Author Topic: pistol schools  (Read 4047 times)

brokenflint

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pistol schools
« on: March 17, 2009, 06:42:15 PM »
The recent post on the lehigh pistol by Mark Wheland got me to thinking if there was a system in place similiar to rifles, in categorizing pistol by schools also. Anyone have knowledge of these schools, if they do in fact exist presently.  Or de we just kind of lump them into the same schools as the rifles?    I'm on a pistol info binge here :-) so any info is appreciated on when where and why

jwh1947

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Re: pistol schools
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2009, 08:27:52 PM »
Wow, pistol schools, that would really be dicey.  There are those who like to subdivide and slice and dice schools.  Some even get their jollies by creating new ones.  There is an urge in homo sapiens to scratch our story on the cave wall.  Sometimes that's progress, at other times intellectual masturbation. 

My initial reaction is that there are not enough extant pistols (that are real) out there to put them into distinct regional categories and have patterns pop out definitively.  I would be suspicious of anyone, other than the Great Pinyone, who would offer to identify a Berks pistol from a Lancaster-made one.  Now if someone told me that North Carolina pistols have some characteristics that regularly differ from Pa.-made ones, I want to hear everything this chap has to say. Then I am going to apply those notions to reality and see if my own empirical observations correlate to his. 

I build what I call a Pennsylvania pistol.  I call it that when I peddle it.  It is a synthesis of the handguns in Sam Dyke's first pamphlet on local pistols.  No secrets.  I start with one of Fred's standard pistol forms and have him inlet the barrel.  I go from there and never make two alike.  They sell faster for me than rifles, because all the professional builders focus on the more expensive rifles and don't want to be bothered with these humble things which have so little space for carving expression.  JWHeckert

brokenflint

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Re: pistol schools
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2009, 12:54:33 AM »
JWH1947

I wasn’t suggesting we slice and dice, as a matter of fact I prefer to keep the spectrum far and wide, like, hey this one’s a flintlock and this one’s a percussion and it has a synthetic stock   Simpler that way for me to digest the goods!   I was more curious to know if my education was lacking, LOL , well that doesn’t matter either,  I don’t even have the rifle schools figured out!  I think I would much prefer to pick and chose the design features that I like than to conform to a certain craftsman or school. 

I think a time line was really more of what interested me.  More so that I could get an idea that a Georgian was before a revolver in a broad sense.   

jwh1947

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Re: pistol schools
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2009, 04:57:20 AM »
I think you have just about as good a perspective as anybody out there, and you certainly aren't messing any substantial chunks of information.  I'll bring that Dyke source along to Lex for you.  Hey, get one of Fred's nice pieces of wood and one of Johnny's experimental barrels, and then say to yourself, perhaps, "I'm going to lay out a kick-butt Berks pistol."  Then figure how much room you have on that surface to squeeze in some classic Berks carving and make the thimbles and the sideplate look Berksy.  As far as who to do it?  I can think of none better than you.   JWHeckert

brokenflint

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Re: pistol schools
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2009, 04:40:19 PM »
jwh1947

"I'll bring that Dyke source along to Lex for you."   I'm confused here, are we talking about some event or show in Lexington, Ky?  btw what is the Dyke source? This happen to be SE Dyke: Thoughts on the American Flintlock Pistol or are there other papers he published, as you mention his first pamphlet on local pistols.

brokenflint

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Re: pistol schools
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2009, 04:46:50 PM »
Ah  I see we are talking about the CLA show in Lexington in Aug,  I'm not sure I'll be going at this point, but will see how it works out.

jwh1947

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Re: pistol schools
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2009, 11:31:53 PM »
Sorry for confusion.  I referred to "The Samuel E. Dyke Collection of kentucky Pistols" by Frank Klay, 1964/1972, The Gun Room Press, Highland Park, NJ 08904.  B&W  photos of 13 pistols.  JWHeckert

Offline JTR

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Re: pistol schools
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2009, 02:29:10 AM »
Brokenflint,
You might consider getting 'The Kentucky Pistol' by Chandler & Whisker if you don't have it. It shows 188 pistols in black and white photos, most with makers names, and you'll be able to see the differences between regions, when there are any.
The book is out of print, but am sure it could be found at Amazon, etc.
John
John Robbins

brokenflint

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Re: pistol schools
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2009, 05:16:38 AM »
JTR    I've got that one on my list  ;)  I've been also snakin anything photo wise I can get from the web, like Hurricanes link to the sheetz pair today.