Bob Browder and friends contributed an outstanding shooting rig that will get the job done in style. Browder created the richly colored, bark-tanned deerskin pouch. The bag comes complete with the tools of the trade, including a pan whisk and pick by Mark Hoover, Jr. and a handy powder measure by Jeffery Blazek. The set [...]

Muzzleloading enthusiasts love history, and bidders at this year’s CLF Fundraising Auction will have the opportunity to own a faithful reproduction of a truly historic artifact. Artist Barbara Smith has contributed her contemporary version of the “Tecumseh” powder horn from the collection of the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron, Nebraska. This horn features [...]

This year, the CLF Fundraising Auction is pleased to present an original painting by noted historical artist Dave Hasler. The painter is widely known for his accurate and evocative depictions of American history, from the Colonial era to World War II. Hasler’s painting, titled Wrong Place…Wrong Time is an original acrylic-on-canvas, measuring 13 x 19 [...]

Artist Verlin Cossel is a regular contributor to the CLF Fundraising Auction, and his creation for this year’s event is a unique take on a frontier classic. Cossel used high-carbon steel to craft this handy patch knife on a coal forge. The blade sports a richly aged patina and is paired with an antler handle, [...]

This knife is a collaboration by Heinz Ahlers and Paul Young. The 6 1/2-inch blade was forged at Woodbury in the style of “hammer close to the finish product”. The 1084 carbon steel has been left in its tempered blue color. The blue contrasts nicely with the copper bolster and rivets. Copper was used by [...]

Document boxes were a staple of every household. Compact and decorative, they offered a way to protect privacy. This item is a collaborative project by Kerry Masarik, Jeff Gier, Shelly Gier, and includes work by Jamie Gier. It began with the concept from accomplished fiber artist Kerry Masarik of Horn and Fiber. She created printed [...]

For this year’s CLF Fundraising Auction, Pennsylvania artist Sarah Miller has contributed her considerable skills with the creation of an outstanding hunting bag that’s both eye-catching and well-made. The gusseted bag is constructed of richly colored vegetable-tanned cowhide, and is hand sewn with linen thread. The bag features an additional interior pocket and is fitted [...]

Jonah Cain and Henry Bowman created this whimsical neck knife set for the 2025 Contemporary Longrifle Association annual auction. The double-edged dagger with mastodon tusk man-in-the-moon finial fits snugly inside what appears to be half a John Tansel engraved powder horn smashed to become a knife sheath. The power of good mentors is evidenced in [...]

The bag is made from one piece of bark tanned deerskin (tanned by Larry Callahan), hand sewn with waxed linen thread. It has an interior pocket sewn to the back of the bag. The bag strap is a mixture of deer, vegetable-tanned cowhide, and a piece of original woven strap. The powder horn was made [...]

This is a Barlow-style knife. A very common 18th-century design. Originally, the Barlow name was written in 2 lines, Bar Low. This knife is made of 1095 high-carbon steel. The blade has a typical 18th-century spear point tip. The bolster is decorated with raised ribs found on some of the better 18th-century folding knives. The [...]

3 different signed and numbered (limited editions of 100 each) prints. Size 8x11. They are giclee prints of Haudenosaunee warriors. They’re colored pencil originals done from photographs, and I have permission from the photographer to use them as references.

This gathering basket was woven from European cultivated willow that was raised and harvested on the Hast Farm in Ohio County, Kentucky. The intricately woven willow stems are nicely contrasted with a handwoven carrying strap, made from 8/2 cotton rug warp and wool, which was created on an Inkle loom. The pattern is a Baltic [...]

The bag and horn set represents a well-made set that could have been carried in the early 1800s in the eastern region of the country. The set was built around a gorgeous, banded horn by Tim Sanner, which serves as the centerpiece for the rig. The horn utilizes a natural gray/green coloration, and features turned [...]

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 hasn’t changed. For those hoping to set their headgear apart from the crowd, CLA artist Djuana Tucker has donated [...]

All projects recently came to a halt so that I could complete this in time for the CLF live auction submissions. As previously posted, Bill Smith was a HUGE influence in my leather journey. He taught me all he knew and would generously continue with advice, saying, “We won’t be around forever, and SOMEONE has [...]

This quilled knife sheath has been a truly rewarding project to work on. It’s inspired by an original piece collected among the Chippewa, according to its documented collection history. The original sheath is housed in the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian, and it served as the primary reference for creating this [...]

Period home decor is always a popular offering at the CLF Fundraising Auction, and this year’s event will feature a delightful piece by Angela McMullen. McMullen, a well-known folk artist in the CLA, has contributed one of her colonial-inspired Pennsylvania Dutch fraktur paintings. The piece depicts a pleasant pair of birds flanked by a traditional [...]

It may be that one could date this set by the size of the powder horn. I see it as 18th century, possibly used by a long hunter or someone who hunts more than most. Both pieces are homemade. Cowhide was used for the bag with a course hemp thread for stitching. The bag shows [...]

This finely handcrafted trio—a shooting pouch with woven strap, powder horn, and bag knife—captures the enduring legacy of 18th and 19th-century American craftsmanship, brought to life by the skilled hands of modern Missouri artisans. The shooting pouch, made by Travis Bauer, is both rugged and refined—a faithful interpretation of the kind carried by trappers, militiamen, [...]

This sash is special because it came to life during the Gunmakers’ Fair at Kempton in late July 2024. That was a weekend of perfect summer weather, with no rain expected, so I was able to set up my floor loom outside under my tent on the midway to weave this sash to donate for [...]

Black powder shooters can never own too many knives, and artist Lisa Williams created a frontier classic for this year’s CLF Fundraising auction. Forged from 1084 steel, the blade features a robust, hand-forged patina on a traditional profile. It’s an attractive collector-grade knife that nonetheless features a razor-sharp blade that will function well in the [...]

Reliable headgear for all weather conditions is an absolute must for the active outdoorsman. This year’s CLF Fundraising Auction will present the perfect set for bidders at the annual event. Emily Burns has contributed a matching set of cap and mittens that are both comfortable and period-appropriate. The cap is similar to a traditional Dutch [...]

For this year’s CLF Fundraising Auction, Pennsylvania artist Scott Bryan has created a classic hunting bag that evokes the legacy and heritage of the early frontier. Bryan’s heart-shaped, Appalachian-style bag is made from richly colored bark-tanned deerskin. The front flap is decorated with a trio of inlaid turkey tracks in a hue that tastefully contrasts [...]

This knife is by Chad Matthews of Silver Creek, GA. I forged the knife from 1084 high-carbon steel. The handle is an elk antler tine and sports a poured pewter bolster. I wanted to create a knife that captured the look and style of the 18th century, one that may have been seen in a [...]

This carefully crafted belt pouch has been donated to the Auction by Jay Blain. The pouch is a replica of a dispatch case carried by Silas Mann in the fight at the North Bridge during the Battle of Concord and Lexington. This is very neatly made with precise stitching and self-loops cut in the backside [...]

In 1770, when Samuel Hearne was exploring the Great Slave Lake in Canada, he encountered a tribe of Aboriginal people who used copper-bladed, yellow-colored knives. Fur traders soon began to refer to these people as Yellowknives, and the tribe’s home became known as Yellowknife, currently the capital of the Northwest Territories in Canada. The copper [...]

The hunting bag measures about 7” square, with the front panel and flap made from a hair-on cowhide. The hair is unusually long and brindled in color. The flap and opening edges are neatly bound with pigskin. The pocket edge is folded over and stitched for a smooth look and feel. Tyler’s stylish blade was [...]

David Allen contributed a breathtaking longrifle that began as a Chambers Early Lancaster kit. The rifle will make an excellent choice for an active hunter or target shooter. The rifle is built around a 44” C weight, .54 caliber swamped barrel and features the legendary reliability of a Chambers lock. Allen added subtle relief carving [...]

This Native style bag and horn set was made to accompany a Native style gun. The set was crafted by three 2024 CLA New and Aspiring Artists - Ron Turner, Christine Connolly Tolbert of Once Upon a Loom, and Kyle Lively of Three 21 Leatherworking. The horn was hand made by Ron Turner and measures [...]

For this project, I tried to imagine that sometime in the 1760s, a Native American gave a worn-out early English trade gun to a gun stocker and asked him to build a new gun. The lock was missing or beyond saving, so the gun stocker provided a Germanic lock. Once the stocker completed his work, [...]