think about the time and effort it took..

[sussexmuzllodr]

way back when just to make the tools...the tools to produce a flintlock Rifle. Files and rasps and crude cutting tools. mind blowing....

 

[deerstalkert]

keeps me off the streets!

 

[The Crisco Kid]

way back when just to make the tools...the tools to produce a flintlock Rifle. Files and rasps and crude cutting tools. mind blowing....

Which came first, the file to sharpen the chisel or the chisel to cut the file? My bet is on the chisel.

 

[rich pierce]

Tools were available for purchase and were made in factories in Birmingham England and other places and shipped in barrels to the colonies. Very few files were ever made by hand by non-specialists.

 

[Colonial Boy]

Tools were available for purchase and were made in factories in Birmingham England and other places and shipped in barrels to the colonies. Very few files were ever made by hand by non-specialists.

Well, not at first , I talked to a blacksmith in India who made files [from old worn out ones] cheaper for the locals around his village than buying new ones.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Tools were often made during apprenticeships and were a requirement before the apprentice was released from his low status to go out on his own. Once made they lasted a lifetime.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Specialists - While this info was written in regard to German wheellocks, as Rich above alluded to, even England used a Guild or 'Craft' manner of producing the tools and parts of the arm, to the complete arm. Noting longrifles build here may have been built a bit differently, but many shops had apprentices in place.

Interesting notes from the article attached on the Munich Court (read: Guild) making wheellocks ... note the underlined!

"Even though the workshop of the Court of Munich is referred to as the Sadeler-Spat workshop and the guns made there were associated to and bore the name of the steel chiseler, the gun was far from completed when turned out by these men. In fact it would require at least six specialists to finish one gun:

1. A Locksmith to make the lock in rough iron​

2. A Barrelsmith to make the barrel in rough iron​

3. An Iron Chiseler to decorate the lock, barrel and iron furniture for the gun​

4. A Gilder to finish the iron parts different from the chiseler​

5. A Stocker to make the stock and assemble the parts and place the inlays​

6. An Engraver to engrave the staghorn, bone and ivory inlays of the stock​

Some of these specialists were employed by the workshop while in other instances the guns were taken to the specified specialist."

 

[TobJohn]

Specialists - While this info was written in regard to German wheellocks, as Rich above alluded to, even England used a Guild or 'Craft' manner of producing the tools and parts of the arm, to the complete arm. Noting longrifles build here may have been built a bit differently, but many shops had apprentices in place.

Interesting notes from the article attached on the Munich Court (read: Guild) making wheellocks ... note the underlined!

"Even though the workshop of the Court of Munich is referred to as the Sadeler-Spat workshop and the guns made there were associated to and bore the name of the steel chiseler, the gun was far from completed when turned out by these men. In fact it would require at least six specialists to finish one gun:

1. A Locksmith to make the lock in rough iron​

2. A Barrelsmith to make the barrel in rough iron​

3. An Iron Chiseler to decorate the lock, barrel and iron furniture for the gun​

4. A Gilder to finish the iron parts different from the chiseler​

5. A Stocker to make the stock and assemble the parts and place the inlays​

6. An Engraver to engrave the staghorn, bone and ivory inlays of the stock​

Some of these specialists were employed by the workshop while in other instances the guns were taken to the specified specialist."

To build on this, a lot of the early centers for gun building (southern Germany/northern Italy) were already well established for metal working, particularly arms/armor making, and were near mines. When they started building guns, they already had the infrastructure and entire districts that could focus on different parts of gun making, or trade with other cities that were better established in making certain parts, like barrels or locks.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I watched a You Tube some time ago about how Purdey guns are made these days. It seems they still employ the use of specialists within their shop to some degree when making their break-action guns;
Barrel Maker
Lock / action maker
Stock maker
Stock finisher
Engraver

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I watched a You Tube some time ago about how Purdey guns are made these days. It seems they still employ the use of specialists within their shop to some degree when making their break-action guns;
Barrel Maker
Lock / action maker
Stock maker
Stock finisher
Engraver

Pedersoli and most shops do the same - specialty by trade - wood or steel or assembly/finishing. Most famous makers do so too, but often under an apprentice relationship as well as their area of expertise.

For example, I once had an O/U shotgun that looked all the world like an expen$ive Holland & Holland shotgun co$ting many, many, many $1,000s of dollars, some up to 6-figures and more! Turns out it was made at their apprentice outfit in Spain, where those who excelled at their trade there, could then offered promotions to the H&H outfit in England.

 

[deerstalkert]

I once toured a Roman Village in Portugal. they had a museum with artifacts found during the dig. what got my attention were the files, chisels, and scissors that looked like they could be purchased from modern tool suppliers.
also notable were the nose rings, nipple rings and manhood rings. kinky bunch, the Romans!

 

[flntlokr01]

A fellow showed up at our range a few years back with a very fancy leather double-gun case. In it was an over-under shotgun, and a rifle in some strange European calibre. A matched pair. Both firearms were absolutely stunning, having gorgeous beyond presentation grade walnut stocks, and fine engraving of most of the metal surfaces. I asked him where they came from, and he told me they were from his village in Czekoslovakia (sp?), where almost everyone was a gunsmith specializing in some part of the process. Wood and metal went in one end, passed from shop to shop, and eventually emerged from the other end as finished deluxe firearms. He just smiled when I shyly asked what they were worth.

 

[Rich44]

Tools were often made during apprenticeships and were a requirement before the apprentice was released from his low status to go out on his own. Once made they lasted a lifetime.

An apprentice that did not use all his spare time and extra hours making different tooling, simply did not show his desire to learn his trade. And each trade might call for different tooling to favor. As a toolmaker you just can't have too many tools to support your trade, and not just store bought.

 

[tenngun]

Looking at trade list and cargo list we see lots of premade tools coming in.

 

[Relic shooter]

Old School Craftsmanship;
Lock off of a .70 cal. French Officers pistol I continue to shoot.
Having collected & shot & hunted with mostly original European mfg rifles & pistols for well over 60 years,
none show any additional wear to their bores, mechanisms & rifled bores due to precision fitted components, tempering & superb rifled bores that these fine craftsmen produced.
I've run across some modern day craftsmen who produce muzzleloaders on about the same level of craftsmanship but pricing was well above my pay grade so stuck with period originals.
Yep, I've endured couple of falls through those years while hunting but while going down I made sure their safety had priority over my carcas..

 

[Rich44]

Looking at trade list and cargo list we see lots of premade tools coming in.

You are correct, and therefore U.S. has actually less toolmakers now than before.

 

[TobJohn]

You are correct, and therefore U.S. has actually less toolmakers now than before.

I recently read The Art of Blacksmithing, by Alex Bealer, and he laments that in 1969, the skills of blacksmithing have almost disappeared in America and won’t exist in could years. Ironically, 50 years later, hipsters and artists have made blacksmithing a popular hobby. If only wrought iron was still made…

 

[flntlokr01]

I suspect that there was (is) a good market for ready-made tools. Not everyone who needs to do a bit of 'smithing from time to time would have the ability or the time to make tools. It was a good education to set apprentices to making their own stuff because they could expand their skills and make a living producing tolls etc. for their clients.

 

[Greg Y]

I made my own tap in an oddball pitch and that was work even with a lathe, mill and grinder.

Can you imagine how many parts got tossed due to one too many swipes with the *******....it's probably where the name came from.

 

[Colonial Boy]

Tools were often made during apprenticeships and were a requirement before the apprentice was released from his low status to go out on his own. Once made they lasted a lifetime.

I still use an engineers’ square that I made in the Basic Armourers’ Course way back in 1955.