Old Ford brings up an interesting question about the theme for this piece. The truth is, I have been making "cool expensive stuff " all of my life. This pistol in concept began as the lock. After the locks are made, they take on a life which suggests design parameters, next came the stock, one of a bunch which were saved from the wood stove. I am always looking for crooks or elbows to make boat knees or pistol stocks. I use crooks that are 10" -15" did to make pistols and I rough side them with a chainsaw. What follows is a whole gun building process. On a small pistol like this, there are not many choices for hardware so I make everything to fit the stock. There is no historic model other than vague inspiration from books or museum pieces. A lot of folks try to imagine that the piece they are making was from an ancient gunsmith who trained here, moved there and came up with the gun they are showing you. All of my guns, gates, lighting fixtures etc are a cumulative expression of what I know and have the ability or inability to execute. I have a lot of experience and have made thousands of things. I have also generated many large scrap piles. Allow yourself to think and imagine what it is that you want to make ... and make it.
Clint the blacksmith
