Mel Hankla Rifle on Contemporary Makers Blog

[RobertS]

Just a heads up, there is a great Mel Hankla rifle on the Contemporary Makers website, http://www.contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/  I think I may have seen a few pictures of this rifle before, and wanted to see more, and there they are, if it is indeed the same gun.  I think it's one of the most interesting I've seen in a while, so I just thought I'd pass it along.

[PINYONE]

Well the rifle on there is really nice, just as Mel is. I think that the reason Mel is building some really good rifles is due to his research of their architecture and then being able to transport it to wood and creat a truely original style rifle that looks original. The wire inlayed rifle he made Gordon Barlow is just rel right, I would love to own it. My prob;em is by the time I get to see enough of some ones work the price is gone through the roof. Mel builds as good as you can get for period correct rifles, he took what H. House taught him and took off running, another way you know some one is building fine rifles is- you never see them for sale. The Great Pinyone

[Collector]

You can see more of Mels' work on his web site:

http://www.americanhistoricservices.com/html/home.html

 

[PINYONE]

I would like to add- Mel has done more to promote this Trade with enthusiasm - vigor- and kindness more than anyone I know, he is willing to share knowledge at any point- does great Acting of Historic American people. I wonder where he gets his energy and finds the time- Hats off to Mel- Pinyone

[RobertS]

And another observation of mine, after looking at his website, is that he is apparently much too modest of his own work.  I, for one, would like to see a lot more of it. 

[G-Man]

One of the things I like most about Mel's guns is that each one I have seen is very different. When I run across one that I've not seen before, what usually happens is I usually see it from a distance and am first struck by it being a good looking piece, and then look at it closely to find out afterwards Mel's signature is on the barrel.

My favorite is a sleek iron mounted southwestern Virginia style squirrel rifle he made for Jud Brennan - just a fantastic piece with a captured lid box and a touch of silver inlay work - it was on his table at the CLA a couple of years ago so some of you other guys probably saw it too - just really captured the influence of elements from a number of well known pieces and combined it into something one of a kind and totally his own.

The young man who chose the rifle chose well.  The ATV would have likely been wrecked or junked in a few seasons.  That rifle can be handed down to his children, and theirs......

Mel does so much to promote the study of longrifles and the early history of our country.  His efforts have really helped a lot of us have access to the means to study and understand a lot more.  I don't know how he finds the time to organize these events - that sort of work is like herding cats - but we appreciate it.


Guy

[TPH]

Agree with all of the above, but this is my favorite:

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2008/09/mel-hankla.html

A real collaboration of effort...

[PINYONE]

Hey THP- I spoke with Mel recently about that rifle and we talked about 30 minutes on it, and in his words that was a really cool rifle- I just think it is about as early looking AS YOU CAN GET- KEEP TURNING THEM OUT MEL- pinyone

[TPH]

"Really cool" is a good way to describe it, but.... it is not a rifle! It is a smoothbore and correctly so for the period and location.

[PINYONE]

i hope someday to get Mel to build a rifle for myself- and in the dream as early as it gets, I know that he can do it.  I have no personal preference really as I like all the periods, there are no bad Kentuckies- in my view even rifles that are not highly artistic that are old got to see what I would love to see but its now gone. - The great Pinyone

[PINYONE]

I would like to post on hear what a gentleman Mel Hankla is. After what I said on here, someone told Mel what I  said about him and his work and his commitment to Lost Arts such as longrifles and accoutrements. To my surprise I recieved a message on my answering machine from MR. HANKLA thanking me for the kind words I said about him. That's a real gentleman, not many raised with manors like that any more. As I stated before there would be a whole lot less to do in the trade as for Shows and Shoots, so we all should be grateful that someone-MEL- has his dedication to this Craft. When you go to CLA he is one of the top promoters of it and more. I also am glad that he is one of our Kentucky Rifle Association brothers, Steve Boyleston

[Acer Saccharum]

That's a real gentleman, not many raised with manors like that any more.

If he was a Southern Gentleman, he'd have been raised in a manor. If he studied and actually lives by his Emily Post, he has manners. A rare find indeed, to come across someone with manners.

I do like Mel's work very much. First I've even seen of it, on the Contemporary site. I'd like to see it in person.

Acer

[PINYONE]

Well Acer- there are many Southern Gentlemen who were and today are not raised in a Manor- as we in the South lived in Plantations- the manor Homes were up North of the Dixon. I have known many Southern Gentlemen who come from small little towns that have manors to match any of the Social lights in the Hamptons, but probably are not as Snooty Hooty. And on that note if you ever get to know Mel the Southern Gentleman you will know he is one, Richard Steven Boyleston from the "Great State of South Carolina"

[jwh1947]

Ditto on Mel being a key player and all-around good friend to all of us in the "business" of history.  Mel gets things done and "keeps it real."  He brings together scholarship and hands-on experience, and, as you say, he shares his knowledge unselfishly with anyone interested enough to ask him.  JWH