Old photo of handsome buffalo hunter

James Hunt · March 07, 2007, 05:26:16 PM

Just fooling with the subject line, handsome is a word that should be reserved for folks living south of age 50 - and I'm pushing the end of that decade. Last year at the convention I watched OCB and French Jack get their tintype made, foolish fellow's I thought, I've seen that stuff done on the midway and it looks pretty shaby. A few weeks later I see the photo, outstanding and I'm ticked at not having had mine done. So this year I came prepared.

The guy's name doing the work is david rambo. He just emailed me the photo and said the tintype was just placed on the brown truck. I am VERY happy with it and I would highly recommend him. He states he will be at McGregor and I hope he attends Kansas City at next years convention. He also gave me permission to use the photo any way I wish as long as I credit him.

I show this as an example of his work, if it comes out poster size it is because I don't know how to reduce image size for posting them.

gw · March 07, 2007, 06:41:40 PM

Really a great image James, even though you did take much liberty with the title!

So left-handed Sharps were really made back then,

who'da thunkit!

P.S.--Let us know if you want to trade-off that oddball Sharps---I know where we could git you a hecka deal one one that wernt built backwards!

James Hunt · March 07, 2007, 06:53:51 PM

You already got me into financial trouble with a buffalo coat GW!!! I can't imagine how I'd end up in a gun deal!!!!!!

Actually I wish I'd a got the coat on Sat when I got the picture taken.

Ottawa Creek Bill · March 07, 2007, 10:29:18 PM

Well.............
We may not be as purdy as James and his Sharps...but her is the tin-type that French Jack and I had made at last years convention.... That French Jack is one scary looking fellow

Bill

Black River Smith · March 08, 2007, 10:39:20 PM

Nice image James. Looks very good.

Can I ask? Who is the manufacturer of that rifle? A pewter nosecap and patchbox. Nice choice.

I went with the combination shown in Packing Iron page 89. A Business Sharps with a 7.5" 44/40 and I made the same style holster but with a plain straight belt.
Year ago I made my own cotton web belt for the 45/70 cartridges like shown on page 170 (far right). What is your belt patterned after, webbing or leather?

Hill Beachy · March 08, 2007, 10:49:21 PM

Quote from: James Hunt on March 07, 2007, 05:26:16 PM
Just fooling with the subject line, handsome is a word that should be reserved for folks living south of age 50

No, you just got the words transposed -- should be "Handsome photo of an old buffalo hunter"

Seriously though, that's a great looking photo. Not sure what size it is, but I recently bought a very nice case for the smaller tintypes (I think they call them a 1/8th plate, but someone smarter than me can jump in here with the proper term). Anyway, got them from an outfit called Black Duck http://www.blackduckinc.com/product_info.php?products_id=265

Had to look around quite a while to find a proper case for these old photos, and figured to pass the idea along, just in case you're interested. I have no affiliation with them; just a satisfied customer.

James Hunt · March 09, 2007, 04:42:40 AM

Black River Smith: The rifle is made by Shiloh, it has the hartford collar and a 28 inch barrel with brass euschacheons (sp?). I tried to copy a rifle owned by the author of "Getting a Stand" which I admired with the exception that I took the barel length of a sharps attributed to the northern range and on display at old trail town in Cody, WY. It is chambered in .50 gvt for two reasons, that is an easy cartriddge to load and was a common early cartridge seen on the buffalo range thast was used without paper patching. As for the belt it is the combination of two photos whose soruce I don't have with me at the moment, a hunter is shown wearing a buckle of this size that my guess is brass, and another hunter who has a belt with wide cartridge loops covering what appears to be .50-70 cartifdges - he is holding a sharps military rifle - the loops are a different color than the leather belt and my guess is they are a varnished canvas. The loops on mine are a very tight weave light brown web material and give the appearance of canvas from a moderate distance. I use both the belt and rifle deer hunting in WY every fall. Both work extremely well. The rifle has a heavy barrel and yet the 28 inch length seems perfect for carrying and quick handling. Much better than a 30 or 32 inch barrel.

Hill Beachy: You got the old part right, advil and coffee have become essential nutrients in my diet. Thank you very much for the info on the tintype. I know several others I will pass this along to. I have yet to recieve the actual tintype but am looking forward to it.

O.T. Buchannan · March 09, 2007, 02:13:41 PM

All of the above folks in the photos look like hard, desperate men, who are used to rough ways...

Of course, I took a tintype back when Ottawa and French Jack did, and mine makes them look like boy scouts. You look at my photo, and you KNOW that I'm guilty of 'something'!!!!

James Hunt · March 09, 2007, 02:28:31 PM

Tintype arrived today and I am very satisfied. slightly darker than the jpeg file above, but detail is there that did not show in jpeg file. money well spent! Will do it again.

OT: hard and desperate indeed, unfortunately I can no longer move fast enough to afford that attitude $:-\$