The talent, do you have it? Find out?

[dave_person]

And, as importantly, you seem to enjoy the whole learning and creative process.

Hi David,
That is absolutely correct and if I could not express that with muzzleloading guns, I would do it with something else.

dave

 

[wulf]

Perfect...............

 

[B.Habermehl]

Bill Kennedy, who was one of my mentors, said building guns is like being bilingual, you need to speak the language of metal and wood. I also add tool making and sculpture.

 

[dave_person]

Hi BH,
Bill was one of my early mentors too when he still lived in Peapack, New Jersey.

dave

 

[B.Habermehl]

I had the pleasure of hanging around with him from around 1988 or 9 till he passed away. To say he taught me a lot is a understatement. When I got my first blue ribbon at Dixons, I handed the gun and the ribbon to him and said to him. Bill, this is all your fault, while laughing. His retort was B.S. you took what little I taught you and ran with it. Now it's your turn to teach. Don't allow the circle of apprenticeship die with us. I have always since taught whenever I could. And never kept secrets. Talent or predisposition is necessary. Passion and hard work is indispensable.

 

[rich pierce]

I remember Bill when he was a newbie hanging around Charlie Stone's black powder shop in Neshanic, NJ.

 

[B.Habermehl]

Wow small world! It shows how many lives one man can touch.BJH

 

[dave_person]

Hi Rich,
I knew Charlie very very well. He always had a soft spot for me and my Dad because we got along so well and he was always having trouble with his step kids. I was the one who got him to set his store up as a deer checking station.

dave

 

[rich pierce]

Dave, Charlie was a real character. I used to go there (Neshanic Station) weekends quite a bit and hang around. Great spot. I sold a couple rifles and possibles on consignment at Charlie's store in the late 70s to maybe 1980 then Dixons got my full attention. We were living in New Brunswick back then.

One funny experience. I had a percussion halfstock Hawken rifle for sale there at Charle Stone's shop on consignment. I went one weekend to his store and the rifle was gone. I figured he sold it, but no, he let a guy take it to rondy to try it out. I about busted a blood vessel trying to keep my cool. The guy did buy it if I recall correctly but I never heard of letting a consignment gun out of the store for a test shoot, before or after.

 

[B.Habermehl]

Bill told me that Charlie moved his shop south of Allentown. I went down there a number of years ago. Just one visit though I remember he had a ton of castings. BJH

 

[billraby]

You are coming across as extremely conceited. The rifles I build turn out exceptionally well. It is partly because I spent a lifetime developing the skills needed to do it. But having the technical skills is quite different from being able to build a nice gun.

I am working on scratch building a lock right now. Realized I was in over my head right away. Spent a week trying to figure out how to do it. Came to the conclusion it would be best to let God figure it out. So I quit thinking about it and got to work. Its turning out great.

I provide materials, tools, and skills. God is the only one bringing any talent into the picture. My work would be mediocre at best if I did it on my own. He is doing the hard part. Don't forget that pride is the greatest of all sins.

 

[necchi]

You are coming across as extremely conceited.

Welcome new guy,
But :bull:
Hang around for awhile,, you'll begin to understand the original timing of this thread and the need for it.
I'm sorry if you find yourself somewhat offended by the topic,, this is the "Gun Builders Bench" section of this Nobel forum.
Sometimes coming here to ask,
"can I refinish wood?" actually needs to be answered with a topic like this.