Portrait of George Washington by Jesse showing steps in the process of applying finish

Embossed Copper Repossee Art by Jesse Brennan

Jesse Brennan's Embossed Copper Portrait

from the author's collection

Double Flint Side-by-Side Shotgun

Here are pictures of the fitted wooden case and contents.

Color Case-Hardening a Lock

In this sequence Jud tightly packs the finely polished parts of a finished lock into a rugged steel box containing bone charcoal and buries the box in the middle of the lit forge, slowly bringing up the temperature to 1550 degrees F.

After the box and its contents reaches the correct heat, the parts are heat soaked for about 2 hours. At the end of this time, the entire contents of the box is dumped quickly into water. Surface hardening of the mild steel has now occurred and the polished surfaces have taken on beautiful oxidation colors as shown in the final picture.

Mansker Tomahawk Part Three

The finished tomahawk, forged from a rifle barrel with the rifling appearing in the bowl, final stain on the handle and careful aging of the entire piece. A turned plug for the draw hole has also been added.

The Mansker Suite: Tomahawk Part Two

In this series of photographs the engraving of the steel parts is completed, the handle is fitted and silver bands are attached to the bowl and the handle.

The Mansker Suite: Tomahawk Part One

Here is the tomahawk in the first stages of forging and early silver inlay and engraving.

Double flint side-by-side shotgun

The third and final (for now) in the series of European firearms is this extraordinary interpretation of a late 1700's "best gun" features gold lined pans, color case hardened locks and a patent breech. It comes with a fitted case as is consistent with the best and highest quality shotguns of the time, containing the standard accouterments, all created for this ensemble.

These pictures are of the shotgun itself taken under less than ideal conditions in a snowstorm this afternoon. These will be followed by pictures of the walnut case, as the lighting conditions improve.

From the authors collection