Days of Old

Bruce Bump said:
Rex, In the Rockhammer pic I'm the guy with the clubbed left foot. :) note: if you hold the control key down and push the + key you can see me better. I was thinner back then.
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Thinner back then? Looks like you were older too! You sure you aint' a vampire?? You know they do age well! SO that is where you honed you knfemaking skills, you're really like 300 years old, and got to practicing a while, just stay out of the sunshine, no garlic or crosses.....come to think of it, I've never seen you in the day time....not that I've ever seen you, so maybe that shouldn't count I don't guess...but it does make me think....

Just pickin' at you buddy, I too really love to see those old pics like that, especially the ones that have so much detail in the pics. Those men in these pics, are what built America into the country she was! At a time when pride in a days work meant more than a check or holidays. Great pics, Rex
 
That method of gun barrel is such a lost art and will likely never come back. It seems to take more than one smith to accomplish.

I have a double with twist barrels made by "John Bucannon" with external hammers. Its in real rough shape. I also have about a dozen barrel cut offs from twist damascus. Its so amazing how thin wall they are and still in good condition. Unbelievably good welds and perfect patternings.
 
I am sure it took two or more working together to get all those welds to be proper.
A few years back I would see those old doubles in Damascus come through a Gun store I worked & Sold my knives through. I was waiting for the right one to buy but the money ran tight and them the store closed.

When they first started selling Modern steel Shotguns, No one would buy them because they thought they might blow up.
So the started painting the Damascus pattern on the barrels and people would then buy them.

Funny how things change!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
Have you chaps seen some of the bits my friend Mick Maxen has made?

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I know he admires your work Bruce - maybe a wee collaboration could be arranged. :D
 
Stew said:
Have you chaps seen some of the bits my friend Mick Maxen has made?

DSC_8005-copy-1.jpg


I know he admires your work Bruce - maybe a wee collaboration could be arranged. :D
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Yes, I remember a few years back this subject brought Mick's work to the surface. He is the only smith I know that is doing this the traditional method. Stew is he still working on the gun barrels? He was getting some nice short barrels last I heard from him.
 
I don't know if he is or not to be honest. I'll ask him. Might even get him to pop over here and chime in himself. :)
 
Hello all. Thanks to Stew for putting this photo up of my work.
I was asked many years ago to make some Damascus Salesmen Pieces for Holland & Holland. The idea was to show the process in one complete piece of damascus, from individual layers to twisted bars. Then welded up into a barrel with part of that polished and etched. The idea never took off as they wanted to sell them for less than I could make them for. It was an interesting project working out how its done and I made a few short sections of barrel damascus.

I shall have a look for some more photos and try to put them up here.

Mick
 
mick maxen said:
Hello all. Thanks to Stew for putting this photo up of my work.
I was asked many years ago to make some Damascus Salesmen Pieces for Holland & Holland. The idea was to show the process in one complete piece of damascus, from individual layers to twisted bars. Then welded up into a barrel with part of that polished and etched. The idea never took off as they wanted to sell them for less than I could make them for. It was an interesting project working out how its done and I made a few short sections of barrel damascus.

I shall have a look for some more photos and try to put them up here.

Mick
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Mick,
Great looking Damascus. H & H wanted to sell something less expensive? That's a first! lol.

I have always marveled at Holland & Holland's Rifles etc... A bit out of my price range. For me, it's hard to beat a Remington 700 right out of the box!

Post some more pics please if you can?

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com/
 
Here is a photo of a Salesman piece. This is not my work. As you can see it shows the whole process in one piece,

Damascus1.jpg


Here are some photos of my work. Another view of the short barrel shown above,

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Here is another short barrel. I think there are about 12 full turns of one piece of twisted bar in this.

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From my messing about with barrel welding came an idea to make rings. I quickly decided that making things to fit people was just going to be a headache. I came to this conclusion when I made the ring below to fit a finger on my right hand and it did not fit. Luckily it fits the same finger on my left hand. The width of the band is 3/8" or about 10mm.

damascusring.jpg


Another view of the same band before being lined in silver along with another band of barrel damascus. The weld lines on the larger piece are through the centre of what looks, in places like hearts.

stacked-rings-copy.jpg



Mick.
 
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