L O N G R I F L E A S S O C I A T I O N
CONTENTS
Volume 4, No. 1 • Winter 2013 EDITOR Mel Hankla
2. EDITOR’S NOTE
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Art DeCamp Frank House William Russell Young
4. Pistols of the longrifle culture Mel Hankla
ART DIRECTOR H. David Wright
22. understanding the impact of tansel horn engraving on contemporary powder horns and related art Art DeCamp
PRODUCTION MANAGER William Scurlock COPY EDITOR Sharon Cunningham
38. From the Heart of pennsylvania Paul Gosnell
PHOTOGRAPHERS Ric Lambert Jan Riser ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Rachel Nolen
55. Book Review Building the Southern Banded Horn Reviewed by Mark Sage
RESEARCH DEPARTMENT Henry Bishop James Blake Dan Brawner Kyle Carroll
56. SOURCES & RESOURCES Russ Young
AMERICAN TRADITION is the official publication of the Contemporary Longrifle Association and is published twice a year for the membership. Annual membership dues are $50.00. To join the CLA or for more information, contact: The Contemporary Longrifle Association, P.O. Box 2247, Staunton, VA 24402. Phone: 540 886-6189. Email: cla@longrifle.ws. Website: www.longrifle.com Copyright 2013 by the not-for-profit Contemporary Longrifle Association, all rights reserved. Front Cover: Ric Lambert’s stunning front cover photograph features an elaborate silver wire inlayed pistol by West Virginia native Allan Sandy alongside a much smaller pistol by Jack Brooks (Colorado) built around an antique flint lock and brass barrel wrought by Ed Rayl.
CONTACTING THE EDITOR: For editorial inquiries, contact Mel Hankla at <melhankla@amhiss.com>, phone 270566-3370. Mail written material to: Mel Hankla, PO Box 156, Jamestown, KY 42629 Printed by Modern Litho Jefferson City, MO 65101 American Tradition
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Editor’s Note American pistols by Edward R. Anspach, Jr.
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he hallmark of American Tradition magazine has been high quality photography and this Winter 2013 issue is no different. However, bringing the work of CLA artisans together with our photographers continues to be our greatest challenge. The annual meeting in Lexington, Kentucky each August is the only time a majority of our membership gathers in one place. This meeting is our best opportunity to photograph our artisans’ work! I encourage every member to bring his or her best work for possible inclusion in our photography sessions. We are constantly on the search for future articles. Anyone who has an idea and the inclination to write, please submit an article proposal. Now to this issue. The first article, Pistols of the Longrifle Culture is one that I have long looked forward to presenting to our membership. Pistols have been a passion, both from the aspect of marksmanship as well as collecting. This interest has steered my life’s journey along a path that has introduced me to disciplined marksmen, women and talented builders of these compact artistic statements. Illustrations of assorted pistols, both antique and by CLA artisans, adorn the pages. Ric Lambert’s beautiful front cover photograph features an elaborate silver wire inlayed piece by West Virginia native Allan Sandy alongside a much smaller pistol by Jack Brooks (Colorado) built around an antique flint lock and brass barrel wrought by Ed Rayl. Next find Art DeCamp’s article on Understanding the Impact of Tansel Horn Engraving on Contemporary Powder Horns and Related Art. Well written, this piece theorizes that perhaps no other group of individual artists has had greater influence on American powder horns and/ or other related arts than the Tansel family. The history of the Tansel family and its move from Kentucky to Indiana makes this an important addition to previous publications on these American horn makers and points out the significance of this family in today’s Longrifle Culture. From the beginning, one of our goals has been to feature as many artists as possible in each issue. Following this endeavor, noted collector and benefactor Paul Gosnell, gives us From the Heart of Pennsylvania, which celebrates the region’s vast and lengthy heritage. He discusses that artistic excellence has carried on a 2
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tradition that has spanned more than two hundred years. The work of fifteen Pennsylvania artists is showcased; a quote from each describes personal feelings towards the impact, inspiration and importance of the Contemporary Longrifle Association. Once again, Russ Young’s popular column “Sources & Resources,” rounds out the issue, this time discussing Linseed Oil, and Mark Sage reviews the how-to book, Building the Southern Banded Horn by Scott and Cathy Sibley. As previously stated in the column, we believe articles about the art promote numerous peoples’ work more fairly. There is no doubt the CLA is the heart of the arts of the Longrifle Culture and through this publication we wish to serve our membership. The CLA facilitates interaction between artists, collectors, shooters and builders; in short, everyone whose actions, interests, or ways of life are influenced in some respect by the American Longrifle. Our continued goal is to educate, disseminate information, promote the association, its members and their art, and to produce not only a visually stunning publication but also an educational tool. I hope when you finish reading this issue you agree it continues to be a success. I now present Volume 4, Issue Number 1. Respectfully,
Mel Hankla
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Mel Hankla ear after year amidst the many nonstop conversations during the annual Contemporary Longrifle Association meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, I hear the comment from several prolific and talented gunsmiths, “I’m going to build a pistol someday…” But, when I see them the next year and ask, “Where’s that pistol,” they go into long, drawn out excuses why they just never got inspired to begin the arduous task. Nonetheless, each year a few makers do unveil their take on a muzzleloading pistol and I’m almost always amazed at their compact work of art. The manufacture of hand held firearms almost certainly predates 4
the use of shoulder arms. Long used in military situations, handguns were never primarily used for hunting. Just as today, pistols were the tools of protection in a household and/ or a backup arm during the hunt or Indian attack; it was a personal firearm. The Georgian period in England was the heyday of the flintlock pistol. The art and style of pistols evolved and gifted artists were creating masterpieces. The concern for accuracy became important in the 1770s when finely rifled barrels replaced smoothbores, and adjustable “hair-triggers” became common. Dueling seemed almost a fad among officers and gentlemen;
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thus pairs of elaborate dueling pistols in oak or mahogany cases, complete with shooting accessories, began to appear. In America, the Georgian period brought such tumultuous events as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the War of Independence. In April 1775, as the King’s troops advanced on Concord, Massachusetts, Paul Revere sounded the alarm, “The British are coming!” The “shot heard ‘round the world” marked the unofficial beginning of the War of Independence. The American Revolution ended in 1783 with the adoption of the Treaty of Paris, which recognized the independence longrifle
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This pleasing pistol is by C. Michael Miller, a full-time gun builder who forges many of the parts for his fine rifles, fowlers and pistols. A serious student of the longrifle, Michael is known for using proper techniques and traditional style. His level of workmanship reflects that of an 18th century gun builder.
of the American colonies. In 1789, the nation elected its first president, George Washington, and enacted the United States Constitution. All the while, the pistol was also evolving and becoming more popular. Most American pistols were stocked in maple or walnut. On rare occasions, however, we see a pistol stocked in apple, cherry or persimmon. Most were mounted in brass or silver, although in the south, a number of pistols are found with handforged iron mountings, following suit with the rifles produced by the same longrifle â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smiths. In a variety of ways, pistol making is a personal test of ability.
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It is extremely time consuming and challenges all the skills required to make a good rifle. The barrel, breech plug, tenons, sights, lock, sideplate, trigger, buttplate, trigger guard, thimbles, nosecap, inlays, all either have to be made or acquired, filed and finished, and then inlet. Wood must be chosen, barrel inlet, ramrod groove and hole drilled, the stock must be designed, shaped and carved to fit the hand, hold all of the many parts and hopefully still have nice lines and look good. Each and every component has to be created and assembled just as for a longrifle. In fact there is little difference between making a rifle and making a pistol except, how does one â&#x20AC;˘
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conveniently hold onto a pistol stock while working on it? Getting a grip on and maneuvering the smaller more shapely stock of a pistol into a solid yet manageable working position to carry out the inletting, shaping and carving can be challenging to say the least! Keeping everything in congress and maintaining flowing lines on this compact form is much easier said than done. On top of that, the gunmaker usually cannot expect to receive a rifle’s price for his labor of love, which required almost the same amount of time and effort to produce. In this 21st century the contemporary gunmakers’ world is one of luxury. We are not strictly bound to regional schools of gunmaking design and characteristics, as were the professional gunsmiths and tradesmen during the 18th and early 19th centuries. We also have the comfort of time, excellent and readily available tools, and we take for granted a well-lit comfortable place to work. Great intrigue must be experienced by anyone who mindfully takes a trip into the shop of an 18th century craftsman. He
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managed to cut down a choice maple tree with curl, rive out a board, saw out a well planned blank stock and hack with a hatchet the rough form of his envisioned finished product. Of course he had help, as most of the aforementioned tasks are at
least two-man jobs. Either he or his apprentices start to make the other components. It is arguable which task is the greatest—forging, reaming, rifling, and filing a piece of wrought iron into an accurate barrel, or forging, forming, filing, tempering
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Top: An original pistol with “WILSON . MENORIES . LONDON” inscribed on its barrel. Below: A similar contemporary example made by the late William Kennedy.
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James Barbar, son of Lewis Barbar, made this pair of silver mounted pistols adorned with extensive silver wire inlay. James apprenticed to his father in 1714, was free of the Gunmakers Company in 1722, and Master in 1742, He was appointed Gentleman Armourer to King George ll in 1741, and died in 1773.
springs, tumbler, bridle, fly, frizzen, lockplate and cock, polishing each part and assembling them into a fast, reliable, hot-sparking flint lock. And… we need to remember this was all done with handmade tools— saw, axes, chisels, hammers, vises, engravers, tongs and, to me, the most intriguing, files! What about sandpaper? No electricity, using only the light of day, his artistic urge turns into a utilitarian work of art of which we stand in awe some two hundred years later.
embedded in an antiquated longrifle culture that existed even before America’s fight for independence. However, most contemporary firearms are not replicas as they are so often mistakenly called. They are truly original works of art merely inspired by traditional arms. Utilitarian tools that were the sole purpose of the detailed prose in the second amendment of the United States Constitution, the part of the United States Bill of Rights adopted on December 15, 1791, that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Many contemporary artists strive to be very traditional, studying and using old methods, styles and tools. Other makers have a favorite geographic style of firearm and borrow heavily on “original” 18th century ideas of design using them as “food for thought,” or a foundation to build upon while following their own artistic urges. Following this line of reasoning, this contemporary artist is somewhat “re-inventing the
Celebrating the Old with the New In Volume 1., Number 1 of American Tradition, I was honored to present our membership with an above titled article addressing in detail the very core of our contemporary longrifle culture. That article commented that the basis of all modern inspiration, taking form and given the breath of life on the workbenches of CLA artisans, are truly concepts conceived long ago. The roots of the entire spectrum of art cultivated by members of the CLA are American Tradition
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wheel,” yet still builds acceptable period styled items regardless of the time period they are re-creating. There are those who take on the task of faithfully reproducing an existing antique firearm as closely as possible. Usually called a “bench copy” the original arm is laid on the bench to guide their disciplined endeavor. Explained in depth by Mark Silver in his series of articles in American
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Tr a d i t i o n these three philosophies or styles of gunmakers have been labeled Interpreters, New School, and Documentarians. Since the beginning of the Contemporary Longrifle Association much “peer pressure” has developed and we must admit that a great deal has been learned and shared about design and style. The CLA meeting of the membership and show in Lexington, Kentucky, provides an annual arena for makers to exhibit their creations. We humans are creatures of comparison and are admittedly our own worst critics; thus, by comparing one another’s work on a yearly basis, it is remarkable how the very existence of the organization has affected the growth in quality of this uniquely American art form. •
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Stand and Deliver! Dueling, an imported custom, by 1804 had become an American fixture. For another thirty years or more, its popularity would continue to grow. Original vs. Contemporary Most individuals build guns as a hobby and are not dependent upon income from their product allowing unlimited time on any particular project. This luxury of unrestricted limitation allows much of the art we encounter to be adorned in elaborate ways that would have rarely been found on original pieces. Many contemporary artists seem to have an irresistible desire to turn almost every creation into a sampler of ideas. Probably few, if any, original examples were built as fancy or artistically complex as most of the contemporary pistols and longrifles seen produced today. Which brings up questions about the definitions of a couple of words; original, meaning “first, initial or
Made by St. Louis gunmaker Phillip Creamer, this pistol was once owned by Andrew Jackson. Originally, it was a part of a cased set, reported to have been dueling pistols given by Jackson to his friend and fellow Tennessean, John Eaton. CLA member Bob Browner is building a copy of this pistol for the 2013 CLA fund raising auction. RIC LAMBERT
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