Powder Flasks for pre-Flintlock Arms

[Flint62Smoothie]

FYI, thought it best to post here, versus under Vendors, as it is a very targeted audience here. On Facebook (no website I know of ... ) there is a manufacturer of old time powdah flasks, out of Poland, going by the name Old Guard Manufacture.

The cost of these items (no price on the Pulverin) are to follow and shipping for one to the USA, to Boston, was quoted as 26 Euro. Right now multiply Euro by 1.08 to get approximate US $$.

A , D & E - 225 Euro ... B - 134 Euro ... C - 140 Euro ... but confirm the pricing BEFORE purchasing, just in case there was an error in translation and copying.

 

[TobJohn]

Thank you for posting! I was going to ask about options for exactly this in the near future.

 

[cyten]

They are good folks, helped a lot of Ukrainians since the war started. They also make Japanese Tanegashima locks

 

[TobJohn]

They have a very cool version of the reverse powder horn. The cylindrical flask may need to be a future purchase...

Oh sh*t, they also make and sell petronels. Damnit Flint62Smoothie, I am trying to rain in my spending!!

 

[TobJohn]

I ended up messaging them. Their petronels are a bit under 1200 euros and they are trying to reduce the cost by finding a different barrel supplier. I need to wait another year until I commission/buy anything new, but in case anyone else is interested…

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Tell me John, what is hard about making a stock that looks like that?
flat, pretty square. All you have to do is inlet the barrel, Any barrel and make a lock that isn't hard because these are pretty straightforward.
The stock is a case of chopping off all the wood that doesn't look like a petronel, but I'd look at lots of pics of originals.
(Michael is The Source!)
Not picking on you my friend, just encouraging you to not underestimate your hands and eye co-ordination. You Can do it if you want!

 

[TobJohn]

Tell me John, what is hard about making a stock that looks like that?
flat, pretty square. All you have to do is inlet the barrel, Any barrel and make a lock that isn't hard because these are pretty straightforward.
The stock is a case of chopping off all the wood that doesn't look like a petronel, but I'd look at lots of pics of originals.
(Michael is The Source!)
Not picking on you my friend, just encouraging you to not underestimate your hands and eye co-ordination. You Can do it if you want!

Nothing particularly hard, that I am aware of, with some caveats. For building, I need to work on my arquebus first. I now have all the chunks of metal and a springy window slider I found at Lowes this weekend that needs chopping up into the springs, so hopefully I can start during a slow work day next week. For wood working, when I was out west I was able to pick up a plane, a draw knife, and a router plane (very excited about that), amongst chisels, saws and more mundane tools.

The main issue is that depending on shipping costs, a barrel and a large enough slab of walnut are already well over half the cost of what these guys are offering. I was also considering a fishtail musket as a project to follow the arquebus (assuming I enjoyed the process), inspired by Flint's thread. He also very generously sent me a musket sized lock I can use as a guide.

I have a long term aspirational goal of building one of those combination tinder and normal lock petronels from Michael's posts (and want to wait until I am confident in all my wood and metal working), so didn't think I would want to make a "normal" petronel in the meantime and a relatively cheap option would be a decent way to familiarize myself with the type.

Sorry, that was a lot of explanation lol.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Cool stuff!

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Mr W,, (John)
If you shop around you can find a good chunk of maple or such used as blocking or whatever, it will work down into a nice stock .
Often other woods were used back then, so maple, sycamore (near same) beeck, ash, birch will all do and depending on finish you aply can all look good.
The stock on my fishtail was made from a great rough chunk of hard maple a trucker dropped off for me.
It was used as blocking on a load he brought up from the US.
No fancy wood, but seems fine for what I used it on, and I have enough left for another stock!

see pic. an inch or so is spliced on the toe, as plank was a bit narrow.

 

[TobJohn]

Mr W,, (John)
If you shop around you can find a good chunk of maple or such used as blocking or whatever, it will work down into a nice stock .
Often other woods were used back then, so maple, sycamore (near same) beeck, ash, birch will all do and depending on finish you aply can all look good.
The stock on my fishtail was made from a great rough chunk of hard maple a trucker dropped off for me.
It was used as blocking on a load he brought up from the US.
No fancy wood, but seems fine for what I used it on, and I have enough left for another stock!

see pic. an inch or so is spliced on the toe, as plank was a bit narrow.
View attachment 193257

In the nearish future, I am going to start bothering you on inlay advice because your work is beautiful and I had another vague and overly ambitious idea I want to try with it.

Did you need to season your wood?

While I am getting my footing on my current project, I was planning on trying some cherry because it is decently affordable here. There is a local sawmill I was going to see too.

I guess I do not actually know what wood the Polish guys were using...

 

[rickystl]

That Polish outfit does indeed make some nice items.

Rick

 

[hawkeye2]

Fantastic offerings on their facebook page. My wife will be in Poland for the month of February, I only wish she could bring me back a suitcase full.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

That wood Might just be birch, John, but don't take my word for it!

By the time I got to use that chunk of wood, I'd had it ages, and it was hard as flint when it got here .
So no extra seasoning.
Often old matchlocks look a bit like the wood wasn't seasoned well, but that might just be years in damp old armouries and castles made them look that way.
I admire all the antique looking arms and accessories that come out of Poland and the Czech Republic. I think they go well beyond most of the stuff we can find this side of the pond.
Many items are just not available here without quite a search!

Seeing what is available there enriches the whole game!

 

[TobJohn]

I admire all the antique looking arms and accessories that come out of Poland and the Czech Republic. I think they go well beyond most of the stuff we can find this side of the pond.
Many items are just not available here without quite a search!

Seeing what is available there enriches the whole game!

I don’t have any plans for an appropriate gun to pair with it, but I have found those patron cartridge holders super cool, since I saw them in one of Michael’s threads, and had always assumed there would be no reproductions for something so obscure. Great to see they are filling the void.

For the unaware:
Mid to Late 16th Century Patrons for Paper Cartridges - Ethnographic Arms & Armour

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Yes! Very obscure for most, but a wonderful accessory for guns of the right period.
I asked Michael if they were also used on a bench for loading when target shooting, but as the bases are not level, he did not think so.
Been on my mind to make one!! Oh if we didn't have to work, what fun we could have!

 

[TobJohn]

Yes! Very obscure for most, but a wonderful accessory for guns of the right period.
I asked Michael if they were also used on a bench for loading when target shooting, but as the bases are not level, he did not think so.
Been on my mind to make one!! Oh if we didn't have to work, what fun we could have!

I thought his explanation of it copying a crossbow quiver convincing. As I’ve been learning as much as I can about arms and warfare in the 1500s, it’s amusing how much of the design is just their version of “because it looks cool” and not a practical consideration. That super short barreled and long stocked arquebus he had may be one of my favorite examples.

 

[rickystl]

Michael's knowledge and Threads were invaluable. He is sorely missed.

Rick

 

[Jay Templin]

Mr W,, (John)
If you shop around you can find a good chunk of maple or such used as blocking or whatever, it will work down into a nice stock .
Often other woods were used back then, so maple, sycamore (near same)

Careful- what the English call “sycamore” IS a maple. But what we call sycamore is not; it’s what they call “plane tree.” Not sure American sycamore is suitable for gunstocks, though I’ve used it for a number of other things.
Jay

 

[Pukka Bundook]

I only know the European Sycamore Jay. Sometimes called a linden I think!

 

[Jay Templin]

I only know the European Sycamore Jay. Sometimes called a linden I think!

European Sycamore is Acer pseudoplatanus which is a maple. American Sycamore is Platanus occidentalis (London Planetree is Platanus x acerifolia, a cross of European Sycamore and Asian Planetree.) Linden (Tillia spp) is a family of trees that includes some native to North America (generically called “basswood”) and some native to Europe (called “linden,” though in Ireland and the UK it’s commonly called “lime.”) Linden is a softer wood with little grain, excellent for carving. Basswood has excellent bast fibres used by many Native people to make cordage.
Which is likely to be more than any of y’all wanted to learn tonight. I’m blaming the historic woodworking conference I’m attending this weekend…
Jay