doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com folk art rifles

This is a topic I have thought of bringing up for some time now, but I am not sure if there is much interest here.

I have seen the occasional rifle or accessory that has really interesting user-created art. Most attempts at folk art on a rifle are hideous beyond description but every so often, one comes along that is as beautiful if as simple as a Paleolithic Chauvet or Lascaux cave painting.

I wish I could show you a good example, but I have nothing to offer. But maybe someone here has something. Some of the powderhorns of the 18th and 19th centuries were spectacular, but I'm particularly interested in rifles.

I ask because I shot a deer last night, at about 200 yds with mya muzzleloader. I'm pretty proud of the shot, and it was my usual, last minute of the last day of the season success story. But, in this case, I used the damn-ugliest rifle you have ever seen. I may have designed and built it, but it's too ugly. Way too ugly. So, I'm thinking of building a decent plains rifle this summer, but I want to decorate it, without going the usual rocco-scroll route.

Anyway, just searching for ideas on what I think is an interesting topic.

Brent

Brent, can you expand on what you mean by folk art? Where's the line between folk art and serious or other-type art? My friend The Infamous Engraver likes to do what he calls alternative art, and while it's possible that some folks might characterize it as 'folk art' nevertheless his execution is far more expert than the image that term implies to me. So, in your mind does the crudity factor determine the folk part of the art, or is it something else?

Here's the grip cap on my new 'Mother-In-Law' Mauser varmint rifle, a whimsical rendition of a rather striking thumb plate I saw once on the wrist of a nice flintlock. Not exactly folk art but not exactly traditional for any bolt action either.



Not exactly very well done, either, this is one of my early pieces. However I believe her essential nature shines through quite clearly...
Regards, Joe

I have a shotgun that some folks claim is folk-art but looks a lot like vandalism to me. I’ll try to dig up a photo tomorrow.

In the meantime did someone say powder horn? My friend made this for me a few months ago. It has a folk-art Moose ;-).

Joe,
I mean something done by the owner, not the maker. Usually something that is simple and often no particularly traditional.

I think it is one of those things that you know it when you see it. And usually, you don't see it.

Take the 10 pt buck that some kid carves in his bolt action shotgun here in Iowa. Hideous. It is an attempt to make something that looks sort of professional and fails by miles.

Ever watch The Antique Road Show? It occasionally has a nice piece of folk art carving on a piece of furniture or, rarely, a firearm. Some of these can be quite valuable.

Like I said, I need to find some examples and I don't have any.

Michael. That's a nice horn. The moose is just in the gangly stage. He will grow out of it

Brent

Kinda looks like Bullwinkle to me, sorta cute, made me want to look around for Rocky!

Michael, that's a mighty fine-looking horn!
Regards, Joe

Brent,

Occasionally I see old rifles that were decorated by their Native American owners, usually something like a Winchester lever action. They are folk art in my eyes, they look what I call "finished", complete, authentic, generally pleasing to the eye. And they can bring some good prices for collectors, not of guns but of Native American artifacts.

I had a chance to bid on a .22 rifle and a Model 11 Remington shotgun both of which had the stocks carved by native American artist Enoch Haney. The were done in his early years and were sure "folksy." They ended up in the Gilcrease Museum Collection.


http://www.askart.com/askart/h/enoch_kelly_haney/enoch_kelly_haney.aspx

This is a 16 gauge double barrel hammer gun made by William Schaefer of Boston, the same man who built the half-stock rifle I posted. This WAS a very high grade gun before the carving.

recently closed auction.
http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=8958311

I liked this one.

past auction
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=115258724