BlackPowderMag.com Flintlock Rifles and Black Powder Guns

1760’s Hunting Rig  by Jack Weeks, Rick Lorenzen and John Leach   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 ... Read More »

Hand-forged hearth cooking set by Greg Bray     For many early American history enthusiasts, living with a tangible connection to the past can be a way of life. This year’s 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 ... Read More »

Possibles bag by Gary Tingler            Faithful CLA supporter and skilled craftsman Gary Tingler has created another outstanding hunting bag for this year’s 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, ... Read More »

Antler handled frontier knife by Glen Mock 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 frontiersman’s knife to this year’s event. Mock’s blade was painstakingly hand forged from 1084 steel and fitted to a traditional antler handle. The handle is decorated ... Read More »

Polled Tomahawk and Sheath by Simeon England, Kyle Willyard, and Shelly Gier A collaborative effort by Simeon England, Kyle Willyard, and Shelly Gier, this tomahawk is heavily based on England’s 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 ... Read More »

Double Beaver Hunting Bag by Bill Smith “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 year’s CLF fundraising auction Smith has once again donated one of his renowned hunting bags. Smith’s bags are widely regarded for their robust ... Read More »

1760’s Great Lakes Knife and Sheath Set by Ben HoffmanFor this year’s CLF fundraising auction, Ohio artisan Ben Hoffman chose to reproduce an original piece made in the Great Lakes region that dates from the 1760’s. True to artist’s 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. ... Read More »

Saga of the Longknife One of the keystone offerings of this year’s 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 ... Read More »

Classic beaver tail hunting bag by Doug Warren 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 year’s CLA auction will afford bidders the opportunity to own a truly exemplary set by artist Doug Warren. Warren’s bag is a fine collector’s piece that will be perfectly at home in a display case or in the ... Read More »

Quilled hatband by Djuana Tucker 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 a unique quill wrapped rawhide hatband to this year’s fund-raising ... Read More »

Calfskin hunting bag by Chris Crosby Chris Crosby’s fine contribution to this year’s 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 bag’s rich coloring was ... Read More »

Frontier Georgia bag and horn set by Ron Hess and Marc Hamel 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 state’s early gunsmiths, prompted Georgia artist Ron Hess to create this fine bag and horn set for this year’s CLF fundraising auction. The oldest firearm at the exhibition was an 1815 rifle attributed ... Read More »

Neck knife and quilled sheath by Virgil Henle and Christie Suchora During the Seven Year’s 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 breast…they regard this property as sacred as their children.” ... Read More »

Bag and horn set by Tom Greco   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 year’s 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 ... Read More »

Bag and horn set by Brian Barker The annual CLF fundraising auction routinely offers the finest in contemporary frontier art, but Brian Barker’s striking contribution to this year’s 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 ... Read More »

Neck knife and quilled sheath by Charles Wallingford and Bill Wright Few pieces of tribal artistry are as visually captivating as the iconic neck knife of the eastern woodlands. For this year’s CLF fundraising auction, two of the nation’s top artists have teamed up to produce a truly outstanding example that’s destined to become a treasured heirloom. Master cutler and CLA charter member Charles Wallingford hand-forged this knife from 1084 bar stock. ... Read More »

Eighteenth Century folding knife by Scott Summerville In November of 1766, the English firm of Robert Cary & 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 ... Read More »

Touch Hole Ignition Timing Reprinted from February 2000 issue of MuzzleBlasts magazine by Larry Pletcher. I was assisted by Fred Stutzenberger who provided the barrel and any needed machining. The tests conducted here are of straight cylinder vents. This article is a work in progress.   In earlier articles on timing flintlocks, I expressed my belief that touch holes caused some of the slow ignition times experienced occasionally by flintlock shooters. In a ... Read More »

When I wrote “Flint Elk Rifle” in 2016, I explained the water test that Rick had done in Colorado. Back in Indiana Steve Chapman and I thought through a number of things we wanted to learn in our water test. Our main goal was to compare penetration and expansion of the ball. Our thinking was that with a ball as large as .58” more expansion wasn’t necessary and might limit the ability ... Read More »

(The cover photo is the Lodding/Wright horn.  The most recent posting, it is a spectacular item!) Postings for the CLA Auction are complete.  Thirty-one auction items are included here. An additional item can be seen during the CLA Show prior to the auction.  The Show in Lexington is August 18,19.  The Auction will be held at 5:00 on the 18th.  Below are all the items – click on each one to read ... Read More »

Steve Lodding (patentbreech1@embarqmail.com) and H. David Wright (dw@davidwrightart.com) have teamed up to create a spectacular engraved powder horn inspired by an original in a private collection.  The antique French and Indian War period New York map horn, attributed to the “Pointed Tree” carver contains a base plug that was uniquely painted with a scene of a gentleman hunting birds over his dog. Lodding, who made and engraved the horn, used features of ... Read More »

The early history of the rifle in America is always fascinating and problematic. We know that rifles were in use on the frontier prior to the French and Indian War. John Fraser mentioned the loss of seven “rifled guns’ at the Battle of Fort Necessity. Even earlier, in 1743, the trader John Armstrong stole a “rifled gun” and a horse from a Delaware Indian. Armstrong’s murder when the Delaware caught up with ... Read More »

The longrifle is an essential part of the longhunter’s kit. But,the longrifle without the hunting bag is a difficult thing to manage. You could put the balls in a your pocket, if you had a pocket, or in your mouth, but probably not enough for a “long hunt” So the hunting bag became a natural accessory to the longhunter’s gun. It was also a presonal piece of equipment, with a number of ... Read More »

NEW! CLA FUND RAISING T-SHIRT. Printed front and back in full color. This is a vary nice, high quality 6oz 100% cotton Tee with or without pocket. The back image is the painting titled “American Tradition” by CLA artist David Wright. Our American Tradition is what the CLA is about. Order from the CLA website <http://clfshop.longrifle.com/shop/uncategorized/american-tradition-t-shirt-by-cla-artist-david-wright/> or buy at the CLA Show and save shipping. Read More »

The linen hunting bag could be in the Appalachian Mountains, especially the Southern Mountains. This breathable fabric style bag was the precursor to the canvas web gear that served our military in two World Wars. The light weight fabric bag works very well as long as you avoid a lot of loose pointy things in the contents.   This linen bag with leather flap is nicely crafted by noted leather worker Andrew ... Read More »

(The CLA Auction is August 18 in Lexington) There are few items in a hunter’s kit as crucial as a trusty possibles bag. For this year’s CLF fundraising auction, a trio of artisans – Dwight Umbel, Kris Polizzi, and Jerry Eitnier – teamed up to create a visually stunning bag and horn set that’s sure to become a family heirloom. The bag itself is the creation of CLA artist Dwight Umbel. Umbel ... Read More »

In 1748 George Washington was on his first adventure over the Blue Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley. Lord Fairfax had taken a liking to the 16 year old and thought to introduce him to the wilds and the art of surveying. In George’s Journal of My Journey Over the Mountains began Fryday the 11th of March 1747/8 Washington comments on their dinner with Solomon Hedges, Justice of the Peace “When we came ... Read More »

The Chippewa or Ojibwe were a large indigenous nation with an agricultural history and a great engagement in trade. They traded copper, pipestone, and furs. By the late 18th century this highly civilized tribe had absorbed cultural elements and material goods from the Cree to the north, the Iroqouis to the east, and both French and English trade items. The traditional Ojibwa smoking pipe incorporated some of these changing cultural influences. Pipe ... Read More »

The powder horn has always been a very personal piece of equipment. Map horns that showed country the bearer already knew like the back of his hand, scrimshawed horns with the owners name, plain buffalo horns that showed that you had killed one, and spotted horns all told a story. The understated but elegant horns in keeping with the plain living, God fearing folks of the Southern frontier and the flamboyant independence ... Read More »

It’s arguably the most important tool for any outdoorsman: a good blade. But for the modern-day frontiersman who favors period black powder shooting, not just any knife will do. This year’s CLF fundraising auction is fortunately graced with an outstanding knife and sheath set by artisans Robert Park and Linda Pritchard. Accomplished bladesmith Robert Park handcrafted the knife, which is forged from 1084 spring steel. It’s a well-proportioned piece: the handle is ... Read More »