Carl Merck Rifle

Photos supplied by Carl Merck at HawknKnife.

Contemporary Powder Horns at the Cowan's Auction

John Proud

14.5" length, engraved with the British Seal of Arms, Richard Cresey Horn made at Fort Edward Seot 17 1758, winged griffin, fort, and soldier. Engrailed edge, faceted spout, raised ring.

Mark Thomas


13.5" length, engraved, smooth throat with raised ring.

Tom White for Robert Weil

12" length, engrailed edge, smooth throat, silver spout. Engraved with ships, sun, eagle, and Robert Weil his horn.

Scott Sibley

This 11.5" banded beehive was carved by Scott Sibley of Powell, WY. Scott and Cathy Sibley are well-known authors of the best “How-to” book on building powder horns. They wrote the “Bible" of horn making, called Recreating the 18th Century Powder Horn, in 2005.

Brian Barker

Mark Ewing

Copy and photos from Cowan Auctions, this item will be in the May 2-3, 2012 Auction.

Jud Brennan Work at Cowan's Auction

This bag measures 8" x 10" with long leather strap. Engraved 11" powder horn with eagle and shield and hunting warrior. 

Judson J. Brennan was born in Lansing Michigan where he developed an interest in early American long rifles, especially the beautiful and artistic flintlock rifles that were hand-made by artisans during the Golden Age of American frontier craftsmanship.

Copy and photos from Cowan Auctions, this item will be in the May 2-3, 2012 Auction.

Kim Robinson Glasses for Jason Gatliff

Sterling Silver Spectacles Ca. 1750

Copy and photos supplied by Kim Robinson of Three Rivers Silversmith.

Tennessee Kentucky Rifle Show 2012: Photos

Photographed at the 2012 Tennessee Kentucky Rifle Show by Jan Riser.

Jack Brooks at Cowan's Auction

.54 cal., 40" octagonal barrel marked John S. Brooks 1987. Raised carved relief stock with wooden sliding patchbox, brass hardware. Manufactured by John S. (Jack) Brooks, Englewood, Colorado.

Copy and photos from Cowan Auctions, this item will be in the May 2-3, 2012 Auction.

Fishing Spears by James Blake

Some of these are multi purpose tools for frog gigging and eel hunting as well as fishing. These were made for display at Conrad Weiser Homestead in Wormelsdorf, Berks County, PA.    

Copy and photos supplied by James Blake.

Hunting Pouch, Pipe Tomahawk and Power Horn and by Gary Birch

This hunting bag by Gary Birch measures 8" x 8" with a beaded carrying strap and tassels on front of bag. Gary began by making and selling leather clothing in the early '70s and graduated to hunting pouches when he discovered the sport of black powder shooting. Soon he was making engraved powder horns, knives and measures, i.e., the accessories necessary for the complete shooting bag.

This pipe tomahawk has a tacked 20" haft and an 8.25" iron head made by Gary Birch. Gary is a self-taught artist whose works appear in private and museum collections around the country. Leaving a PhD. Program in physiological psychology in 1969, Gary began making things with his hands “to work on ideas that had been neglected too long.” Consequently, he has created scores of one-of-a-kind art objects in a variety of media.

13" length, engraved with vines, leaves, and Death or Liberty. With leather carrying strap. A self-taught artist, he has worked in multi-media crafts and oil, watercolor and acrylic painting. Gary Birch was born 1946 in Middletown, Ohio and graduated from Miami University. (Information provided by Marge Piper.)

Copy and photos from Cowan Auctions, these items will be in the May 2-3, 2012 Auction.