2021 CLA Live Auction: Frontiersman’s Knife by Heinz Ahlers

 

This knife is meant to be an example of frontier blacksmithing and the waste not, want not frontier philosophy.  The knife’s original career path was as a Nicholson Black Diamond file. This was a 1950’s era Black Diamond made from Bethlehem steel with a carbon content of over 1.25%. Nicholoson stopped using that alloy over 50 years ago although they kept the Black Diamond name. This file was too worn for any further sharpening and was repurposed into a knife blade. Joe Seabolt taught me how to carefully work, temper and anneal steel with a carbon content that proud. The style has a continental blade profile and a full tang. Both the tang and blade have a slight taper. The four-and-a-half-inch blade and nine-inch overall length make a handy knife with good balance. The blade is tempered to spring hardness to avoid brittleness. It is hand filed and hand stoned to shape.  The blade has a bit of file work on the spine to set it off.

The scales are of Circassian Walnut donated by Ron Scott.  A knife like this could have come out a Montreal smithy or perhaps St Louis or Fort de Chartres, the blade made from a file and the handle scales from a broken gunstock.  Its file origins still show around the hilt of the blade and the French influenced handle is held with three copper rivets.  The handle is shaped with planes and scrapers.

The knife has a frontier style sheath with an edge seam instead of a center seam. The sheath is constructed of bark tanned deer hide sewn with heavy waxed linen cord. It has a rawhide liner sewn with copper wire.  There is a buckskin thong for securing the sheath when it is thrust through the belt or a sash.

Photography by David Wright

Text by Heinz Ahlers

CLF Auction Artist of the Day: Heinz Ahlers

 

2020 CLA Live Auction: WOODBURY STYLE KNIFE by Heinz Ahlers

Length:  11 3/4”    Blade length: 7 ¼”

A razor-sharp blade fitted with an antler handle remains not only a practical tool for the modern outdoorsman, but an iconic symbol of America’s frontier past. Bidders at this year’s CLF fundraising auction will have the opportunity to own a truly classic example of the frontier belt knife by one of modern America’s best bladesmiths.

Former auction chairman and veteran knife maker Heinz Ahlers lent his considerable talents in crafting a robust knife that’s sure to please outdoorsmen and collectors alike. The artist hand-forged the 7 1/4 inch blade from 1084 high carbon steel, which was then married to an elk antler tine handle. The handle sports a poured pewter bolster, and the entire knife measures an impressive 11 3/4 inches from the tip to the riveted steel butt cap. The knife comes complete with a brain-tanned leather sheath fitted with a protective rawhide liner.

Ahler’s creation, he explains, is a classic Woodbury knife in the House brothers style. It’s a handy camp-sized knife with a nice distal taper from 1/8 inch at the hilt. A fine collector’s item, this well-aged example of the frontier belt knife exudes rugged dependability.

Ahlers’ work on this classic frontiersman’s blade was for a good cause. “I donated this knife to the CLA auction,” he explains, “to support the auction and the CLA’s efforts to promote all the aspects of the Contemporary Longrifle Culture.  The publicity and exposure that the CLA Auction gives to new artists is outstanding.  The chance to be featured in a venue with outstanding contemporary artists that support the annual auction only happens here.”

Contact Heinz Ahlers at hahlers1@me.com

To see all the Artists' contributions to the 2020 CLF Live Fund Raising Auction, visit our website at http://www.contemporarylongriflefoundation.org/2020-live-auction/

2018 CLA Live Auction: Woodbury Whitson Rifle by Jin Kibler, Heinz Ahlers, Ian Pratt, and Frank House

The Woodbury Whitson Rifle is a result of a collaboration between Jim Kibler, Heinz Ahlers, Ian Pratt and Frank House.  Jim Kibler donated one of his fine Iron Mounted Southern rifle kits to the CLA for this years auction. Heinz handled the assembly of the kit and fabricated the additional metal parts. Ian Pratt was the design consultant, historian, and trigger smith.  Frank House handled the finishing work including the final styling on the rifle.  

This rifle went start to finish photography in just over 90 days. This team really pulled together to hustle this rifle out.

The Kibler kit is based on the Whitson style of the North Carolina Appalachian School.  The Whitson family of gunsmiths worked in Buncombe County, North Carolina from the end  of the Eighteenth Century well into the percussion period. William Whitson was born around 1764, his son, George Whitson in 1785, and Joseph Whitson Jr. was born in 1825. They made iron mounted rifles of the Appalachian school with some interesting touches.  In 1800 Buncombe County included what would later become Henderson and Haywood Counties. So the Whitsons, Robert Hughes and the early Gillespies would have been working realitively close to each other.  Their potential customers were North Carolina hunters, including a large Cherokee population, travelers headed down the French Broad River and over to the Cumberland River country, and traders and merchants going in all directions from Morristown, which would become Asheville.

Whitson rifles sometimes have patch boxes, generally variations on the banana style box,
and later rifles have the extended tang.  Ian Pratt finds the Whitson’s typically used a characteristic filing technique on their double set triggers and set screws.

The Woodbury Whitson rifle features a nose cap, toe plate and patch box consistent with the style George Whitson may have used. We have also used a molding on the cheek piece similar to Joseph Whitson’s work.  Ian Pratt provided the appropriate style set screw for the triggers and guided the trigger shaping.  We shaped the thimbles octagon giving another Joseph Whitson touch. 

This Kibler kit rifle had extremely good architecture right out of the box. However the addition of some molding, a box, a toe plate, a nose cap and Frank House’s work with the furniture scraper really brought the rifle into the Woodbury School.  Frank’s finish work on this rifle is masterful.  

This is a classic Appalachian rifle with a 46 inch Rice 40 caliber swamped barrel.  The maple stock is nicely striped. It is very light and handy for such a long barreled piece. And how often do you find a gun with quite this list of builders?

The contact information is below;
Heinz Ahlers heinzahlers@zoomtown.com
Frank House  frankhouse59@gmail.com
Jim Kibler  kiblerjr@frontier.com
Ian Pratt  ipratt360@gmail.com

Text by H Ahlers with photos by David Wright

2018 CLA Live Auction: Hand Forged Knife and Sheath by Glen Mock and Heinz Ahlers

Glen Mock forged this fine knife, a stylish 6 inch bladed belt knife with a coin silver pummel cap setting off the antler handle.  This blade has an interesting long choil.  Glen’s forged blades are well known for their ruggedness and edge holding.  This blade and handle have an interesting architecture and the knife is extremely comfortable in the hand.

This will make a great camp knife and skinner.  Heinz Ahlers has contributed a simple belt sheath from vegetable tanned cowhide cut to compliment the lines of the knife.  This is nice pairing made for years of service.

Both Glen and Heinz are regular auction supporters.  They contact information is:

Glen Mock  mock@grm.net
Heinz Ahlers  heinzahlers@zoomtown.com

Text by H Ahlers with photos by H Ahlers

Bronze by Heinz Ahlers

The figure is influenced by the simple figure styles on powder horns and wood carvings. The is meant to depict a native American woman hoeing corn with a stone hoe. The look on her face suggests she has seen an iron hoe and her man drank the furs away instead of buying it. 

Copy and photo supplied by Heinz Ahlers.

2017 CLF Auction Item: Longhunter's Knife and Sheath by Heinz Ahlers

I have always liked the longknife style. The design choices for a longknife vary from a heavy bladed, thick handled, fighting knife with a cross guard to a thin bladed utilitarian butcher knife style. I believe a longhunter preferred to carry tools that could meet multiple challenges. This longknife seeks to combine everyday utility with a potential for combat.

The 9-1/2 inch blade from 1084 carbon steel tapers from just under 1/4 inch at the hilt to less than 1/16 at the forward section. Tempered under the watchful eye of master knifesmith Joe Seabolt, the blade is tough and flexible on the back and very hard on the cutting edge. There is no cross guard so the knife can function well for slicing and boning. The blade is touch marked with one of those unique Hershel House made stamps of the Woodbury School.

The handle is elk antler with a pewter filled steel ferule. The long tang terminates with an upset rivet head fastening a repurposed English silver coin serving as a butt cap. This knife has a nice balance, it will shave hair, and it looks good.

Nine and one half inches of sharp knife needs a sheath. This sheath has a thick rawhide inner liner stitched with copper wire. The outer sheath is bark tanned deer hide with a thong and a fringed stop to help secure it in a sash or belt.

For for information on the work of the artist, contact: 
Heinz Ahlers - heinzahlers@zoomtown.com

Copy by Heinz Ahlers with photography by H. David Wright

2016 CLF Auction Item: Longknife and Sheath by Heinz Ahlers & Joe Seabolt

Joe Seabolt is generous in his support of the CLA. Not only does he always come up with a donation, he is always willing to help out other folks with the team donations. Joe has 3 items in the auction this year. You may have to hunt for the one patch knife.

Heinz Ahlers is the CL Foundation Auction chairman and the oldest apprentice in the Cedar Ridge Apprentice Program. We have included a photo of Joe instructing Heinz in using the Cedar Ridge milling machine. Although both Joe and Heinz have a good eye for style their combined efforts produce a very nice knife. Watching them work together is like watching sausage being made. Last years Seabolt Ahlers knife sold very well at the auction. Heinz also does some traditional bronze castings and had donated one to this years auction. 

This year's Seabolt Ahlers knife is a classic 18th century longknife just over 13 3/4 inches long with an 8 5/8 inch blade. This knife is clearly a Cedar Ridge Forge product with great style and careful aging. The blade is hand forged from 1084 carbon steel, which closely approximates the best 18th century steels. Joe and Heinz started with an almost 1/4 inch thick blank of steel and drew it out into a fine distal taper staring at .210 inch at the hilt and tapering over the full length of the blade. A full 1 1/2 inches wide at the choil the blade has a long graceful taper and a nice false edge. The blade shape is designed for utility, near perfect for sticking, cutting or slicing on the cutting board. Like the best frontier knives it shows it hybrid nature, combining a butcher knife and a dirk. 

The deer leg bone handle is attached with a full tang. The handle has an iron ferrule and butt cap. The blade and handle are nicely aged and the color on the handle is a has a warm amber tone. The blade is Seabolt sharp, you could shave with it, if you can handle over a foot of knife around your chin. 

A bark tanned deer hide sheath with a copper wire sewn rawhide liner accompanies the knife. The sheath is designed to be tucked under a sash or belt with a leather extension and tie to keep it from going astray.

Both Joe's and Heinz's touchmarks are on the blade. The Hershel House made touchmarks are another clue to the Woodbury influence on the Cedar Ridge school

Both Joe and Heinz are staunch supporters of the auction. They feel the CLA provides an excellent venue for both established artists and beginning artists through the shows, the publications, and the CLA For Sale webpage. 

Heinz Ahlers can be contacted by email at heinzahlers@zoomtown.com.

Joe Seabolt can be contacted by email at jseabolt665@gmail.com.

Copy by Heinz Ahlers with photos supplied by the CLF.

2016 CLF Auction Item: Basket Weaver Original Bronze Sculpture by Heinz Ahlers

I made this native American themed piece featuring a Native American woman working on an open weave basket using the ancient direct lost wax process. The figure was sculpted from wax and directly invested in the molding plaster. This process produces a one off, the wax being melted out, or lost, and the mold broken in opening. This is a solid piece of pure bronze with good heft. The basket is fashioned from copper wire. Basket Weaver is approximately 5-1/2 inches high and about 5 pounds in weight.

I have been casting sculptures in bronze and aluminum off and on for for twenty years. I use the sculpture foundry class at the University of Cincinnati as the venue for the casting.

I made this piece for the auction because I think the CLA is a great organization and furnishes many opportunities to artists interested in the longrifle culture. I am proud to support those efforts.

Heinz may be contacted by email at heinzahlers@zoomtown.com.

Copy by Heinz Ahlers with photos supplied by the CLF.