Saturday, November 16, 2019

A Beautiful Quilled Otter Skin by Djuana Tucker


Several years ago I asked my good friends Heimo and Edna Korth, who trap for Marten Fur on the Southeastern slopes of the Brooks Range in far Northern Alaska, so keep a look out for a nice land otter to make into an otter bag. Heimo says that Edna told him where to put the trap and he caught one of the largest river otters I've ever seen! The first group of pictures show the otter as I received it. Heimo had generously skinned out and preserved the claws. The two skins that Heimo brought me are shown by an "Alaskan Yardstick" which, if you look closely is 48 inches long! The larger skin is the one I selected for my bag.






I met Djuana Tucker, an expert traditional quill artist, at the CLA Show August of 2018. She was willing to take on this project of creating a beautiful work of art with quill decoration of this otter skin. The finished Quillwork Bag is shown in detail in the following photos.




Finally, here is a photo of the author beaming with joy
holding his new found treasure!





Saturday, November 9, 2019

Life in Alaska: The Ups and Downs!

Hello valued readers! Your host at this website has been "offline" for 6 months. I'm back and the previous post features a preliminary look at a new spec pistol from Jud that is for sale. Three active Jud collectors are currently looking at it so interested parties are urged to move fast!

In the meantime, I will regale (some might say bore) my readers with tales of woe from Alaska.

Like much of our country over the past year, Alaska has been beset by very unusual weather which has created major difficulty for us.

This included a very warm dry spring with ferocious forest fires very close to Fairbanks/North Pole area for the months of June and July, blanketing us in thick smoke with visibilities down to as low 100 yards in early July. This persisted, closing off any planned travel in my airplane for those months since the entire Upper Yukon Valley was closed to general aviation with more than 11 fires burning in the Chalkyitsik area near the Canada border alone and the Ft. Yukon Airport closed to all traffic for several days. Then around the 1st of August came rain rain and more rain - putting out the fires (a good thing!) but again interfering with air travel and making the trail to my cabin impassable with muck.

Several items of good news:

First, is that Jud had the use of a friend's backhoe for a few weeks and was able to accomplish several major projects at his farm that had been planned but unfinished for many years.

Second, Jesse, Jud and I were able to attend the CLA in Lexington at the unveiling of the Anniversary Raffle Rifle that Jud, Jesse and Seth prepared as a family project for the big 25th anniversary of the CLA.  We are looking forward to the next CLA in late October which is a much better time for Alaskans since we don't like to leave Alaska during our brief but usually splendid summer!






 This is my runway. 1200 hundred feet long and the smoke obscures the end!






A New Pistol: SOLD!

THIS PISTOL HAS FOUND A BUYER! YEA!!!

Here is a new spec pistol from Jud! - just completed. It is clearly in the Cumberland style of Simpson and others of the later flint era in the Cumberland Valley.
8 1/2 inch .45 cal swamped barrel
All hardware is silver
Modified Siler Lock
Nicely engraved in the appropriate motifs

Jud is asking $4700 for this beautiful and nicely balanced piece. It is a tack driver with great sparking ignition. I have a wooden box made by Jesse ready to pack it in and ship - purchaser pays shipping and insurance through USPS (not very expensive and worth it for the insurance and exceptional handling).

Three gentlemen, all Jud collectors are currently looking at this so it will go fast!

More pictures will follow - I neglected to photograph the full length of the barrel from the top showing the graceful swamp of the barrel which contributes so much to its balance and feel! The muzzle picture does hint at the swamp.











Thursday, May 16, 2019

SOLD! Entry Level Flintlock Christian's Spring Rifle SOLD!

Details will follow and (hopefully!) pictures of the completed rifle.
Rumor has it the a second "Entry Level" Judson Brennan Rifle is "in the works".
Will it be a shooter for some lucky buyer at the July 4th Delta Primitive shoot?
Stay tuned!

Friday, May 3, 2019

Jud's Apprentice Kade Skidmore's Latest

When I arrived at Jud's shop last Friday, Kade Skidmore, Jud's apprentice, was skillfully laying out the design for relief carving on the cheekpiece side of a new rifle he is building. I wish I had taken a photo of him drawing the perfect "C" scrolls and acanthus patterns on the stock but I was sidetracked but the beauty of the damascus pattern on the English Rifle barrel.

I did manage to capture the following pictures of Kade's new project. And, by the way, Kade made the double set triggers from scratch!






Friday, April 26, 2019

A Chance to Own a Genuine Brennan Po Boy for $3700

Jud has been working on completing another rifle in semi-secrecy and it is set for completion when the English Rifle is done. It is fully shaped, inletted and nearly ready for staining the stock. It is a beautiful and graceful "basic" or "entry level" authentic and historically correct flint Po Boy style rifle with poured pewter forend and very nice incised and relief carving. This rifle is in the style of Henry Albright, son of Andraes Albrect of the Christian's Spring school.  



















The English Rifle Damascus Revealed!

This past week has seen a flurry of activity and near completion of the English Style Rifle. The most important has been long anticipated - the acid etching of the barrel to bring out the beauty of the Damascus Twist. This requires "reagent grade" sulfuric acid, which, unfortunately was not quite the grade that I sourced from the local tannery. However, it did the job and results, shown here for the first time is spectacular!

All that remains to finish the rifle is finishing and engraving 3 screws - the 2 lock plate screws and the tang. Jud has assured me that these will be finished by next Friday. and then this crowning achievement of Jud's art and craftsmanship will be complete and ready to join the other English Best Gun in my collection: Jud's masterpiece cased double barreled flint shotgun.