Re: John Sheets of Staunton, Virginia, vs. John Jacob Sheetz of Shepherdstown, Virginia (now West Virginia) -- the question of identifying and separating their work.
There are a great many differences between these schools, way too many for a quick answer. I have documented about 20 rifles from the Shepherdstown Sheetz family:
Two by Philip Shatz (his spelling) — a pre-Rev wood box rifle and a Rev War period brass box rifle carbine.
Rifles by Philip’s sons:
Martin: three relief carved examples (two signed “M. Sheetz”)
John Jacob Sheetz (stamped “J. Sheetz”): four relief carved rifles
William, the youngest: two, both signed “W. M. Sheetz” in script. These are fine rifles without carving.
The easiest way to separate the two schools is by studying the engraving. Shepherdstown engraving is 98% executed using a square graver; on rare occasions (on shell features) they used a radius graver. The Winchester school founded by Adam Haymaker and his family [John Sheetz apprenticed to Simon Lauck, 1787 to 1796, in Winchester] used four different gravers—square graver, radiused graver, two sizes of square end gravers, and liner gravers. The square-end gravers were used to cut chip borders usually of the “Berain” style popular today, so-called “nick and dot.” These gravers (several widths) are also used to cut “wriggle work” features. They used the liner graver to cut four or five petalled flowers that radiate from wood screws, etc. The liner is also used to cut chips, forming a scalloped effect inside or outside the curve of “C” and “S” scrolls.
The Winchester school has the most complex engraving tool kit among Kentucky rifle makers. The posted rifle has carving based on Winchester Haymaker/ Lauck tradition and is clearly not associated with the Sheetz gunmakers of Shepherdstown. The patch box designs of the Winchester school and the Sheetz Shepherdstown school are different. An exception is the on late (circa 1825) W. M. Sheetz side pieces, where he used variation of the closed “C” and “S” scroll and open and “C” and “S” scroll designs developed in Winchester in the 1780s. By its late date these designs are all over Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, etc. Shepherdstown Sheetzes do not use the concealed hinge segment hidden box “touch pin” that appears to have been invented in the Haymaker shop. In Winchester, boxes are held with wood screws. Shepherdstown box side pieces are nailed on. I will stop here—there are many more differences. As I remember, there are 30 some Sheets (and Sheetz) rifle makers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia over three generations.
W.B.G
PS: The Philip “Sheetz” that Shumway cites in his book on Schroyers as being apprenticed to George Ungefer in Hanover, PA, is not the Shepherdstown gunsmith. Philip Sheetz, gunsmith, was in Frederick County, Virginia, when the man that Shumway cited was starting his apprenticeship. I almost forgot that John Sheets and the majority of the Winchester-made long rifles have side plates with counter-bored lock screws. It appears from the photos that your side plate may be missing.
