The much-anticipated Kibler Hawken is now available. The J.K. Hawken Rifle Kit is now live on the website.
Jim Kibler’s rifle kits have become an industry leader in the muzzleloading world, making historically correct firearms accessible to builders with just a modicum of skill. Our friend Hawken Horse is running a Kibler Woodsrunner, and Jamie Fraser of Outlander fame wields a Kibler Colonial American Long Rifle in the Battle of Saratoga. Most of Kibler’s firearms have been flintlocks — the Hawken is a dedicated percussion rifle, modeled after the c. 1840s plains rifle that became legendary.
*
It does my heart good to see young folk drawing deep from the stream of folk music that runs in a 400-year-old current from Britain to the frontiers of North America. The Almighty Algorithm just led me to the trail of a Scottish feller named Sam Shackleton, who also answers to Sorely the Bard.
Last month he dropped a set of Scottish Cowboy Ballads & Early American Folk Songs.
Sam Shackleton, also known by his Gaelic moniker, Sorley the Bard, is a Scottish singer-songwriter and folk artist. His music is greatly inspired by the rich inter-connected musical oral traditions of Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. Strongly influenced by the 1960s folk revival, his unique sound is a mix of country, old time, traditional, folk, and blues with a Scottish spirit. he was born in Stirling and raised all over Scotland, from the borders to the highlands and his music is deeply inspired by the oral tradition, musical culture, and landscapes of Scotland.
Here’s a nice collab between Sorley the Bard and Tom Langhorne:
We’ve explored the folk music connection before, noting that the great Texas pulp writer Robert E. Howard understood it well…
Of songs sung on the Western frontier, most of them, especially cowboy songs, originated in Texas, since that state was the first Anglo-American region to truly deserve the designation of “West” in the proper sense. Texas songs went up the Chisholm [Trail] with the longhorn herds and spread all over the West, being changed in other states to correspond with the locality in which they were sung. Other songs – hunter’s and rivermen’s – came through the Middle-West. A few originated in America, most were old British ballads changed by ignorance or intent, taken from, and added to, to suit the minstrels’ notions. It’s strange how old some of those songs are, and how long the old ballads lingered.
*
Speaking of Howard: The Robert E. Howard Foundation will soon be launching a campaign to raise funds for some extensive work that must be done to preserve the Howard house and museum in Cross Plains, Texas. Frontier Partisans will keep readers informed when the campaign gets underway.
*
If you’ve ever thought, man, what the modern Frontier Partisan really needs is a pocket tomahawk, your time has come. Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) has developed the Provoke X.
This first-of-its-kind morphing axe fits in your pocket and deploys with a satisfying flick of the wrist, ready to swing into action at a moment’s notice.
The blade and spike are secured open with our industry-leading Deadbolt® lock and slide into recessed positions on the handle when closed. Closing the axe automatically sets the safety, which is easily released in either hand and from either side of the handle. Corrosion-resistant, titanium nitride-coated SUJ2 steel ensures the Provoke X can take a beating; a trustworthy deterrent for all who’ve learned to expect the unexpected.
I’m actually far from certain that the modern day Frontier Partisan actually does need a pocket tomahawk, especially at a $350 MSRP. But it’s certainly an innovative design and I’ll be interested to see what hard field tests tell us.
*
The full trailer for Landman S2 is out.
Matthew says
Its interesting that Celtic ballads had such an influence on American music. The US is something of a powerhouse historically musically speaking and I think that a lot of it has to the with the Scottish and Irish and so on ballads. The other major strand is probably the African which gave us jazz and the blues. Those two mixed to produce rock and roll. Actually, there’s probably a Scottish influence on the blues to some degree and a African one on country. (Hank Williams was taught by a blues artist.)
There are other strands too. There’s also a Jewish influence through the Great American Songbook though that’s not my favorite strand. (Really, the Great American Songbook should be called the Great New York Songbook.) There are probably other strands too.
deuce says
I think that is MUCH more accurate. Typical Northeastern hubris.
Quixotic Mainer says
I approve of everything Tom does on his channel whole heartedly! His bardic companion seems right on the money too.
Not sure about the provoke Hawk. I’ve actually gotten to fiddle with the provoke karambit, (without sticking myself, Kali skills check passed!). Both look like a hand weapon for an assassin droid. I am afraid the trauma of walloping and doing general axe things would quickly make that rig not fold up anymore.
JimC says
Yes, Langhorne is a lighthouse. I have similar reservations about the pocket ’hawk. Somewhere in their promotional materials is a reference to “soft tactical targets,” which strikes me as an admission that it is not functional under duress — which is the main point of a hatchet or ’hawk.
Quixotic Mainer says
“Soft tactical targets” is both politically correct enough for marketing, and concise. CRKT has a classier image than say; Cold Steel. Who would include a video assuring you that your pocketknife could parry a spear, skin a rhino, be used a climbing spike or take a man’s arm off.
When I trained with Tuhon Ray Dionaldo a few weeks ago he brought along trainers for the Winkler/Sayoc style hawks and was kind enough to give a few pointers on doing “soft tactical target” stuff.