Author Topic: master builder comes for a visit (Read 19089 times)

lew wetzel · « **on:** April 30, 2009, 06:47:24 AM »

well today ranks up there with being at the cla show last year...hugh tonjes and his wife stopped by for a visit and i got to check out his "masterpiece"..i cant even begin to describe how beautiful and great this rifle is and all the little details that make this rifle what it is...WOW!!!!!!and the presentation case and accoutrements......WOW!!!he also brought the transitional rifle and i got to see that also....amazing...was really a great day and i thank you hugh and sandy for visiting...hope you enjoy the book...and look forward to meeting up with you again.....heres some pics...

flintman-tx · « **Reply #1 on:** April 30, 2009, 07:24:56 AM »

MERCY!!!

AMartin · « **Reply #2 on:** April 30, 2009, 02:43:26 PM »

white gloves

??

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #3 on:** April 30, 2009, 03:12:12 PM »

Quote from: AMartin on April 30, 2009, 02:43:26 PM

white gloves ??

Sure! They are required when you handle all Master Builder's work......I buy those gloves by the case....

Tommy Bruce · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2009, 03:12:41 PM »

Chris,

Looks like you had a $#*! of a day buddy.

lew wetzel · « **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2009, 03:42:27 PM »

hey tommy,it was a good day and got to learn a few things on tuning locks.....and yes white gloves.....his gun,his rules...i am fortunate enough to even got the chance to see it first hand and be able to shoulder it....the details that went into this gun are awesome....and the transitional rifle was fantastic as well....the two nicest rifles i have ever got to handle ,besides one of wallice gusslers that gary brunfield had at the cla show last year....and for you guys knocking the white gloves.....envy is one of the seven sins!!!!!

Jim Chambers · « **Reply #6 on:** April 30, 2009, 04:19:50 PM »

Never had a pair of white gloves in my shop. They kind of remind me of going to the doctor's office, and we all know what you get when the doctor puts on white gloves. Ha!
Lew, absolutely no envy invoved on my part.

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #7 on:** April 30, 2009, 04:49:32 PM »

Quote

....and for you guys knocking the white gloves.....envy is one of the seven sins!!!!!

No envy here either.

I have had the opportunity to handle many guns worth 1/2 million dollars or more, no white gloves were required. If I were asked to look at a gun and handed a pair of white gloves first I'd take a pass.

Just how does one get the title "Master Builder" bestowed on ones self? Is it something you just start calling your self? I'm stumped on this one.

flintman-tx · « **Reply #8 on:** April 30, 2009, 05:27:17 PM »

To me, a master builder does not have to be one whose prices are at the top of the heap. Nor does his guns have to be too fancy to use. If that is his choice and style, he is still a master builder. To my way of thinking, a man can be considered a master builder if his work is clean, crisp and really well done. If his guns are highly thought of and pleasing to those who own them and use them, he is a master builder. I personally do not want a man to build me a gun that I cannot bring myself to use for fear that it will get scratched or dinged. I have no quarrel with the collectors who pay top dollar for their guns and keep them in a room that has carefully controlled conditions of heat, humidity and the like. Their guns, their choice. It is all about choice. Give me the well done rifle that I can shoot at the range, display with pride, hunt with or just sit with it across my knees and admire it. Give me one of those and I will call the man who made it a MASTER BUILDER.

lew wetzel · « **Reply #9 on:** April 30, 2009, 05:43:36 PM »

i have bestowed that upon hugh as i worded the title for this thread....and in my eyes he is a master builder......i am sure this rifle will be around a couple hundred years from now in the same condition.....its not about how many guns you make but the one you make that stands the test ot time....

flintriflesmith · « **Reply #10 on:** April 30, 2009, 06:05:21 PM »

I think in this case the term master builder was bestowed by the Gunmaker's Guild. Here's the note that accompanied the original posting:

"I call it a "masterpiece" because it was submitted to the Custom Gunmaker's Guild in Reno NV for membership in that guild by yours truly. The membership committee voted unanimously to accept my application based on this rifle and the references that I provided. ..."

Gary

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #11 on:** April 30, 2009, 06:29:23 PM »

Listen, guys, you're knocking this guy's work, knocking Chris' experience. This is mean spirited, in my book.

This work may not appeal to everyone. That should be OK. If you don't like it, I understand, but please don't throw rotten fruit.

The white gloves, I understand as well. You might not need them for your work, but they are required here, they are required in the Metropolitan Museum.

Enough said. Get back to work, and please be respectful of others' feelings and work.

Acer

Collector · « **Reply #12 on:** April 30, 2009, 07:00:36 PM »

This is beginning to remind me of a pet rabbit we had as kids, that died. We reverently buried it and later found out that the neighbors dog had dug it up and was dragging and tossing it around playing with it.

To finish the story:
Well, the dog had dug it up while the whole family was at my gradmothers' and the horrified neighbor who thought that his dog had attacked and killed our pet, washed and cleaned the thing and put it back in the cage to make it look like it died peacefully. Had my father scratching his head when we got back.

Ephraim · « **Reply #13 on:** April 30, 2009, 07:11:06 PM »

That's funny sad but funny.
Ephraim

Collector · « **Reply #14 on:** April 30, 2009, 08:52:41 PM »

t.caster & others,

My point being that I view the general discourse and it's direction, in response to this 'topic,' as a 'resurrection' of a 'like' topic and the responses to it, generated on 02 April and sustained until 20 April, 2009.

My post of 20 April, notwithstanding, I see no affirmative purpose... again. To the contrary, though with no real injury intended, it diminishes one mans accomplishment by placing it on the scales of subjectivity... once again.

Wasn't it there once before? In fact, wasn't it just there? And, the result now in contrast to then, differs in what way, precisely?

I think that when that happens, we (all) do ourselves a disservice.

I remain, as before, just a quiet man amongst you all. (well, not all that quiet actually)

Gaylord Hansen (G.Hansen)

rich pierce · « **Reply #15 on:** April 30, 2009, 09:14:31 PM »

Lew, I envy your good day of studying some very fine work. I always get a great deal of pleasure out of handling someone's work when they are there to give it context and to have that interchange with them. I appreciate Hugh's generosity with his time. I also admire your ability to- admire. It's all too easy to scoff but that does nothing to build the sport or craft. It always seems to me that any scoffing is usually directed at someone who is really at the top of the game. It's a compliment in a way, when you consider how human nature works.

Whether or not we find something "right in our wheelhouse", maybe we should all consider, "How would I take this post if they were talking about ME?"

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #16 on:** April 30, 2009, 09:30:32 PM »

G Hansen, I had to think about your story for a long time. It's similar to this thread in this way; There are several 'stories' going on at the same time, and in one story the characters are having fun, completely oblivious to the other story; in the other story, the characters are getting hurt. Yet the two stories are completely intertwined.

Thanks for posting that.

Acer

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #17 on:** April 30, 2009, 11:08:27 PM »

Quote

Whether or not we find something "right in our wheelhouse", maybe we should all consider, "How would I take this post if they were talking about ME?"

I would be fine with it. I have a real grasp of what my work actually is, and I don't continually bash people over the head with it telling them how great it is and how great I am. When I post work here I always ask for comment or constructive criticism, and usually get some. I find the criticism more helpfull than a whole bunch of short positive remarks. When you get nothing but positive remarks you know there's a bunch of people out there lieing to you. There are a few 21st century flint guns I like, VERY FEW and honestly with no offence intended, this ain't one of them.

If you want to know why, I'll tell you......

Tom Currie · « **Reply #18 on:** May 01, 2009, 01:20:44 AM »

I can certainly appreciate Lew's day. I have felt way at Dixon's over by EK, Mark Whelan and Allen Martin's tables. But I knew the white gloves thing wasn't gonna fly here.

Don Getz · « **Reply #19 on:** May 01, 2009, 02:18:59 AM »

I can recall a gentleman from Canada came to Friendship with an Alex Henry rifle that he built from scratch, in a case,
with all the accessories, an outstanding piece of work. Checkering, engraving, color cased, as good as a Mark Silver
gun. He too required those white gloves to look at it. Perhaps someone will recall his name. Then, on the other hand,
I can remember sitting in Jack Haugh's shop in Frindship with that great german Jager rifle, the wheellock, with the damascus barrel, built by John Bivns, with that gun in my lap, drooling over it for an hour.. And how many of you guys out
at Friendship ever had the opportunity to handle those scottish pistols built by Houston Harrison....they were so good, I
don't know where you would start if placing a value on them. I guess it's up to the artisan to determine if he wants his
weapon handled with, or without, those white gloves. Personally, I wouldn't own a gun I couldn't shoot............Don

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #20 on:** May 01, 2009, 02:34:55 AM »

Quote from: Mike Brooks on April 30, 2009, 11:08:27 PM

Quote
Whether or not we find something "right in our wheelhouse", maybe we should all consider, "How would I take this post if they were talking about ME?"
I would be fine with it. I have a real grasp of what my work actually is, and I don't continually bash people over the head with it telling them how great it is and how great I am. When I post work here I always ask for comment or constructive criticism, and usually get some. I find the criticism more helpfull than a whole bunch of short positive remarks. When you get nothing but positive remarks you know there's a bunch of people out there lieing to you. There are a few 21st century flint guns I like, VERY FEW and honestly with no offence intended, this ain't one of them. If you want to know why, I'll tell you......

Mike, I've noticed that you don't have a problem telling people what you think.

Mainly what I wanted to express here was that Chris had a great experience, yet it was getting all yanked around with discussions about almost everything BUT his experience.

Most of the discussion is valid, but much of it is off topic. Perhaps it would be more useful to split the topic at some point into a separate discussion of 'what makes a master builder', or something along those lines, while leaving Chris' original post as is.

An alternative would be for someone to start a new thread. Anyone game?*

Tom

* I like T Caster's thread above: http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=4579.msg42941#msg42941

projeeper · « **Reply #21 on:** May 01, 2009, 03:07:29 AM »

i,m so new to this that my opion may not count,but i,ve seen so many fine rifles by so many gifted makers that if a man wants me to don white gloves to handle his art i would decline the offer just because if some unfortunate incendent would cause me to damage the makers rifle i could not afford to replace it.
lew,i wish i could have seen it up close but my hands would,ve been in my pockets.

Karl Kunkel · « **Reply #22 on:** May 01, 2009, 05:13:52 AM »

projeeper,

I'm the same way. My hands are either in my pockets or clasped behind my back.

billd · « **Reply #23 on:** May 01, 2009, 05:37:13 AM »

Like it or not, there's a lot of skill and love in that project. The case alone is more than I could ever imagine doing. As far as the gloves.....a man I used to hunt with had a great collection of graded Fox doubles. He would let me handle any of them, as long as I wore gloves that had a light coating of oil on them. I considered it a honor he trusted me to handle guns with so much $ value, let alone history, I would have worn a body suit if he asked.

Just my 2 cents,
Bill

lew wetzel · « **Reply #24 on:** May 01, 2009, 06:27:31 AM »

glad to see all the healthy discussion going on...i have lost alot of respect for some of the members of this board because i had a false sense that we are all like minded and are here because we share a passion for this craft...but a few has chosen to show thier real colors...my thread was to validate how fine hughs rifle really is to try and take some of the negative attention he has gotten from some of you about his masterpiece rifle...and to express how over-joyed that this man would come hundreds of miles out of his way to let me see this rifle because he says i have a great passion for this.......one of the best compliments anybody has ever given me...
i have alot more i would like to say to some of you ...but this is not the place for it...and i respect this board enough to refrain....

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Author Topic: master builder comes for a visit (Read 19089 times)

lew wetzel

flintman-tx

lew wetzel

flintman-tx

lew wetzel

Ephraim

projeeper

billd

lew wetzel