Jim Chambers on the Blog

[Ken G]

Guys, I was admiring the Jim Chambers rifle on the blog this morning.  How clean and crisp the engraving and carving was really impressed me and then I saw "Made in 1985" and was even more impressed and then my heart sank.  Geez!   Since I can't produce anything like that now I would really like to tell myself it is the accumulative knowledge and experience of building guns for 30 years but that was 25 years ago.  Oh, I feel bad. 
Ken

[t.caster]

That's pure artistry! A few are GIFTED, Jim is among them!

[mr. no gold]

If that is the same rifle I saw last fall while at the Chambers' home, it is one of the finest rifles I have ever seen. Jim is one of the best; he could even be the best, in my humble opinion. My jaw literally hit the floor when he handed it to me. The first effect was a 'Wow!' impression, but as I buckled down to really examine the details, carving, engraving, 'Wow' turned into 'Wow-ee and Yahoo!' It is just beautiful!
My advice would have to be that if you are building, buy Chambers! His kits are not far behind this rifle. Mighty fine, indeed.
Dick

[David Rase]

I never tire of seeing that gun.  Great close up pictures.  Along with the Isaac Haines rifle that Mark Silver built for Joe Wood, these are my two favorite contemporay rifles.  Maybe Art can get some pictures of Joe's gun to post.
DMR   

[Larry Pletcher]

I just got a look.  Jim, it is a really grand rifle!   I am constantly amazed to the talent and patience it takes to do that level of work. I'm probably not the only fellow wondering how to afford a truely fine rifle like that.  It's hard to find the right words.

Regards,
Pletch

[Don Getz]

I talked to Joe recently and I think he might be willing to part with some of his good muzzleloaders, and he has some good ones.....several by Jud Brennan, that Mark Silver rifle, and I suppose others.   Joe has gotten into shooting his old
Parker double barrels, this is what he likes to do now, and the muzzleloaders have taken a back seat.   Some of you
"heavy hitters" might want to check him out.........Don

[RobertS]

I agree, call me Goldilocks, but I have to say that this is one gun where everything seems to be just right.  With carving and engraving, sometimes it seems like it's a little overdone or maybe not quite enough, but everything on this one is harmonious.  I don't know really what I am trying to say, but theres an unexplainable quality about this, and you just know it when you see it. 

[Jim Chambers]

Many thanks for all the kind words.  That rifle was originally made for Hugh Toenjes who said it didn't fit him and sent it back.  It was resold before it arrived back here.  Best of all, the owner has always left it here except for a couple of months right after he bought it.  He says more people will see and enjoy it here than at his home.  Nice guy!
The Isaac Haines rifle that Mark Silver made for Joe Wood now resides in my gun room.  Like Dave, it is probably my favorite contemporary rifle.

[Don Getz]

Jim, you old rascal, I didn't know you had that Mark Silver gun of Joe's, nice gun, as are all of Marks.   I've also admired
this gun of yours, great.  There was another gun of Marks that I always liked, the Jager rifle that Don Vaughn owned.
Don passed away several months ago and I keep wondering where it went.   By the way, you should stock up on white
gloves...................Don

[Mike Brooks]

Yep, great gun Jim and a great example how an artist can show off his superior skills with out going over the top into the realm of something that belongs in a cat house. All tastefully done in traditional style, nothing gaudy, glitzy or whoreish but artistically top shelf.

[Leprechaun]

Yep, great gun Jim and a great example how an artist can show off his superior skills with out going over the top into the realm of something that belongs in a cat house. All tastefully done in traditional style, nothing gaudy, glitzy or whoreish but artistically top shelf.

Of course,  "gaudy, glitzy or whoreish" is a personal taste thing. Some people LIKE Pam Anderson while others prefer Halle Berry . I suspect that the "gaudy, glitzy or whoreish" comment was directed at the gun posted by Hugh Toenjes and, while it may be somewhat over the top for some tastes, I find it interesting that, while some scoff at it, it's no where near as garrish as the Alfred Gross Tenn rifle posted in the 'museum' and yet, everyone seems impressed with that one . Just goes to show that if it's made today, there's no end to the scrutany but if it was made 200 years ago, it's all good.
BTW, that does look like a wonderfull rife Jim (as usual). Perhaps someone could get Bill Shipman to give Jan Riser a few tips on photographing longrifles so they aren't so dark and we could actually SEE some of the detail. I find it agonizing when viewing guns on the blog I KNOW there is a great gun there but can only make out a silouette .

[Mike Gahagan]

I remember seeing that gun and the other one similar to it when I first met Jim in 1989.Now that was an humbling experience!Like the saying goes:No matter how good you might think you are,there is always someone better.Jim helped me to get into this business and I don`t think that I could have had a better teacher or mentor.

[J. Talbert]

Amazing!   Even though I've had the pleasure of holding that rifle and a similar one that Jim made and still has,  I'm still blown away every time I see them.  They are both the kind of guns that you need to be able to sit down with for a few evenings and study.  Each time I see them there's some new detail that I notice.

Jim is undoubtedly one of the best!  And a more humble, nicer guy you'll not meet.

Hey Jim, since you now have Mark's Isaac Haines, I hope you'll bring it out to play, so we can get a fresh look at it.

Jeff

[David Rase]

Hey Jim, since you now have Mark's Isaac Haines, I hope you'll bring it out to play, so we can get a fresh look at it.
Jeff

Not to keep stealing this thread but I had the privilege of sitting down with Mark at Conner Prairie in the early 90's and have Mark critique my first Lancaster rifle while it was still in the white.  Mark spent one and a half hours with me going over my rifle and referring back to his Isaac Haines "bench copy" explaining every little detail about the Isaac Haines, both his copy as well as the original.  That is one of the reasons why that is my favorite contemporary rifle. The other is that Joe actually used that gun many times on his ranch. 
Jim, I hope you will have room to bring that gun to Dixon's.  I would look forward to seeing it again as it has been a few years.
DMR

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

It's such a great privilege to see it done right.  I cannot imagine what Hugh was thinking.  Superlative workmanship Jim.  I've saved every image to my reference files.

[Mobyduck]

Where can I see this gun? I assume I need the blog address -

[Dennis Glazener]

The first post in this forum, right now its just above this one, has the URL. Its a sticky and left there for folks to find the URL in.
Dennis