I think you may have the truth by the tail Long John .
Not only do we transpose our values but I would add that virtually all the guns being built today are fantasy guns greater or lesser extent in the strictest sense. This may be an affront and truly I mean no disrespect to the extremely high level of craftmanship exhibited by the best contemporary builders.
Some of this as hinted at on another thread recently. Many of the current guns are finished to ''1860 standards'' which is to say very high standards indeed,much higher than 18th century standards .I think the thought was that that was what modern customers expected .And they do .They are us .
And it goes further ..
We have the finest basic materials available a phone call or a few clicks away on the computer delivered to us in just a couple of days .
Pure sheet brass ,select woods, perfect steel barrels ,superbly fine files,abrasive papers, quality drills ,down to the electric lights in our shops which extend our nights into days .Even the quality of our healthcare which extended our lives long enough to perfect our craft instead of dying at 40 from being just worn out from the physical labor of trying to stay alive in a pre-industrial setting .
For most of us this is a hobby or started out as such , an avocation,something only the very rich (and eccentric) gentry could afford to indulge in once upon a time .(Wood turning was a popular way back when). Free time is only a recent by product. Ironically only hunter gatherers had free time like we have today ,at least when the hunting was good .At the top end, the visual lines of the new made stuff ,from an artistic standpoint, is better than the 18th century work.And while it is all inspired by the best of the old work to say it is ''recreating'' it may be part of the self delusion .It is all new stuff .
There is a parallel in art history in 19th century France where the very best work was being done at the time. Many of the best artists were part of the Salon,they were all first rate painters , very popular,and well respected .The Salon had a recognized set of standards in regards to how things were painted ,and subject matter They looked down at the fringe painters who called themselves Impressionists and the Realists
We recognize names today like Cezanne ,Van Gogh, Matisse. All innovative but not recognized in their time .Those guys were not part of the Salon.
Most of us would be hard put to think of the names of any of the great Salon painters but have certainly heard of the names I just mentioned .The first two were commercial failures but brillaint artists
As gun builders I doubt that the work done today constitutes art that will be recognized in the future as any kind of major art movement .Other than within our own little group, gun culture Artisans are more likely to be vilified than praised for what we spend our creative energies making.
Here in Minneapolis, at the Art Institute maybe eight or so years ago under Evan Mauer,there was an excellent exhibit of the some of best of the old and the new contemporary makers work which toured the country.One of the local art critics called it a glorified ''gun show'' .Oh well.... some of us got it right off, some other learned that a lot of effort was made to make guns into works of art and some people count not be budged from their belief system as it threatened there entire world view.
What I liked best about this show is there was no effort made to show that the modern work was by any means historically correct ,the past was the inspiration but not the endgame .All the work of the contemporary makers of muzzleloaders was a fresh .All the works selected were all distinctive styles and this was on purpose I think . Hershel House was represented as was Frank House (two guys who have their own recognized school ) Jud Brennan had one of the most elaborately decorated gold embellished longrifles I had ever seen or had ever been made in the 18th century .Wallace Gunsler had one of his recently made Virginia guns there,but it had much racier lines and better looking lot better looking than any Virginia gun I ever saw .
These guys are makers of the first order but we would have to agree that all the guns represented there would be called a fantasy guns .
Frankly that level of original work is beyond a lot of us casual builders .
And more importantly there has been a real trend recently towards historical accuracy and authenticity ,driven in part by historical re-creationists, living history types juried fairs etc. And that there are professional builders today who are are an extension
of that trend .That is a legitimate market which demands certain things. But perhaps in the big picture that to may be just another passing phase like the 19th century French Salon.
I for one would love to see some more real honest fantasy guns . Some of the best work I have seen recently has been southern mountain guns.
Or build something like Mr Getz's plain barn guns which I think are one of the better studies in pure stock architecture unencumbered by embellishment
that I have seen in a while .I would have liked to see the gun that inspired that series of guns .
18th century gunmakers were not free to pursue that style for numerous reasons bound by their market ,the conventions and their customers demands .
Since you are the ultimate enduser build what you want.
