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Posted By: SDH-MT Edward J. Shulin Passes - 05/25/10 06:59 PM
Sorry to report Ed Shulin, former Trinidad State Stockmaking instructor died May 23, 2010 of pancreatic cancer. Ed taught stockmaking from 1966 to 1992. His students included (randomly) Maurice Ottmar, Joseph Smithson, Chuck Grace, Dennis Erhardt, Pete Grisel, Pete Mazur, David Norin, Craig Libhart, myself and many others I cannot recall at this moment.

Not only did each of us make our first stock from the blank but we each used a complete set of stockmaking chisels that we had forged, filed, hardened, tempered and sharpened. The chisels were our first project in Stockmaking and the blank was our second.

I talked with Ed a couple of weeks ago and he was bright, upbeat and positive as he always was. Ed ran a stock duplicating service after retiring from teaching. He touched the lives of and was a profound influence on many gun craftsmen. His teaching has helped me every day I have ever worked at my bench.

So long Ed...

There will be a memorial service held in Cokedale, CO on June 1, 2010. (info: 575-376-2145)

Ed Shulin teaching stockmaking at TSJC circa 1976.
Posted By: Ken Hurst Re: Edward J. Shulin Passes - 05/25/10 08:01 PM
My deepest regrets, He was a great guy as well as talented. Thanks for the post.
Posted By: J.D.Steele Re: Edward J. Shulin Passes - 05/25/10 09:35 PM
My first year as a TSJC student was Ed's first year as a teacher, I visited with him and his wife about 10 years ago and wish I'd spent more time. We are diminished.
Regards, Joe
Posted By: PhysDoc Re: Edward J. Shulin Passes - 05/26/10 06:00 PM
I am sorry for the loss of your former instructor, I hope that when I pass away, that some of my students remember me with the same kind of kindness and class that you gentlemen have displayed.
Posted By: J.D.Steele Re: Edward J. Shulin Passes - 05/26/10 08:53 PM
Now Doc, don't get me wrong here, Ed and I had our differences and plenty of 'em(G)! This was back in 1965/67 and Joe Namath was riding high in those days; Ed was from New York and so of course he immediately claimed Broadway Joe and bragged plenty, but I had to remind him (somewhat smugly, I admit) that Joe REALLY learned to REALLY play football back at Bama with The Bear down in the good ole Southeastern Conference!

We had a lot of arguments all right, he just COULDN'T seem to admit that the SEC was the toughest conference in the country back then(VBG)!

Another fine memory I cherish is entering their living room and being completely overwhelmed by one of his wife's very powerful paintings of Fisher's Peak, the remarkable mesa above Trinidad. I'm sure that her art and aesthetic sense was a big part of his inspiration. RIP, Ed.
Regards, Joe
Posted By: Recoil Rob Re: Edward J. Shulin Passes - 05/26/10 10:15 PM
A Namath fan? A guy I could see eye to eye with! From the above photo am I to assume Ed approved of the white line spacer?
Posted By: SDH-MT Re: Edward J. Shulin Passes - 05/27/10 05:58 AM
Spoke with Lee Shulin yesterday.
There is a Fisher's Peak print of her's on the livingroom wall and two miniture oils of F'sP in the shop. Also an original commissioned oil that she painted in 1977 of my first MT cabin on the continental divide.
Lee is accomplished oil painter since before I knew her and plans on continuing.
Ed & Lee and my X and I were all very good friends way back when...

I had dinner and spent time with them in 1998 when I taught an NRA Summer Stockmaking course at TSJC. One of the most memorable events of my life was Ed Shulin visiting my stockmaking class in the classroom he taught me stockmaking! I asked him a question, and had him up at the chalkboard, drawing and explaining on His Chalkboard, just like he did when I was a student!!!

Circa 1976: Ed was a wonderful man and I have so many memories... with 70's haircuts!

The note of the chalkboard is announcing the Stockmaking Final Exam and you can see that the stock is nearing completion! A Mauser from a Tessier French blank!
Posted By: Harris Highwall Re: Edward J. Shulin Passes - 05/27/10 06:37 PM
he had a wonderful eye and talent

still have my first 98 Mauser that Ed told me to make the grip thinner on about 3 times before it was right
really need to replace the recoil pad to get rid of
the white line spacer
Posted By: pitt Re: Edward J. Shulin Passes - 06/05/10 02:30 AM
I like the comments posted Ed Shulin was a good instuctor i was at tsjc in 78 he stressed good work habits and quality some people disagreed with him but thats the way it isit was his job to teach you how to make a stock and the tools to do a good job just dont cut any antler or horn in the shop he would get a little wound up good instuctors are like good fiends they dont come along very often Ted Pitt
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