doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A Visit with M.V. Highsmith

Didn't drive, but sure could ride a horse!

Mr. Hi has worked on several guns for me. He reworked my Scott Monte Carlo B into a nice lefty and also my Verney-Carron sidelock. I have, I believe, the only Ruger No 1 that he ever rebuilt into what he thought the No 1 should be. It looks very British. It was engraved by Corky Frankolini. Hi also found me my small bore muzzleloading double shotgun. It is a 15 bore marked VH Blood on the locks. It has Osborne barrels. I had asked him about a year earlier to find me a nice smallbore muzzleloader. One day it arrived in the mail with a very modest invoice. Hi never said anything about it, but I believe that he reworked it into a left hand gun for me. The wood has his trademark alkanet red stain.

I have both the Greener books,I can assure you that they are by different authors[ie: In later life father William and son W.W, were not on speaking terms!]. The Greener book "The Gun"[ green cover]is by William Greener CE,it was First Published in 1834.A second edition of this book published in 1835 was recently offered for sale by Gunnerman books for $550.00.[Firsts are almost unatainable.If you can find a first, Expect to pay in excess of $1000]. By comparison, repro; Reading copies of "The Gun,9th edition", by William Wellington Greener,sell for approx;$40.00, First editions of this same book can be puchased for $250.00 approx.This book was so popular, that it was reprinted five time in 1881 its first year of publication.
The books written by the Greener family are reviewed in Graham Greener,s book, "The Greener Story.

Vol423 that alkanet is more widely known then you suspect. I was shoot A Parker lifter that Hi had restored for me, and two different people here in MN. remarked," Memphis gun, did Highsmith work on that?" You could have knocked me over!

Craig

I forgot to mention that I asked Hi what was the 1st Christmas present that he could remember. He pondered a minute and lifted his head as he usually does and said it has to be a gun of some sort, may a cap gun as he dad would have seen to it that it was something gun oriented.

Merry Christmas to all,

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

My wife ran the St. Jude 1/2 Marathon this past weekend but our youngest with strep(which I now have and have re-infected the same child) really prevented me and the boys from going. Hi remembers to get Mrs. Willena(McGarth) Highsmith her coffee ever morning and ferry to her bedside. He doesn't remember the shop or any previous work. He had to close the shop mid-2010 due to a back problem and from there it has been a downhill spiral. I didn't post an update last year on the visit as it was just too depressing at the time. However as par for the course he interacted with the boys calling the Pardner and doing his usual turkey call in 2010. I thought a few might be interested in an update.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Yup, thanks for the news. It is interesting that our gunsmith friends become part of the history of our sport as much or more than the makers and competitors do. Highsmith, Gallifant, Turnbull Senior, Lefever, Del Grego Senior, Pachmayr, many more.

True so true. I consider myself fortunate for our circles to have intersected and have had the pleasure of spending some time with heavy handed highball Highsmith. I wish I would have spent more time. I have sat and listened, of course he really can't listen and hates the TV, to his stories of artifact digs around the Memphis area. If you are ever in Memphis stop by the Pink Place and have a gander at his collection, which is on permanent loan: http://www.memphismuseums.org/sub_exhibit-1542/ . The whole lot use to be in his house. He was always on my case about my "kraut boyscout knife" and "kraut guns" and asked why I didn't get me a respectable firestick, or something of the like.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Spoke w/ Mrs. Highsmith this a.m. and they are doing O.K. as she indicated HI is almost holding his own. Yesterday was their 50th wedding anniversary as well as M.V. Highsmith is in his 90th year. Physically he is quite feeble while mentally he is about the same. Still has his sense of humour as when she returned from the heart doctor recently, he jokingly asked "how long did he give you?" And I'm sure if you could ask him what his special concoction for his stock work( alkanet red stain ), he'd say it was tobacco juice.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

It hurts when old friends of distinction in their fields cover failing mental acuity with a long-practised civility, using words and phrases that come easily to mind. I slip into it myself from time to time. It's easier to be glib, to offer no resistance, than to take the time to think out a reasoned response. I see it in younger people, too, where it's not so much diminishing sharpness as a discourteous sluff-off, for which there is no excuse. Bless Mr. and Mrs. Highsmith!