Henri Pieper invented the monobloc. He marketed the original as the Dianna. In 1891 he made some changes to the lock-up and called it the modified Dianna.
Pieper had toured the US in the 1860's and was impressed with American methods of making guns. He always maintained a strong connection here. His guns appear early on in the Sears catalogs and stayed in their offerings until the 1st WW.
Here is the 1897 Sears catalog with the modified Dianna.
Here is the write up of the Dianna from the 1881 Paris exposition where the design won grand prize.
In the original Dianna, the barrels were stepped at the join.
This is my Dianna. They came in a variety of grades and engraving styles. Some very plain, others more elaborate.
Here is a picture of Pieper's "Brazil Works", his barrel making shop where a variety of damascus was made.
A few examples of Dianna's with various damascus patterns produced by the Brazil Works.
I know of 1 example that has "Pieper" interwoven into the damascus. Last it I heard, it sold for a hefty price, being one of the few examples outside a museum that demonstrates the height of the damascus barrel maker's craft. I believe it was written up in the DGJ, but do not know the date of publication.
To the best of my knowledge, Pieper never produced faux damascus.
Pete
