There has long been a presumption that American makers always imported their hand-forged steel-and-iron Damascus, Twist, and Laminated barrel tubes. Wilbur F. Parker was even quoted during WWI to the effect that Parker always imported their Damascus-type barrels. My research of late has turned up evidence ...
What surprises me about all this is how deep I had to dig to get at what is very scant information. In the final analysis, barrel making was never the topic of much elaboration, here or in England. The senior Greener in his 1834 book, The Gun, really only scratched the surface. Going back to the 1700s the British gunning literature is almost devoid of mention of barrels, save their length and bore size. The first English language book about shooting flying is Richard Blome's Gentlemans Recreation (1686) and nothing but length mentioned here, or anywhere else till 1791 when John Acton devotes 11 pages to "Forging of Brrels," and covers "Boring and Dressing, Improvements in Manufacture, Proofs, and Casues of Bursting" in another 51 pges. But nothing that really sheds light on the process. It could be that English barrelmakers saw their "art" as a secret process best left mistified. Perhaps if it wasn't such a lost-in-history mystery the topic wouldn't be so popular on the various websites. Investigation continues. EDM
What a marvelous job of research! Very well done!
If you have names, approximate dates and perhaps a state of residence, I can dig into the census records. I am particularly interested in John Blaze. A state would help...
Claude Gaier and Greener both hint that the English came a bit late to the damascus game. I seem to remember a dating in the late 1700's, perhaps 1790?
There were certainly enough iron production going on here. I would think some of the reasons it never "took off" here as it did in Europe was simply because American gunmakers, stimulated by the experience of the American Civil War, concentrated their efforts on mass production. Which they would have valued more than hand craftsmanship.
Did RIA publish any pictures of the Wesson produced damascus? Are there any digital images of the old publications mentioned? I would love to read them.
Pete
