fowling piece

Jim Kibler

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
24
Location
Hanoverton, Ohio
Hey there everyone. I've updated my website with photos of the burl-stocked fowling piece I showed bits of in the past. These can be found in the Gallery here: http://www.jimkibler.net/
and additional photos can be found in the latest Blog post here: http://www.jimkibler.net/blog/

Here are some of the images which can be seen on my website (white background photos credit Ric Lambert, dark background photos credit Anne Reese):



















If you have any questions or comments, fire away. Many more photos at www.jimkibler.net.

Thanks,
Jim
 

Lonestarr

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2015
Messages
178
Location
Richland Washington
Hi Jim Wow WOW I am stunned and in aw...I really like the design and how you put this gun together, it is absolutely gorgeous. It appears that many many hours were committed to the design and execution of this project. I really like the silver work, after some study, I am guessing the scroll design above the trigger on the left side had to be sliver cast . At first glance I though you forged it from a solid silver rod....You should be proud of this one...

regards Bob
 

Jim Kibler

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
24
Location
Hanoverton, Ohio
Thank you everyone! A little more background... This gun is representative of a fowling piece made somewhere in continental Europe at the very end of the 17th or early 18th centuries. It largely follows French designs, but is not quite as academic. A likely place of construction would have been Belgium or Germany.

The designs are pretty strongly baroque in nature. This of course influences everything from stock form to engraved decoration. I think this time period is very often overlooked and the quality of decorative arts has seldom been surpassed since.

Burl maple was fashionable in Europe and England from around 1660 or 1670 through the first quarter of the 18th century. It's very difficult to work into a stock for a variety of reasons. If it wasn't for the beauty, it would be about the last wood I would choose to use. This was stained with a combination of tannic acid and iron nitrate. For those interested, my blog posts detail the finishing procedure I used.

I hope to do more work of this style in the future. Maybe something like this, but more elaborate with a lot of silver wire stock inlay work.

Thanks again for the kind words and encouragement. Any questions at all, just ask!

A couple more images showing the engraving... Not the quality from many I see here, but I'm getting better!

Jim





 

Bama

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
370
Location
Alabama
Jim is one of the best builders of this type of firearm in the world. He is young man compaired to most of us and if he continues along this path I predict that he will produce some of the finest guns that have ever been made. I have seen this gun in person and it is a masterful work of art. All of the engraving is H&C and he has only been engraving for a few years. Expect great things to come from this young man.

Well done Jim
 

KCSteve

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Jun 19, 2007
Messages
2,882
Location
Kansas City, MO
The style of the engraving may be simpler than a lot of what's seen here, but it's period appropriate and excellently done.
 

Tim Wells

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
1,331
Location
Dallas, Georgia
What stain did you use and what color combo because that is exactly what I want the back of my mandolin to look like color wise.
 
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