| Pictured are some of those taking part in the gun-building seminar at Canter's Cave 4-H Camp |
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| Hershel and John House from Woodbury,
Ky., are instructing four gun makers and two student blacksmiths in the
2nd Gun Building Seminar, which started at Canter's Cave 4-H camp on
Saturday, Jan. 20.
Hershel House has been building guns for more than 30 years. He has developed a national reputation for personal integrity and high-quality guns. His specialty is the Iron Mounted Southern Mountain Rifle that was the working gun in the mountains of Virginia and the Carolinas. The gun-building students, from different parts of Ohio and Kentucky, are Hal Hardiesty, Rick Rhodes, Bill Wieland and Mike Zachem. John House Hershel's youngest brother has developed a reputation for his period appropriate knives one of which was used in the movie The Patriot. John will be working with two students (Larry Harris and Dean Freund) who will forge and heat treat several blades and complete at least one knife during the one-week seminar. Freund, the seminar coordinator, explained, "while the product, a gun or knife is important and a source of pride and heritage |
for most participants, the process and newly learned
skills are equally important. Making something from the most basic
materials with your own hands and participating in a craft that was
nearly lost is a source of satisfaction that few experience in our
'modern' age!"
Why did these men want to participate in this seminar? Hardiesty explained it was "good therapy" and that he enjoyed the "fellowship and learning from an instructor with a national reputation." Rhodes has taken classes from Frank House and "wanted to take a class with Hershel and John to learn new techniques." Zachem, who is from Kentucky, said, "It is a way to learn about Kentucky heritage through hands-on participation." Wieland finds "the camaraderie and creativity of making a hand crafted, one-of-akind item to be very satisfying." If interested in being placed on the list for the 3rd Gun Maker's Seminar at Canter's Cave 4-H Camp in Mid-January, 2002, please call Dean Freund at 614-436-9123.
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Courtesy of The Times-Journal.
Committed to serving the best interests of Jackson County
