With regard to the recreation of traditional longrifles and accouterments, I base my work on original guns, pouches, and powder horns without trying to make an exact copy of any particular item. I try to imagine myself in the place of a particular 18th or 19th century tradesman and build a gun, pouch or horn that he might have created. I feel that there should always be something of myself in everything that I make, consistent with the stylistic elements of the maker, shop, or region that I am trying to re-create.
In an effort to put myself in the shoes of the original gunsmith, horner, or harness maker, I use as many period tools and techniques as is practical. While I do use some power tools for the initial roughing out, I still use planes, chisels, scrapers, rasps, and files as my primary instruments in the creation of a longrifle. Many of the same hand tools are used in the making of horns, but I do use a lathe for turning tips, bands and base plugs. The leather work is done entirely with period hand tools, materials and finishes. All the fitting and finishing work in my cabinetry is done with period tools and techniques. Most of my finishing is done in the 18th century manner using fine files and scrapers with very limited use of sandpaper and steel wool. This results in a somewhat rougher finish complete with tool marks consistent with the finish of the original products. That way, you get both the look and feel of the original item. My guns start from a stock blank, I hand inlet my barrels, and I also hand forge all my iron mounts.
All the work is done in the manner of an 18th century workman as much as is possible. This means getting the job done in the quickest and most efficient manner possible spending time only in those areas likely to be seen by the customer and to a level of finish expected by an 18th century customer. As the longrifles, shot pouches, and powder horns I recreate were made before the industrial revolution when everything was handmade, the expectation of the customer in terms of fit and finish was much lower than a 21 century customer who is accustomed to products being absolutely identical and perfect in every way.
My goal is to produce a functional gun, pouch, or horn of superior quality that looks like it came out of an 18th or early 19th century shop. That means that I don’t try to produce an item that is highly polished and blemish free. A gun stock or powder horn will have a scraped surface with occasional tool marks, blemishes, and in the case of a gun or pouch, a satin oil finish. Metal parts will be polished and heat or charcoal blued as they were in the 18th century and may have a patina added to simulate a few years of gentle use.
