Chambers Early Lancaster - Baseline for JP Beck Rifle?

[Coal-Cracker]

Curious if J.P. Beck style carving would be appropriate on a Chamber's Early Lancaster.

Or would that style of carving be more common after that style of stock architecture had evolved?

I picked up Shumway's volumes I & II, but my untrained eye is coming up empty.

Thank you, in advance,
Coal-Cracker

 

[rich pierce]

Well, JP Beck was working in the 1770s so the timeframe is ok. I'm guessing you want to build the rifle as is, with existing furniture, rather than build a JP Beck style rifle which would have different guard and buttplate styling. Good carving well executed would enhance your build.

Good Lancaster choices of builders to emulate include Dickert, Newcomer, Ferree, Hoak, Isaac Haines, Graef off the top of my head.

 

[Coal-Cracker]

Thanks for the guidance. It's appreciated.
I suppose I have some decisions to make.
I really prefer the asymmetry of the Roccoco carving, but I guess that was more common in the later Golden Age?

 

[54ball]

Honestly,

If you can carve as good as J P Beck is does not matter if it's a longrifle, lamp or kitchen chair.
I do recall that Bethlehem was part of Lancaster County in the 1770s so some do consider Beck a Lancaster maker.

Study the books....you have them.....you will see all kinds of decoration, some good, some no so good. Beck was great so if you are capable.....Have at it.

If you are just beginning......
I would only put on the rifle what I could do well. For instance...lock molding, beaver tails, forestock molding, buttstock moulding and the sculpted cheek piece.

Haines has a rifle in those books with no Rococo carving at all. It's just a simple well built rifle and we all know what Haines is capable of.

If you study Beck you'll notice this, his wood box rifles tend to be decorated plainly where his brass box rifles tend to be more elaborate. Beck built until his death in 1811 and kept his style throughout. So his rifles can be hard to date. He also built wood box rifles late as well. One clue....some of his later rifles use a round tailed lock. (If that had not been changed through past restoration)

Remeber Rifle first then decoration. A well built rifle can have so so to even poor decoration and still be a great rifle. On the other hand a poorly built rifle with great decoration will be just that.....a poor rifle with great decoration.

 

[54ball]

Correction....
I meant Lebanon not Bethlehem.

 

[Coal-Cracker]

Thanks for the response. I really appreciate the time it took you to respond.
It was very informative and helpful.
I guess I just have to do some more research and planning.

My thinking is this; if I'm going to spend the money and time, I want to do it right.
I don't want anyone to think; "he sure spent a lot of time on that carving; a shame it doesn't make sense on that school of longrifle."

 

[Col. Batguano]

In general, baroque styles of carving are earlier than rococco, and that tends to be most apparent in the tang carving