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November 7, 2015
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We’re a little over thirty days out, going to be a great show! Once again our show is at the Embassy Suites in Denton, truly a first-class venue, April 24-26. This show will feature a Parade of Sharps including Sharps firearms owned by TGCA members. Last year’s factory engraved Colt’s was a huge success, looking forward to seeing some interesting buffalo and cavalry rifles. I understand the folks from Ft Griffin will be there with an exhibit. We also have a fun auction Saturday that is always exciting to watch or even bid.
Hope to see you there!
Spring – Texas Gun Collectors Association
Mike
July 3, 2020
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I enjoyed attending last fall… looking forward to next months event as well. It’s one of the best gunshows I set up at. The venue is wonderful and table holders get a discounted rate. The club also provides an amazing lunch for vendors on set up day too…
November 7, 2015
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Looking forward to seeing you again, Ben. I feel pretty sure the squabble over TSA will be resolved by then so the airports won’t be such a chore to navigate.
Mike
November 7, 2015
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Not a Winchester, or even a rifle but every Buffalo hunter needed a good knife. Just finished up repairs on an old skinning knife to go in one of the “Parade of Sharps” exhibits, My C. Sharps isn’t old enough but this old knife certainly has that “been there, done that” look. I think White Oak and steel rivets would have been better but I went the easy route.
Mike
January 20, 2023
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That’s a great-looking knife and would be right for any diorama of Buff’ler rifles. I heard rumor you are a knife maker. When I first saw the “Parade of Sharps” I thought you were talking about a big knife display. Do you forge your blades or shape them post-tempering?
Ever since I got Venturino’s Buffalo Rifle book, I have felt a twitch from time to time to place an order with Shiloh for an 1874, since I believe delivery times are still about two year’s out and by then I could save enough to buy it without much straining. If I did, I would want it to be chambered for a non-exotic cartridge, likely the 45–70, but definitely load it with black powder.
(I know there are dealers with continuing orders with Shiloh who have ready inventory, making them retailers, who demand a very stiff price. I’m more patient and too illiquid for that.)
The reason I’ve hesitated is age and time. I think I’m going to be around and still shooting but…. I just read President Trump’s nemesis, Robert Mueller, fell off the twig and he was the same age as me. I’m not sure I should buy unripe bananas.
But at least I’ll make the Spring Show a priority and admire all the classic iron.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
November 7, 2015
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Thanks, Zeb. Provenance on this old knife is a bit less than conclusive but it was my maternal grandparents’ “garden knife” and before moving to Fremont they farmed eastern Nebraska until the late 1930’s. My grandfather attended at least a few farm sales before he followed the exodus of small farmers. This knife looks like some period buffalo skinning knives I’ve seen but the wood was in very bad shape. for new knives I buy knife kits and components from Track of the Wolf as I don’t have the equipment or aptitude to make my own blades and their components are very reasonable. I build knives to use, they’re not fancy. One of the first knives I built is the same model Gus and Pea Eye use to remove the arrow from Gus’s leg, so I feel at least one prop house uses the same supplier I do. It gets used in my kitchen and has a sheath for hunting trips. It’s nearly perfect for skinning and quartering a deer but the carbon steel edge will need refreshing to process it.
I like my C. Sharps, it isn’t as fancy as many of the Shiloh Sharps but I feel it is closer to the guns used by our ancestors. With a Shiloh we tend to adopt the YOLO philosophy and spec out the nicest rifle we can afford. My C. Sharps in 45-90 isn’t fancy but it shoots and looks plenty good for me!
I’ll buy green bananas at my age but I think planting a couple pecans from my trees hoping to expand my pecan grove may be pushing it a bit! Chances of me stocking a rifle with that Walnut tree I planted are exactly zero but I’ll enjoy watching it grow anyway.
Mike
September 19, 2014
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Zeb and Mike, I am between the two of you. I still plant trees, not that I will see them fruit or be a gun stock. Its habit and looking out for the next generation. Current favorite to plant is American paw paw. I should live to see a few off the batch planted last year if I am very lucky. Will I be sound enough to know what they are? We will see. Mike, on a different subject, a fellow in our gun club regularly knocks down the pig and turkey at 200 yards with an old trap door. He did have to go to casting a hollow based bullet tho to get enough accuracy. Might look for such and try it. No bed sheets allowed! Tim
January 20, 2023
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I find myself looking at the order form for Shiloh and you are dead right. You can get yourself into a lot of future trouble. It is sort of like the TV weather persons who get pretty frisky calling the weather 14 days out — in Texas. By the time it rolls around nobody remembers anyway so they have no downside.
C. Sharps started at Shiloh and that may be the better idea. Ive only heard good things about them. If they aren’t carriage trade, that may be what I should look at.
A 4X buttstock on a Sharps is gilding the Lilly. About the only thing I would like to have would be a pistol grip.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
June 19, 2009
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Mike…Nice job on that knife! The photo with the accessories is particularly nice.
Maybe a little off topic here, but the conversation enticed me.
We all have guns we regret selling! This one is near the top on my list. My custom order 1874 Shiloh Sharps in 45-110 with all the accoutrements. Exactly like the Quigley rifle but without the patch box (I think it has a cleaner look without it). The craftsmanship on these rifles is really top-notch.
Not an antique American hunting knife, but a personal favorite. My grandfather’s late 19th/early 20th century Northern Swedish Sami horn knife. He brought it with him as an immigrant while working on a sailing ship in 1915.
Ned
November 7, 2015
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Zeb-
As you may know C. Sharps won the right to use the term “Old Reliable”. As the Sharps collectors at our Cody show enjoy pointing out the Sharps made the West safe for Winchesters. I don’t know how much the Sharps rifles influenced JMB but I feel pretty certain he was after part of their target market. The buffalo were already on track for near-decimation by the time Browning’s Single Shot hit store shelves but it obviously managed to catch on or we’d be collecting R-words or M-words instead of our beloved Winchesters.
1ned1-
The accessories photo just happened, but thanks for the kind words. I figured that was a good place to let the fresh oil finish curing while I cleared my workbench for another project. Nice old knife, beautiful artwork! Even better, you know some of the provenance and family history. Very nice.
Mike
