Inlay and decoration in the pre flintlock era

[Pukka Bundook]

My old horse had been a steeple chaser, Mr M.
Once you stood up on his neck in the stirrups you were off!
No hand brake either. Steered him into a swamp one time to slow him down. Rode him with saddle or without.
As he was 16.3 without his shoes on, he took some getting on with no saddle or stirrups.
had to walk him by a fence or gate or use the mounting block if we were handy.
He would stand while I took a run at him to get on, and once I went clear over the top. He did look amused. had a real glint in his eye.
That horse would suck a Polo mint to see how big he could get the hole in the middle. he would have those mints ages.

What's this to do with the subject?
Nothing. But as my old mate Rudyard gets away with it, thought I'd try it myself!!
Not too often though!
Never shot off his back.

 

[Rudyard]

Well yes I don't know as was So far off topic , But I do see your points. I may have been a bit.' Little Lawrence Greenaway' ( He Tended to digress , Would always tell you rather more than tell you rather less. Of wild exaggeration he was never know to tire 'All facts became irrelevant it fact he was a liar . .He says " Ime in Computers " You name the sort ,We got em" , Whereas in fact he only screwed the castors on the bottom .) Thank you Dear Pam Ayers !. Not quite Kipling but you gotta love her humorous poetry.
Iv'e been out today shooting my E I Coy Minors & Sapper/ Arty carbine every shot a' Pandy' . & my old belted ball Two grouve 24 bore . Had more fun than a bag of rats . . There that should get me back on topic Might take it Tomorow and try knock of a' Donkey' for the desired venison .If their roaring up on the tops only one in 60'' pitch not the Govt Brunswick one in thirty but bowled a lot of Deer with it over the years .' Got up' of rust streak, bits so pitted never could see makers name barrel cost me a whole 3 pounds at a arms fair but for all its 10 Rupee lock its precious to me .
There back on Topic, I think .
Regards Rambling Rudyard

 

[SwanShot]

Thank you gentlemen, for a most entertaining thread. I really enjoyed it.

 

[TobJohn]

My old horse had been a steeple chaser, Mr M.
Once you stood up on his neck in the stirrups you were off!
No hand brake either. Steered him into a swamp one time to slow him down. Rode him with saddle or without.
As he was 16.3 without his shoes on, he took some getting on with no saddle or stirrups.
had to walk him by a fence or gate or use the mounting block if we were handy.
He would stand while I took a run at him to get on, and once I went clear over the top. He did look amused. had a real glint in his eye.
That horse would suck a Polo mint to see how big he could get the hole in the middle. he would have those mints ages.

What's this to do with the subject?
Nothing. But as my old mate Rudyard gets away with it, thought I'd try it myself!!
Not too often though!
Never shot off his back.

Always some amusing and unexpected twists and turns in Rudyard's stories.

I once had a ship captain on a boy scout trip that was a kiwi, originally from England, who spent some time adventuring around Africa and had equally entertaining stories. Rudyard is one of the most unique individuals, but there is a second one!

 

[Rudyard]

Thank you gentlemen, for a most entertaining thread. I really enjoyed it.

Your quite welcome thank you for the compliment , Me & Pukka like to fence wits. Were Yorkshiremen. Overlooking the Swan river towards windmill flats from nr the canons in Kings park was my first night in Australia June 1966 literally under the Southern cross.(Starlight hotel) as I had only 3 pounds to my name when I landed from Ceylon to Freemantle .Ide overlanded from Milan ( non of yer ten pound poms !) Dampier set me up. However this is straying from. the guns but I did make a broken rock drill into a percussion gun & a matchlock from a copper pipe . still under the rocks maybe South across the Mangroves by the Aboriginal carved rocks .. See got some guns in .
Regards Rudyard

 

[TobJohn]

I have been looking through Armi Da Fuoco Italiane, by Agostino Gaibi and there are some strange and wonderful things I wanted to share. It isn’t strictly decoration, but they are aesthetically interesting, so I figured may as well use this thread.

More examples of the carved barrels like the tuscan snapping matchlock:

An example of lettering engraved on a barrel to help comfort anyone that is struggling with engraving straight:

A finely decorated combination matchlock wheellock.. lock… (it’s confusing with the redundancy) showing a clock style spring for the match serpentine!

A finely decorated combination wheellock and… wheellock??

And then finally, some neat early wheellocks showing a unique spring design and compact shape:

A lot of early wheellock pans (according to the Graz book) rotated out of the way, opposed to being pushed in one direction, which I think these may be examples of.


About half the book is Snaphance and miquelet locks, so I can add those in the future.

 

[PhDBrewer]

What a great conversation and thanks for all of the information and images.
Here are some eye candy from a Radschloss.
I wish to do this type of work when building one.
William

 

[TobJohn]

What a great conversation and thanks for all of the information and images.
Here are some eye candy from a Radschloss.
I wish to do this type of work when building one.
William

Where have you been getting your pictures from? These and the ones in the other thread are very interesting.

 

[PhDBrewer]

Whereave you been getting your pictures from? These and the ones in the other thread are very interesting.

I took all of these images. If something interests me I seach it out.
I also like big cats... they usually do not sit still!

William

 

[TobJohn]

I took all of these images. If something interests me I seach it out.
I also like big cats... they usually do not sit still!

William

To combine your interests, here are some puffer style wheellocks with very derpy looking lions:

 

[PhDBrewer]

To combine your interests, here are some puffer style wheellocks with very derpy looking lions:
View attachment 207422View attachment 207423View attachment 207424View attachment 207425

Thanks!

 

[PhDBrewer]

To combine your interests, here are some puffer style wheellocks with very derpy looking lions:
View attachment 207422View attachment 207423View attachment 207424View attachment 207425

Darn you!
Now I have another project to add to the list... that is a beautiful piece.

 

[TobJohn]

Darn you!
Now I have another project to add to the list... that is a beautiful piece.

The puffers are too cool and a good motivator to learn because no one is making them, at least on a consistent basis.

 

[RAEDWALD]

I once on a Derbyshire farm fired and reloaded a Brown Bess off a horse , first little squibs in the pan then upped to a full charge gradually . Just an old Moke trecking horse couldn't be bothered to run . Used to girls, seen it all I expect . Something out of Joliffe
. Of course there are horses & horses , most I expect wouldn't take too kindly to getting their ears shot off . I did ride two horses at full gallop in Aus & Indonesia its exhilarating & doesn't hurt .its the' jig jog trot 'stuff that pounds you !I don't recall either had saddles it was done for a lark . ' New chum' & all that (On Cattle Station in WA ) I steered the Aus one under a tree grabbed a branch & let the horse go .Cant recall the Timor one but no bones broken . Riding even a quiet horse level is fine , up hill ,you got its main but down hill prepare to slide off the whole concern . Thats me' horsed out' though I once had to burry one .
Regards Rudyard

They do spit a bit when fried. Mind you, so would I……but then I expect the horse tastes better.

 

[TobJohn]

The Musee D'Art D'Histoire, in Geneva, has a great arms collection. They have an early puffer pistol that shows an iridescent blued lockplate:

Despite starting this thread, I actually prefer the less decorated guns, so this style of puffer really hits the sweet spot of being a weapon of war, while also a piece of art. Graz has dozens in this style too. Its obviously not plain, but truly plain puffers seem to be close to non existent, with Graz having a few that are mostly plain, and even these are not utilitarian.

 

[EBrown]

First attempt at some inlay work using natural and artificial bone on an old stock mainly to see if I could manage it.

 

[EBrown]

View attachment 211333
First attempt at some inlay work using natural and artificial bone on an old stock mainly to see if I could manage it.

 

[TobJohn]

View attachment 211333
First attempt at some inlay work using natural and artificial bone on an old stock mainly to see if I could manage it.

That looks good! Did you make the pistol?

 

[EBrown]

That looks good! Did you make the pistol?

Other than the mendini lock and barrel yes

 

[TobJohn]

I have found a high quality image of a full length gun using the small external spring wheellock I shared earlier in this thread:

https://basedescollections.musee-ar...&queryId=28f38b23-c4a1-4cb7-a998-2a2bda3cf24a

The Museum's description credits it to Brescia in the second half of the 16th century, but with a French style stock.

Of particular relevance to this thread is the surviving paint on the stock, giving some idea of how gun stocks were decorated.