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 Greg Reynolds |
OT-Pennsylvania Heritage |
Lead | ||
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Posts: 1779 09/06/2008 10:53 Orvis Database Founder |
I love Pennsylvania rifles and meet the maker of this at a reenactment of the 1763 battle of Bushy Run, the pivotal engagement of Pontiac's War, which was
fought in the Pennylvania community I live in:
I have a bad feeling that another expensive hobby is in my future... |
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North country brookie |
#1 | |||
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Posts: 37 09/06/2008 11:26 |
Those are beautiful !!! I don't dare look too long or too hard.....
I may end up having to live in a house built of bamboo and curly maple...... |
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CreationBear |
#2 | |||
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Posts: 76 09/06/2008 12:52 |
Greg--
Amazing photos: I could have spent a day just looking at the gentleman's work. (Of course in an era when at least as many men succumbed to rifle butts as they did ball or bullet, I'm sure if a backwoodsman was lucky enough to own a piece like that, he'd have second thoughts about taking it into battle....kinda like a rod being "too pretty to fish"  ")
At any rate, a lot of (literally) world-changing history was made probably in a 50-mile radius of your house.
Jon |
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Berry Point |
#3 | |||
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Posts: 358 09/06/2008 13:34 |
Terrific stuff Greg. Thanks for the photos. Wonderful craftsmanship, and it certainly puts a new spin on the dressed or naked question.....to my way of
thinking they both have their place. And that scrimshaw deserves some special mention. Stunning.
Cheers, Paul |
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Greg Reynolds |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 1780 09/06/2008 14:03 Orvis Database Founder |
Thanks guys. French & Indian War and related history is one of the reasons I love living here. The Battle of Bushy Run--which I doubt most have heard
of--secured North America for the British.
The 42nd Highlanders--the famous Black Watch: 
The 60th Regiment of Foot: 
Defenders of a vanishing way of life: 
http://www.bushyrunbattlefield.com/History.html http://www.phmc.state.pa....shyrun/page1.asp?secid=31 |
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CreationBear |
#5 | |||
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Posts: 77 09/06/2008 19:10 |
Thanks for the photos of the reenactment--I've always admired the dedication of those fellows. (We've our own group down here in the Southeast who
portray the near-contemporaneous Cherokee War (1760-61) at the ill-fated Fort Loudon.) BTW, I had a great time this July following some of the old Indian
trails in Pennsylvania--I practically live on the famous Warrior's Path here in Tennessee, so it was really neat to finally see the section up Path Valley
along Tuscarora Creek, then from Sunbury to to Wilkes-Barre region.
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doloresboy |
#6 | |||
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Posts: 376 09/06/2008 20:41 |
Thanks Greg! Very cool! What are those Black Watch guys wearing under their kilts?
Matt |
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Greg Reynolds |
#7 | |||
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Posts: 1782 09/06/2008 21:56 Orvis Database Founder |
doloresboy wrote:Matt, you don't want to know... 
Last Edited By: Greg Reynolds 09/07/2008 00:30.
Edited 1 time.
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Dave H |
Rifle maker | #8 | ||
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Posts: 52 09/07/2008 12:28 |
Thanks for the great topic Greg! Who is the maker shown in the photos, and did he also do the pistols, tomahawk, powder horns etc.? Where are the 42d
reenactors from; Indiana? Just curious; thank you again!
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Greg Reynolds |
#9 | |||
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Posts: 1784 09/07/2008 14:08 Orvis Database Founder |
Hi Dave,
He's Phil Cravener of Latrobe, PA. I don't have his contact information. He made everything on the table in the photo. He buys unfinished locks & barrels, makes the rest and does the finishing including the engraving. He does sell his rifles but I think his production is low. The rifle in the photo is one he made previously, which was back for some work. His scrimshaw is great. Phil is very active in "The Old Westmoreland Rifles" a local flintlock club: http://www.pittsburghlive...ts/outdoors/s_485612.html I don't know which groups the reenactors from, but I believe they're all located in western Pennsylvania.
Last Edited By: Greg Reynolds 09/07/2008 20:59.
Edited 1 time.
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Dave H |
"Another expensive hobby. . . . . " | #10 | ||
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Posts: 53 09/07/2008 14:42 |
Thank you for your reply Greg! Mr. Cravener certainly does some fine work, but I ditto your comments relative to "another expensive hobby". That
comment gave me a good laugh, thank you! My son also mentioned another PA longrifle builder located in Wisconsin named Rooks, whom I've not had a chance
to follow up on. I'll try to Google him later, but thank you for the info and the link!
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