Artisan Tom Greco is well known as a maker of distinctive, top-quality frontier art. Not surprisingly, he's contributed a standout bag and horn set for this years CLF fundraising auction. The body of Greco's unique possibles bag is crafted from goat hide, which is richly colored with a brown leather dye and a sealing coat of grease. The warm color of the bag contrasts nicely with the outer flap, as well as the flap of a smaller pocket, which...
While most blackpowder enthusiasts are outdoorsmen by nature, even the most die-hard frontiersman enjoys the comforts of home. For this years CLF fundraising auction, artist Patrick Thevenow has donated a fine piece of reproduction home dcor thats sure to tastefully complement a wide range of design schemes. Thevenows hanging wall shelf is inspired by an original set of built-in cupboards constructed by an Indiana cabinetmaker circa-1818. Fittingly enough, the piece is constructed of solid tulip poplar, the state tree of...
Tim Crosby and Marc Hamel teamed up to create a superb colonial era bag and horn set for this years CLF fundraising auction. The architecture of Hamels cowhide hunting bag is inspired by an eighteenth century engraving that depicts a rifleman wearing a similar bag. The bag is made from 2-3 ounce cowhide, tooled and dyed by Hamel. The main flap is 4-5 ounce cowhide, and the saddle stitching is waxed linen. The welt, edge binding and internal pocket...
Faithful CLA supporter and skilled craftsman Gary Tingler has created another outstanding hunting bag for this years CLF fundraising auction. This piece is a gracefully proportioned possibles bag entirely hand-crafted from hard-wearing buffalo leather, with edges bound in deerskin. The bag, graced with a rich brown patina, has a handy inner pocket, and comes complete with a pewter-capped pick and brush set handmade by Tingler. The bag, which is entirely handstitched in waxed linen thread, is paired with an...
During the Seven Years War, French military engineer Pierre Pouchot was intrigued by Native American warriors who habitually wore remarkably decorated knife sheaths as a badge of status. The Indians always have one suspended round their neck, explained Pouchot. Their knife is hung from the neck, he wrote, and falls upon the breastthey regard this property as sacred as their children. Attendees at this years CLF fundraising auction will have the opportunity to acquire a truly outstanding neck knife and...
Few pieces of tribal artistry are as visually captivating as the iconic neck knife of the eastern woodlands. For this years CLF fundraising auction, two of the nations top artists have teamed up to produce a truly outstanding example thats destined to become a treasured heirloom. Master cutler and CLA charter member Charles Wallingford hand-forged this knife from 1084 bar stock. Typical of the legendary Wallingford knives, the blade is razor sharp and sports a rich patina. The handle is...
CLA members are very often inspired by history in the creation of their art. A 2018 exhibition at the Georgia Museum of Art, which focused on the states early gunsmiths, prompted Georgia artist Ron Hess to create this fine bag and horn set for this years CLF fundraising auction. The oldest firearm at the exhibition was an 1815 rifle attributed to frontier gunsmith Richard Allen; the Allen rifle is accompanied by an original bag and horn which was duplicated...
One of the most vital pieces of equipment for blackpowder shooters is a rig consisting of a watertight horn and a dependable possibles bag, and this years CLA auction will afford bidders the opportunity to own a truly exemplary set by artist Doug Warren. Warren's bag is a fine collectors piece that will be perfectly at home in a display case or in the field. The artist utilized period-appropriate materials for the entire bag. Crafted from 3 oz. deerskin...
For this years CLF fundraising auction, Ohio artisan Ben Hoffman chose to reproduce an original piece made in the Great Lakes region that dates from the 1760s. True to artists exacting standards, both the knife and sheath was entirely hand-crafted. Hoffman salvaged the steel for the knife blade from an antique buggy spring, which was then hand-forged using a vintage hand-crank-powered coal forge. The basic shape of the blade was crafted using a hammer, tongs and anvil. Most of the...
Jack Weeks and Rick Lorenzen have partnered once again and the result is a bold bag and horn set. They are both artists and craftsmen who continuously research early American history and the evolution of hunting accoutrements. This is the fourth year the guys have been collaborating using 18th century materials and techniques. They want this handsome rig to be loved and used by a contemporary hunter who will pass it down as a family heirloom. Jack has selected a...
During the 18th and 19th centuries, no self-respecting gentleman or scoundrel, for that matter would consider venturing into public without a hat. For the modern-day frontiersman headed for the range, the rendezvous, or the woods, that hasnt changed. For those hoping to set their headgear apart from the crowd, CLA artist Djuana Tucker has donated a unique quill wrapped rawhide hatband to this years fund-raising auction. Typical of Tuckers work, the piece is constructed with historically appropriate...
Modern outdoorsmen are in perpetual need of a reliable knife, and collectors can do no better than a blade by prominent knifemaker Glen Mock. A renowned bladesmith and faithful supporter of the CLF fundraising auction, Mock donated a classic frontiersmans knife to this years event. Mocks blade was painstakingly hand forged from 1084 steel and fitted to a traditional antler handle. The handle is decorated with a hand-cast pewter bolster and a German silver end cap. The knife comes...
A truly unique offering in this years CLF fundraising auction, the Ozarks Trekker set is the collaborative creation of four Missouri artists and constitutes a superb decorative display for the home. This collection pays homage to Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, who explored the Ozarks over the winter of 1819 and later published an account of his journey. O.J. Stone hand forged a classic frontier hunting knife from 1095 carbon steel, and fitted the blade to a hard maple handle. The style,...
One of the keystone offerings of this years CLF fundraising auction is the collective creation of eight CLA member artists. Christened the Saga of the Longknife by its creators, this piece constitutes a stunning, mixed media sculptural set composed of superbly executed, functional art. The entire set is created around a folk-art carving by artist Matt Fennewald, who used a mix of woods including pecan, walnut, and cherry to assemble the body of the sculpture, which is scaled...
The hunting pouch, explains Kentucky artist Bill Smith, is an icon of the American frontier used in the 18th and 19th centuries. But the modern frontiersman remains in need of a reliable bag for the woods or the range, and for this years CLF fundraising auction Smith has once again donated one of his renowned hunting bags. Smith's bags are widely regarded for their robust functionality, and this piece exceeds expectations. The body of the bag, which is made from...
Few weapons capture the artistic grandeur of the flintlock era quite like a refined gentlemans pistol, and this year the CLF is pleased to present a truly stunning example by gunsmiths Ken Stanley and Chuck Edwards. Inspired by a pistol originally created by Pennsylvania's legendary Kuntz family of gunsmiths, Stanley created this exquisite handgun around a .54 caliber, 10 3/4, rifled barrel, stocked in curly maple. Stanley entirely scratch built the sterling silver furniture for this piece, including the...
Text by Simeon England A collaborative effort by Simeon England, Kyle Willyard, and Shelly Gier, this tomahawk is heavily based on Englands research into early belt axes, referred to as polled tomahawks in the period, carried by backcountry frontiersmen. Though a bit more refined than what would commonly be seen on the frontier, the engraving and level of finish are similar to many existing examples of pipe tomahawks made by colonial gunsmiths. England and Willyard worked together in forging the tomahawk,...
In November of 1766, the English firm of Robert Cary and Company issued an invoice for miscellaneous goods to an up-and-coming Virginia planter who was largely tethered to the mother country for the manufactured goods necessary on his plantation. For various items including silk, nails, buttons, and cheese, George Washington was billed the respectable sum of 161. Included in the shipment was one item clearly intended for a gentleman of standing: 1 fine pocket knife, London made, for the...
The annual CLF fundraising auction routinely offers the finest in contemporary frontier art, but Brian Barkers striking contribution to this years auction has the looks of a centuries-old original. Barker crafted the hunting bag from bark tanned deer hide, warmly aged and hand sewn with linen thread. The interior of the bag is lined with linen fabric, and appears to have been repaired with a swatch of pillow tick. The strap for the bag is made from heavy duty vegetable...
For many early American history enthusiasts, living with a tangible connection to the past can be a way of life. This years CLF fundraising auction will feature a delightful set of cooking utensils that will be equally at home around a campfire or in a 21st century kitchen. Blacksmith and CLA member Greg Bray has crafted a full set of hand-forged cooking implements based on original 18th century examples. The set includes a ladle, a serving or cooking fork, a...
Every blackpowder shooter needs a dependable patch knife in his kit, and this years CLF fundraising auction will afford attendees the opportunity to own a truly fine example by knifemaker Verlin Cossel. Cossels patch knife is an evocative classic that conjures images of the early American frontier. Starting with reclaimed steel from an antique hay rake tine, Cossel handcrafted the blade at the coal forge in his home workshop. The blade is fitted in its tastefully-aged antler handle with a...
Chris Crosbys fine contribution to this years CLF auction represents, he explains, a piece that would have been carried by a man of middling means, to service his smooth rifle or fowler. The body of the bag is made from vegetable tanned calfskin and the bindings on the flap and at the throat of the bellows panel are bark tanned sheepskin. The bags rich coloring was achieved with the artists own resourceful mix of crushed willow and oak charcoal,...
