Author Topic: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot  (Read 8997 times)

Online rich pierce

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Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« on: September 13, 2010, 06:19:26 PM »
http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2010/09/ian-pratt-rifle-and-maryellen-pratt-bag.html

A real treat, a very swoopy, early styled rifle with Woodbury influences.  Imagine if we found such an original in the South!  It would be worth a cool million.  Everything "fits"- rifle, bag, horn and cootermints.  Love them cooter-mints- tasty stuff.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2010, 06:21:11 PM by richpierce »
Andover, Vermont

Offline rsells

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2010, 08:01:15 PM »
Great rifle and accessories.  Work like these keep my interest going and keep me trying to improve my work.  Good work Ian.
                                                                               Roger Sells

Offline Sequatchie Rifle

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2010, 08:30:21 PM »
Absolutely perfect!  What a fine set- everything is just as it should be! The rifle is stunning.  The trigger guard very unusual.  Ian, is the rifle a .52 cal?  What length is the barrel?
"We fight not for glory, nor riches nor honors, but for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life.” Declaration of Arbroath, 1320

Offline Jim Kibler

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2010, 11:22:30 PM »
It's a fantastic rifle.  Has all components to create something special.

Offline Bill of the 45th

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2010, 01:12:38 AM »
It's another one of them rifleguns that fits into the "Just Wow" category.

Bill
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Offline Gary Tucker

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2010, 01:50:09 AM »
Wow!!  One of the coolest rifles I've seen.  Just love the patchbox, cheekpiece, carving, color, mounts, Heck, there's nothing on it I don't love.  Great job.  I just love it when somebody comes up with a patchbox design that is completely different.  It's one thing to fabricate a neat looking box, but it's twice as hard to design one.
Gary Tucker

Offline Ken G

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2010, 05:54:59 AM »
What incredible set that anyone would be proud to have. All wonderful work. Ian,
If it's possible to take the Woodburry school to the next level: I believe you are the guy to do it.  The rifle is outstanding.  

Ken
« Last Edit: September 14, 2010, 06:00:28 AM by Ken Guy »
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Offline B Shipman

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2010, 07:05:10 AM »
Really a great contemporary rifle. It has it all. Just right historicaly yet his own conception.

Offline G-Man

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #8 on: September 15, 2010, 02:33:20 PM »
I am sure Ian is proud that folks recognize Hershel's influence on his gunbuilding, but when you look at his work in the past few years, I think it has evolved to an instantly recognizable style of his own.  You can spot his guns from across the room - yet no 2 are exactly alike.

Outstanding rifle Ian.  I love the finish on this one.;  Really like the patchbox too  - inspired by those excavated pieces that Wallace thinks are Moravian-North Carolina. I like where you took the concept on this one  ;)

With a nicely shaped and decorated rifle like this it's easy to overlook the little details that Ian pays so much attention to.  But man - everything on this rifle is so well done!

Guy

Offline James Rogers

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2010, 02:44:33 PM »
Beautiful work!

Offline M Tornichio

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #10 on: September 15, 2010, 04:41:05 PM »
I agree with what everyone has said except for the woodbury influence. I agree with Guy that Ian has taken it too another level. I was going to post something before, but I could not think of a good name for Ian's style. Maybe we can name them after the county Ian is going to be moving to in the next few years?? At any rate a really top notch rifle. Not a copy of anything, but really grounded in historical details. No detail appears out of place on that rifle.
Great job!
Marc

Offline B.Barker

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2010, 03:13:26 AM »
I agree with Marc not Woodbury but all Ian. He has a style that is all his. I know some folks don't care for contemporary pieces but I do. Its very hard to make your "own style" that flows and looks right. I can't say that I have seen a rifle by Ian that I haven't liked. I also like the patch box that Ian put on this riflegun. Keep up the great work Ian.

Online rich pierce

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #12 on: September 16, 2010, 06:02:02 AM »
Seems saying it's Woodbury-influenced or inspired is off-base- nothing but compliments intended as I have a lot of respect for Hershel's work.  I'm not an astute student of the Woodbury school and tend to call iron mounted fantasy rifles "Woodbury-inspired" since Hershel was doing this since the 1970's and everybody since has probably been inspired/influenced by his work.  I don't mean to imply that a lot of work influenced by the Woodbury school does not stand on its own merits and is of a different genre.
Andover, Vermont

Offline Dave R

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #13 on: September 16, 2010, 06:37:16 AM »
Held and drewled all over this rifle and bag at the CLA show in Lexington and last weekend @  Friendship! Ian is truly an exceptional builder and the way I see it he has unknowingly created his own school!Hopefully this will be his "Signature Series" Rifle Style!! I LOVE IT!!! GOTTA HAVE ONE!!

PS, Rich I used your Meramec River rifle flints at Friendship the last few days and they spark very well with no misfires! It is nice to know we don't have to rely on the English!

Dave Reising

Offline G-Man

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #14 on: September 16, 2010, 03:26:34 PM »
Hi Rich - I don't think anyone would ever be insulted by someone pointing out ties to Hershel's work :)  He has been the inspiration for many great builders out there - so I did not mean to sound like I was disagreeing with your post -  rather, just wanted to add to it - i.e. the last 4 or 5 rifles I've seen by Ian have been so diverse in style, yet captured the overall feel of what they were going for so darned well and have a feel to them that just looks unique to his work.  There are some builders whose work you can spot from 50 feet away, regardless of what style it is, and Ian's rifles are at that place, I think.

Best regards

Guy

Offline Ian Pratt

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #15 on: September 18, 2010, 07:59:44 AM »
Man, thank you guys, we both certainly appreciate it. I'm sure Tim does too, really nice horn that fit just right with everything else.

To answer the couple of questions, it is a .52 caliber rifle, the barrel length about 43" made by Ed Rayl.

  The rifle turned out to be a real intense project. The only request Alan had made was that the gun would be a rifle and big enough of a caliber to kill deer with, which pretty much left everything else wide open. I suppose there is a certain degree of risk involved in this kind of scenario, where the person who the gun is being built for is able to have no preconceived ideas of what the outcome will be, not knowing the intentions of the rasp wielding maniac at the other end of the deal until the moment he first sees the finished rifle. I completely enjoy that kind of work.     

Offline Bill of the 45th

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #16 on: September 19, 2010, 12:06:01 AM »
Yeah, Ian. that's like asking for a date with agirl over 21, and having Heidi Klum walk thru the door.

Bill
« Last Edit: September 20, 2010, 03:32:24 AM by Bill Knapp »
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Offline J. Talbert

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Re: Ian and MaryEllen on blogspot
« Reply #17 on: September 19, 2010, 10:31:30 PM »
Well late as usual, but I just saw it today.

What a headturner!

I love the whole package, but the rifle really turns my crank.  As far as Woodbury influenced, contemporary, a fantasy rifle, or whatever;  if it's good, it's good, and this one IS GOOD.

Hershel may have lit the fuse, but this explosion is Ian Pratt.

Jeff
« Last Edit: September 20, 2010, 05:19:43 AM by Jeff Talbert »
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