L. Houston Harrison

[Molly]

Very nice,  THANKS

Many years between the time of the photo and the time of the video.  Great to have those kind of records about modern day builders.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... "$#*!, I'm hungry,.... let's go get something to eat,.. I'm tired of messing with this @!*% thing",.. !!! ......  Thanx for these videos ROBERTS,... !!! ... I wasn't aware they existed,...Old Houston was certainly a character,... a regular Tennessee boy who excelled at everything he did,... Great post,.. regards,... Cades Cove Fiddler,....

[Robin Henderson]

I'd almost forgot about those videos. I was just an acquaintance to Houston but I have a friend who knew him well. He happens to love telling Houston tales to anyone who has time to listen(me)...maybe its because he owns several of his rifles. He's told me the story about him making the fiddle when he was just a young kid but even before this, and much younger, he was whittling his own toys out of blocks of wood. He's seen a few of the ones that still exist and described them as being exceptionally detailed which was amazing having been made by a little kid. Hope this is ok to relate here but in one of the videos you hear him say he also liked to shoot revolvers....Well....he built one completely from scratch even down to the screws. As the story goes, his replica was being displayed at a large gun show in the area. A big Colt collector saw it and ask if he could examine it. The collector was proclaiming it as being the finest example of that model he had ever had the pleasure of handling. Houston happened to be standing there and told him that he had made it. The big time collector was in total disbelief until Houston broke it down far enough to show him his hidden witness marks.   

[Craig Wilcox]

Molly, that H. Harrison rifle that you have somehow tears at my heart strings.  I think it's beauty is in it's simplicity.  For sure the wood stands apart from those rifles that we see every day.

You have a rare treasure there, and a long time to appreciate it.  Thanks for showing it to us.

[Bob Roller]

i just looked closely at the lock and triggers and I am sure the  lock is one of the Ketlands I made and most of them went for the so called "Flint Hawken" fullstocks. The last rifle I made was a walnut fullstock with the last of these locks in 2008.It was fast with hardly any perceptible delay in the ignition cycle and was a GM 58 caliber with steel trim and single trigger also think the triggers on the Harrison rifle are mine as well.
Bob Roller

[Molly]

Well, I decided to take a look and remove the lock.  I think I did that back when we got it.

SORRY to disappoint you but...............

it says "Made in China"





No wait, that's not it.  It's "Roller 76" and there is another number on it as well.

[Bob Roller]

Well, I decided to take a look and remove the lock.  I think I did that back when we got it.

SORRY to disappoint you but...............

it says "Made in China"





No wait, that's not it.  It's "Roller 76" and there is another number on it as well.

Probably made after a Chinese dinner at the New China Restaraunt.That time frame was busy for me
and that lock was a good performer..I still have one frizzen and one cock.....maybe.I will keep the frizzen
in case of one breaking.That style of cock is all but indestructible.
Bob Roller

[Shreckmeister]

Enjoyed the videos. Sadly there are less and less guys like that around these days.

[J. Talbert]

Starting back in the Eighties my wife and I were camped practically next door to Jack Rouse during the national shoots at Friendship for a number of years.  His campsite was quite the hangout for gunmakers, story tellers and musicians.  Frank Bartlett and Houston Harrison to name a couple.
We had the pleasure of listening to Houston playing his handmade guitar on a number of occasions sitting under Jack’s awning.
It would be mighty hard to pick which endeavor was Houston’s best, musician, gunmaker or musical instrument maker.  He was phenomenal at all three.

Great memories, 
Jeff

[Daryl]

Those videos were great - thanks.

[Carney Pace]

Having been a friend of Don King, maker in the 60's,70's and 80's.
I can maybe shed a little light on  Don's soldering techniques.  He would fit the parts to be joined to a tight slip fit, flux them, using thin flat silver solder ( not wire)
between the joints he would put the pieces together sometimes using clamps.  Before applying heat he would use a grease pencil and mark a line around the joint to be solder. Applying heat the solder would run to the mark and not any further.  Hardly ever seen a solder line.
Miss Molly great rifle, love the bean style.

Videos are great as I collect the old style music.

Carney