2012 CLA Live Auction 4

I am loaning my blog for the posting of information and images about the 2012 CLA Live Auction that will be held on Saturday, August 18th, at the annual show in Lexington, Kentucky. MUZZLELOADER's own T.C. Albert is the auction chairman this year and has assembled an outstanding line-up of auction items. Even if you can't make the show and auction, I know you will enjoy the images.

Bill Scurlock

War of 1812 Midshipman’s Dirk by Glen Mock

The war of 1812 was ignited over our right to free trade and unrestricted shipping. To demand these rights, our fledgling maritime force had to square off with the king’s own Royal Navy. Britannia prided her ability to rule the seas, and her fighting ships and the sailors that manned them were some of the best disciplined and equipped in the world at that time. That didn't stop us from taking them on head to head, both on the Great Lakes and on the open oceans. Determined to fight with whatever means they had available, our brave fighting men were often forced to arm themselves as best as they could with their own private weapons instead of relying on the government to provide them with regulation issue, and this midshipman's dirk was just such a private weapon, and it would have found service in the hands of just such a man.

In honor of these fighting mariners, Glen Mock has crafted a very fine midshipman’s dirk for our CLA “War of 1812” live auction. Glen told us that, “This dirk is a copy of an original Napoleonic/War of 1812-period English/American midshipman’s dirk. It is not a bench copy, since I only had good photos and measurements to go by.”

Glen forged the double-edge blade from 1095 steel and crafted the guard from brass. He turned the handle from black walnut and capped the pommel in brass sheeting. According to Glen, the sheath was the hardest part of this project. Like the pommel cap, it was fashioned from sheet brass, as well as round and half-round brass wire. All of the scabbard’s seams were silver soldered. As a finishing touch, Glen closely copied the decorative period engraving style found on the original.

Glen stated, “I owe my knife-making start to my wife, and to my longtime friend Doug Delsemme. He encouraged me to attend a knife making class that Cousin Willy, Hershel and John House were teaching.” That seminar and those three talented teachers really helped to set him on his way.

Glen started shooting black powder in 1968 and in 1969, and built his first engraved powder horn then. He made a full-time living for several years as a horner/shrimshander, and as a silver and gold smith. Glen says that he also owes much to artisans like Ray Miller, Jerry Riness and many others that have helped him through the years. Besides making knives, Glen and his wife operate a guest ranch called the “Mockville Land and Cattle Co.” in Missouri, where they raise horses and cattle, and rent cabins to “city folks who want a taste of country life.”

Text by T.C. Albert

Photos by H. David Wright


For more information about the auction or CLA membership please visit: http://www.longrifle.com/ 

2012 CLA Live Auction 3

I am loaning my blog for the posting of information and images about the 2012 CLA Live Auction that will be held on Saturday, August 18th, at the annual show in Lexington, Kentucky. MUZZLELOADER's own T.C. Albert is the auction chairman this year and has assembled an outstanding line-up of auction items. Even if you can't make the show and auction, I know you will enjoy the images.

Bill Scurlock

“Joseph Stewart” Horn and Pouch Set

During the autumn of 2011, CLA auction chairman Tim Albert contacted me regarding a project for the CLA's 2012 Live Auction in Lexington. I agreed to make a shot pouch. Mark Ewing of Lincolnton, North Carolina, volunteered to make the powder horn, and Eric Van Alstine of Mexico, Missouri, offered to make a bag knife.

Tim found photos and specifications for a powder horn with provenance to the War of 1812. The powder horn was the property of Joseph Stewart, a veteran of that war. Tim sent this information to Mark Ewing, a member of the Honourable Company of Horners and the CLA. Mark produced a fine documentary copy of the Stewart horn and forwarded the horn on to Bill Carter who reproduced the scrimshawed inscription original to the old horn. Bill is also a CLA and HCH craftsman. Their combined work created an exacting copy.

Meanwhile I tried to find photos of a shot pouch that had been used in the War of 1812. My search being totally unsuccessful, I simply created a pattern for a double D shaped pouch typical of the first quarter of the 19th Century. I acquired a small deer skin and applied a darkened patina using various leather dyes. 

While this was in progress, Eric Van Alstine made a nice knife from an old file, carved a curly maple handle and fitted it with a cast pewter ferrule. Eric antiqued the finished knife with great results.

I obtained a reproduction old-time adjustable brass powder measure from Jim Chambers, an iron vent pick from Ed Wilde and a couple of antique iron buckles from Jerry Noble. A patina was applied to the measure. The bag was lined with a reproduction striped linen from Burnley and Trowbridge. The shoulder straps are leather. I made the pick and brush set using Wilde's pick, a brush handle from a modified cartridge case and bristles from an old shoe brush.

It was a great delight to see everything come together so well. Eric, Mark, Bill and I all worked on the project without a clear idea of what the other three were turning out. In the end the powder horn and knife were sent to me. All of the parts of the whole kit fit beautifully, and the proportions ended up being very pleasing to the eye.

When Mark Ewing sent me the powder horn he included the provenance which Tim Albert had provided. That information is in the shot pouch, and will be available for inspection at the auction.

Respectfully submitted,

Chris Barker – Dallas, Texas

For more information about the auction or CLA membership please visit: http://www.longrifle.com/

2012 CLA Live Auction 2

I am loaning my blog for the posting of information and images about the 2012 CLA Live Auction that will be held on Saturday, August 18th, at the annual show in Lexington, Kentucky. MUZZLELOADER's own T.C. Albert is the auction chairman this year and has assembled an outstanding line-up of auction items. Even if you can't make the show and auction, I know you will enjoy the images.

Bill Scurlock

Old Hickory Salt Horn by Harris Maupin

 

During the War of 1812, the extraordinary acts of heroism and bravery of many American patriots became legendary and their names were entered into the pages of history. For many, even after the war, these deeds served to advance their careers in ways they probably never dreamed of. The feats of General Andrew Jackson, especially at the Battle of New Orleans, successfully propelled his political career to the very heights of presidency the United States itself.

His was a house hold name, and his likeness was instantly recognizable by Americans everywhere. The Contemporary Longrifle Association is fortunate indeed that a craftsman as talented as Harris Maupin of Hillsboro Missouri carved that likeness onto a special “Old Hickory, Hero of New Orleans” salt horn and presented it to us for our special “War of 1812 Live Auction”.

Looking at this little treasure, you too will recognize General Jackson at once, just as you will recognize that it is true piece of contemporary American folk art at its finest. The CLA is honored to offer this fine one of a kind carving to you at this year’s event, and hope that you will join us as we commemorate the War of 1812 and celebrate our shared American heritage.

For more information about the auction or CLA membership please visit:

http://www.longrifle.com/


T.C. Albert

2012 CLA Live Auction

I am loaning my blog for the posting of information and images about the 2012 CLA Live Auction that will be held on Saturday, August 18th, at the annual show in Lexington, Kentucky. MUZZLELOADER's own T.C. Albert is the auction chairman this year and has assembled an outstanding line-up of auction items. Even if you can't make the show and auction, I know you will enjoy the images.

Bill Scurlock

"The 2012 Contemporary Longrifle Association’s Live Auction"

As chairman of the CLA live auction committee, I want to let you know that the 2012 Live Auction is definitely going to be quite an event. This is the bi-centennial of the war of 1812, and to commemorate the events of that War I asked for artists to volunteer that would keep this theme in mind and make a project that related to the War of 1812 in some way. Yes, I was a little afraid that this theme might scare a lot of artists away and limit overall participation, but as it turned out, the exact opposite was true. In no time at all we had over thirty artists making nearly two dozen separate items, which is the most ever for our annual event.

You might be thinking that with so many items, some of them might not be up to snuff, but rest assured that each and every item is the work of a master craftsman and worthy of a place in the finest collection or museum display. I’m not kidding about that, and one of our items is actually being showcased in the Tennessee State Museum’s special war of 1812 exhibit right now. Other items are true group efforts, where organized teams or dedicated individuals in some cases traveled hundreds of miles to various museums in order to measure and photograph specific artifacts that they wanted to replicate or bench copy.

What artifacts you ask? Well that’s what this special series of CLA auction blogs is going to tell you about. Every week between now and the auction this August we will introduce you to another one of our artists or artist teams and to the piece they have specially made for us. I’ve posted a few close ups of some of our auction items here for you to look at. Maybe you can guess what the items are, maybe you can’t, but either way I hope you have fun trying until you see the full story about each of them.   

I think you are in for a real treat. Not only will you be getting an advance preview of the 2012 live auction items, but you will have the chance to get to know these artists and learn a little about them and what they did to create this fine array of items. Along the way I’m sure you realize just like I have, that there’s no doubt about it, the 2012 CLA “War of 1812” live auction is definitely going to be quite an event.

For more information about the auction or CLA membership please

visit: http://www.longrifle.com/

TC Albert