Odd Stuff | The French in Wisconsin

End of Life on this Site

This website and blog is at the end of its life. In the next couple of days, it will disappear. For a decade, I maintained this website and blog and it has been very enjoyable. For a variety of reasons, my posting on this blog had slowed significantly the last few years. I have decided to no longer maintain and host that website (and pay to keep the domain). Knowing its popularity, I have archived some of the most popular...

Selling my fusil

I am, somewhat sadly, selling my fusil. It was built by Jai Mather. It has a 20 gauge, 44” Colerain barrel and Davis lock (stamped A TVLLE) that have been rebuilt to more correctly match originals. The stock is walnut and hand scraped (no sandpaper hit it). This was built to be a working canadien’s tool and be plain Jane. I have used it for a few re-enactments but mostly for hunting. It is a SWEET shooting gun and has taken...

Breacan an Fhéilidh

As I prepare to do some bagpiping at a historic event, I have decided to do a little post on the Breacan an Fhéilidh or belted plaid. This was the start of the kilt in its biggest, bulkiest, crudest form. The reason I am drawn to blog on this is two-fold. 1.) I have a few 1750s reenactors that have been asking about building and putting on the fèileadh, and 2.) I have seen many people wearing these at historic events and...

14th century warm

I finally got around to finishing a new winter coat for my 14th century hunting. Last year, while bowhunting in subzero temps (-20F and colder), I decided that a nice heavy coat would be good to have. Looking at some images, I decided to have T&R Quednau Weaving make some fabric for me. It turned out wonderfully and I am pleased to use it for this project. The handwoven check fabric is what I used for the coat, I...

An Early Harquebus

A bit over a year ago I saw a small harquebus posted online by Nick Barber. He had just built it and I was in love with the gun. I once had a matchlock and used it for a number of hunts successfully but sold it off for lack of use. The desire for another matchlock, and better yet… one that fit closer to my current medieval hunting madness, seemed the perfect challenge. I was able to get a small barrel and chunk of...