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A Conversation with Ed Rayl

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SgtErv

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Prickett's Fort here in WV had a muzzleloading and accoutrement show today. I had an interesting conversation with Ed Rayl, as he had brought a few original rifles and parts. We got to talking about a variety of subjects, among them being Diederot's Encyclopedia and the Portuegese book called "The Perfect Gun."

He offered a unique perspective on studying the old ways. He mentioned that a great deal has been lost due to the craftsman of the day having guarded their methodology quite closely. They were, after all, business men above all else, and if they figured out a way to do something a little easier or more effectively than their competetor, it would have been a trade secret they were unlikely to divulge. The contributors to the Portuguese book, for instance, used pseudonyms, because if they hadn't they would have been shunned or worse.

I didn't even know who he was until I looked down at his business card. Pretty neat. He's quite a nice fellow and I enjoyed chatting with him about all things 18th century.
 
Hi,
"Espingarda Perfeyta" or "The Perfect Gun" is readily available on the internet at reasonable prices. It is edited by Keith Neal and the translation from Portuguese was done by Rainer Daenhardt. It is the product of 3 gunsmithing brothers who worked mostly in the late 17th century but the text was finally published in 1713. Most of the book focuses on barrel making but there are very interesting sections on locks, hardware, wood, and stock making.

dave
 
SgtErv said:
Prickett's Fort here in WV had a muzzleloading and accoutrement show today. I had an interesting conversation with Ed Rayl,

He offered a unique perspective on studying the old ways. He mentioned that a great deal has been lost due to the craftsman of the day having guarded their methodology quite closely. They were, after all, business men above all else, and if they figured out a way to do something a little easier or more effectively than their competetor, it would have been a trade secret they were unlikely to divulge.

I didn't even know who he was until I looked down at his business card. Pretty neat. He's quite a nice fellow and I enjoyed chatting with him about all things 18th century.
I've seen a lot of his work on Track's archive's. He's really put out some very nice barrel's and muzzleloader's through the years. I'd loved to have met him in person as well!

As far as his prospective on trade secrets, I guess I've never really thought about it like that but it really does make perfect since. After all, you couldn't just go to the local supermarket to buy meat to put on the table. Your longarm was your ticket for any kind of meat you'd put on the table. I'm sure a quality muzzleloader was in high demand and the market among the builder's at the time was very competitive.

Loved your post my friend!

Respectfully, Cowboy :thumbsup:
 
It made perfect sense to me in thinking that the craftsmen of the day were businessmen first and foremost. Anything that gave them an edge over a competitor was valuable.

Likewise, he was telling me about some interesting results of his research. (Forgive me for not remembering the details here). One builder, for instance, had imported several locks from a particular manufacturer. However, none of the guns he produced were known for having this manufacturer's markings on these locks. Looking further, he found that there was a good chance that the builder had made a new lock plate but used that manufacturers internal parts.

Another thing he mentioned was that time was money just as much as it is now. If a builder could import parts for cheaper than they could take the time to produce them, they would do so in most cases

It was indeed an interesting conversation
 
Makes sense when said like that. Maybe people now, aren't so different than they were then.

Anyway,thanks for sharing.
 
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