The Hawken Shop

[Longknife]

The original Hawken shop which passed through a series of owners and finally owned by JP Gemmer closed its doors in 1915. Apparently there were items that belonged the the shop that were put in storage until they were acquired by Art Ressel in 196?. The “Hawken Shop was then sold the current owners, Greg Roberts and Claudette Green. Just what were these items that were put in storage in 1915 and sold to Art?  Has anyone seen them, or pictures of them or even a list of items?….LK

[Bob Roller]

I saw and handled the  Hawken stamp/stencil while visiting Tom Dawson probably around 1970.This one would put the name on the barrel and was a well made tool.It may have belonged to Art Ressel.It was an interesting relic to me but that was all and I have no idea where it is now.If John Baird and Tom Dawson hadn't stirred the "kettle"in the late 1960's I wonder IF there would have ever been any interest in the Hawken rifles and Jake and Sam Hawken.
Bob Roller

[Longknife]

Bob, thanks for the reply. I had heard that there was a barrel stamp but have never heard of anything else. It sure would be interesting to see the tools and machinery from the original Hawken Shop.....LK

[redheart]

I'm curious as to whether they had a rifling machine that would cut a 1-48 twist only, and used it for every caliber of barrel. 

[moseswhite]

There is a rifling machine from the Hawken shop and it is on display at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial museum in St.Louis .
Art had an original trigger and guard assembly and misc. parts from the original Hawken shop but I know of no original barrel stamp that survived.

[Longknife]

Moses, I knew there was a rifling bench there as I saw it many years ago but I was not certain it was the Hawken Shop bench.  Looks like a  trip to the museum is in order.,,,,,,,    LK

Moses, was it at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial museum in the old courthouse downtown? Or at the Missouri History Museum In the Jefferson Memorial building at forest park? I know there are few Hawken rifles at the MHM and that's possibly where I saw the bench!

[Bob Roller]

I looked at the trigger and guard assembly while at Friendship and thought the workmanship was substandard and I have a full size B&W picture of it.One barrel stamp must have survived and the one I saw was not new.One thing I remember seeing in 1972 when Tom Dawson and I visited Art Ressel was a Hawken rifle that was like new and was said to be the last one Sam Hawken ever made when he was old.


Bob Roller

[moseswhite]

The rifling bench is on display in the Missouri history museum . It used to be in storage in the basement for decades.
There aren't many guns on display any more .

[HighUintas]

I saw the rifling bench when I was there last November, but they didn't ha e a sign or any information about it, sadly.

[Longknife]

I was able to tour the archives of the MHM in '07. You would not believe the firearms that they have in storage. That is where I discovered The Philip Creamer rifle that Louie Parker made a copy of. They also have a very nice rifle by John Small.  These rifles and a lot of other items were donated by the Clark family. Its a shame that more of them are not on display. They could fill a whole room with a firearm and accoutrement display ....LK