Cane Measure by Charlie Miller

Measure by Charles Miller made from cane. 

Throws 50 grains of FFF. 

Photos by Jan Riser.

2019 CLA Live Auction: Calfskin Hunting Bag by Chris Crosby

Chris Crosby’s fine contribution to this year’s CLF auction represents, he explains, “a piece that would have been carried by a man of middling means, to service his smooth rifle or fowler.” The body of the bag is made from vegetable tanned calfskin and the bindings on the flap and at the throat of the bellows panel are bark tanned sheepskin. The bag’s rich coloring was achieved with the artist’s own resourceful mix of crushed willow and oak charcoal, bear oil, clay, water-based dye, pine tar, and beeswax. “I try to achieve colors that are historically accurate,” says Crosby, “with a nice warm, aged patina.” 

            The bag’s hair-on the flap is calfskin, and the flap lining is a reproduction coverlet remnant, which Crosby explains is intended to represent a “remnant bed covering that would have been hand loomed here in the colonies, and repurposed after many years of good service.” The bag’s strap is robust vegetable tanned cowhide and carries a simple hand tooled motif. The brass half D buckle, Crosby says, “was in common use mid to late 18th century and could easily have been repurposed from prior military service.” 

            “The CLA,” says the artist, “is a dream come true for me. All my life I have had a passionate interest in the history, the material cultural of the day-to-day lives of our ancestors, and the preservation of the heritage of this great country. The CLA for me is a great way to contribute to the preservation of the culture and history of the greatest nation on earth.”

For more information on the work of Chris Crosby, contact the artist directly at:

ccrosby1969@live.com  

Copy and photos supplied by the CLF.

Powder Horn by Charlie Brown

Photographed at the 2019 Tennessee Kentucky Rifle Show by Jan Riser.

Rifle by Ian Pratt

Curly Ash Stock, 45" barrel, Chambers Late Ketland lock, 
forged hardware, .40 cal

$3,300.00

contact Doug at pelbaum@zoominternet.net for more information

Supplied photos.

2019 CLA Live Auction: Neck Knife and Quilled Sheath by Charles Wallingford and Bill Wright

Few pieces of tribal artistry are as visually captivating as the iconic neck knife of the eastern woodlands. For this year’s CLF fundraising auction, two of the nation’s top artists have teamed up to produce a truly outstanding example that’s destined to become a treasured heirloom.

            Master cutler and CLA charter member Charles Wallingford hand-forged this knife from 1084 bar stock. Typical of the legendary Wallingford knives, the blade is razor sharp and sports a rich patina. The handle is crafted from dyed whitetail antler, beautifully accented with a hand-cast pewter bolster and an end cap of sterling silver.

            Wallingford’s blade is accompanied by a stunning custom sheath by Bill Wright, one of the nation’s top quill and beadwork artisans. The body of the sheath is hand-crafted from brain-tanned deer hide, which was dyed using a period-correct walnut hull bath. Wright’s artistic talents are on full display on the face of the sheath, which is adorned with a breathtaking quillwork pattern inspired by the traditional tribal arts of the eastern woodlands.

            To the artists, this fine donation is for a good cause. “The CLA,” explains Wright, “has been an excellent vehicle to promote the contemporary artists throughout our country who have demonstrated their love of our history. They have used various mediums to recreate the past relating to the 17th and 18th century and the CLA has brought forth these works of art and helped shine a light on those creations.”

For more information on the work of artists Charles Wallingford and Bill Wright, contact the artists directly:

Charles Wallingford: cwknives@aol.com

Bill Wright: wrightsgarden@hotmail.com

Copy and photos supplied by the CLF.