Tang Carving

[Bob Rearley]

Is anyone aware of any illustrations and/or hints on carving a shell design behind the tang?  I feel like I have seen both, but I cannot recall where.
Thanks , Bob

[chapmans]

  I have just this one in photobucket, it's on a pistol Don Kammerer built



  I hope it is of some help
  Steve Chapman

[flintriflesmith]

Is anyone aware of any illustrations and/or hints on carving a shell design behind the tang?  I feel like I have seen both, but I cannot recall where.
Thanks , Bob

Shell tang carving comes in so many different forms that it would help to know what gun you are putting it on. The elaborate and detailed carving on the Don Kammer pistol that Steve posted is at one end of the scale and much, much simpler designs on longrifles, like the Kleete and Walker, are at the other. Trade guns and fowlers also span the range. (The Bullard/Newcomer rifle in RCA II is mounted and carved like a mid-grade fowler.)

The carving should probably be balanced with the amount of detail on the rest of the gun.

Gary

[Acer Saccharum]

English, ca 1740:

[smart dog]

Hi Bob,
These might help you with one style commonly used by English makers.

dave

[Dave B]

Here is a couple more for you. One is off a pistol I am working on .... well not currently but you get the Idea. The other is an original shell carving on a fowling piece.

[Jerry V Lape]

There was a tutorial on here some time back which was excellent.  It wasn't of the shell but of the furrowed acanthus leaf (my best effort to describe it) similar to those on the exquisite rifle Jim Kibler recently posted.  I may have it saved somewhere but I can't find it now. 

[Bob Rearley]

Thanks for the ideas guys.  You make an excellent point I had not considered Gary.  The gun is the Chamber's  "Little Feller's Gun"  I believe it has some Berk's County  features.  The gun the kit is modeled after has a simple Fleur-De-Lis.  I wanted to try a simple shell.  Should I stick with the Fleur-De-Lis?  There is very little carving otherwise.

[Acer Saccharum]

If this is a pure contemporary gun, do whatever you want.

If you want a fairly traditional gun, one that looks pretty 'right', then:
I'd stick with what's right for the style and time period(not that I follow my own advice). Do consider that there is quite a bit of latitude even when staying within a school.

[tallbear]

Bob
Here is a simple shell copied from a Reading gun.Look in RCA #1 under Berks county.There are a number of different shell patterns that would work for your rifle.

Mitch

[Bob Rearley]

Thanks guys, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.