doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Whitey-J.D. Steele Award

Thanks for all who gave nominations, they are much appreciated. I will ask a group of members of the forum to weigh the nominations.

I have to say, last week, I was writing out the reminder for the nomination and I nearly lost it, I was at my computer and I thought "what would the last 7 years been like if Whitey was still alive?" How much would he have encouraged me, how much stuff would he have send me, and others too, of course. I wonder how much advice he would have given me on guns, parenting, dogs, machining....How many times, we would have talked about auctions and good deals. He was a great friend. I miss him.

I just couldn't bring myself to vote, not because I didn't think any one is worthy. It is precisely the opposite, the work performed by those mentioned above is nothing less than wonderful; how can I claim to be qualified to judge whose work is best when I can't even decide which I personally like the best.
Mike

Should have asked Whitey about custom cowboy boots! Whitey designed some custom cowboy boots for David Pedersoli, and Pedersoli was so happy with him that he had a custom muzzleloader built and sent it to Whitey as a gift. When Whitey got tired of it, he sold it to me.
As I mentioned, he was a real renaissance man!

I'm a boot guy, was Whitey also the bootmaker or did he design them for someone else to make?

Whitey didn't make boots, but did design boots for a well known bootmaker. One of the larger companies, but I hate to say the name because I'm not positive I'm recalling it correctly?
Whitey was also a very accomplished mechanic, and hotrodder. And retired from a career in the USAF. Every time we talked I learned little things he'd done that came out. Seems there wasn't much he hadn't tried, or done in his life.
He used to trade automotive work for guns, or gun parts when he was younger. But towards the end of his life he had to stop due to his health.

Spent a most pleasant afternoon in Joe's with Whitey discussing guns, machine tools, etc.
Quickly discovered he knew more about machining actions than I did. Learned a great deal.
Managed to trade an old Trapdoor for a filing machine which I treasure.
Chuck

Watch out for those nasty finger tip pinches. LOL

Magnifying lens, variable speed and hold downs minimize the problem.
Big machine for delicate work, never saw one like it. Can split a scribe line. Wonderful machine for limited use.
Chuck

A flat filing machine is a handy tool I'd love to own if I had room! I can think of numerous scenarios where I've wished I had one! Even contemplated making one once, but decided space was too cramped here to have it for occasional use.

Thanks to all who nominated and reviewed, it is a great pleasure to announce that SKB is the winner of this year's Whitey-J.D. Steele award. It was wonderful reading the memories of Whitey.