guns

The Classicist: VO Guns Debuts the Falcon, World's Most Expensive Rifle, for $820,000 [EXCLUSIVE]

Filed under: Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist, Wealth

Swedish gun and rifle maker VO Vapen, founded in 1977 by master gunsmith Viggo Olsson, fashions the world's most exclusive handmade hunting rifles. Their newest creation, the VO Falcon Edition (above), is the world's most expensive priced at about $820,000. The VO Falcon Edition is a tribute to the deep rooted traditions of falconry in the Arabian world, covered by beautiful engravings of Peregrine and Saker falcons among other luxurious finishes.

Tags: bespoke, falconry, guns, gunsmith, hunting, luxury goods, most expensive guns, rifles, shooting, sports, Sweden, UAE, Vo guns, VO Vapen, vo+falcon+rifle, vofalconrifle, worlds most expensive

Continue reading “The Classicist: VO Guns Debuts the Falcon, World's Most Expensive Rifle, for $820,000 [EXCLUSIVE]”

Orvis Presents North America's Finest Hunting Lodges

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Books

Last spring we reported that legendary Vermont-based sporting outfitters Orvis had published a great new book on fly fishing's finest destinations. Now the company has come out with an equally compelling companion volume on hunting game birds. Great Hunting Lodges of North America: Wingshooting's Finest Destinations (Rizzoli) is a lavishly illustrated look at the very best upland and waterfowl hunting destinations around. Profiles of almost 20 featured Orvis destinations celebrate the great American sporting tradition and include detailed information on the local game species and wildlife, the lodge and the surrounding countryside, along with in-depth sidebars on key game birds and sporting dogs. Even if you're merely an armchair adventurer who's never fired a shotgun the great outdoor photography is worth the price of admission in its own right. Featured lodges include the Eagle Nest Lodge in Montana, Flying B Ranch in Idaho, Greystone Castle in Texas, The High Lonesome Ranch in Colorado, Mexico's Rancho Caracol, Deer Creek Lodge in Kentucky, Harris Springs Sportsman's Preserve in South Carolina and Pine Hill Plantation in Georgia. Check out the gallery for a preview.

Gallery: Great Hunting Lodges of North America

Tags: books, coffee table books, Colorado, dogs, fishing, fly fishing, Georgia, guns, hunting, hunting lodge, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, Orvis, Rancho Caracol, shotgun, sporting, sports, Texas, Vermont, wildlife

The Classicist: London's Williams Evans & the "Affordable" Bespoke Shotgun

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

Bespoke shotguns have been part of the wealthy British gentleman's essential sporting kit since the turn of the last century. They're as much a part of the English country house persona as tweeds, wellington boots and Range Rovers. Such guns are often passed down from father to son and are cared for like the precious objects they most certainly are. All these things they have long been, but up until now they have never been what one would call "affordable". Now William Evans (above), a top-drawer London gunmaker since 1883, is aiming to change all that with a new line of lower-priced bespoke shotguns that still deliver the quality one expects from a well-established London gunsmith.

William Evans first learnt his craft by working for famed gunsmiths James Purdey & Son and Holland & Holland. In 1883 he founded his own gunmaking business near Buckingham Palace and by 1888 his reputation had grown enough for him to move to more prestigious premises in Pall Mall, opposite St. James's Palace. By this time the core of William Evans' client list was firmly established, notably with military officers in the Guards Regiments who ordered sporting guns and rifles before being posted to various parts of the Empire. The move to St. James's, the heart of London's gentlemen's club district, further strengthened his client list and the company attracted the patronage of members of several prestigious clubs such as White's, Boodles and Brooks.

Gallery: William Evans Gunsmith

Tags: bespoke, bespoke+guns, bespokeguns, British style, guns, hunting, London, men, mens style, Range Rover, shotgun, sporting, sports, UK, William Evans, william+evans+london, williamevanslondon

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Al Capone's Gun Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Crimes and Misdemeanors

Recently we featured a drug kingpin's diamond-covered guns on this site but if you'd like something with a little more history for your own collection the silver-plated Colt .38 Special Al Capone bought in 1939 is up for grabs. The gun is for sale for $95,000 on MomentsInTime.com.

The listing says that Capone's personal Colt Police Positive .38 Special revolver has the Colt logo stamped on the left side, with factory-original wood grips with Colt logos in relief. The gun was manufactured in 1939, the year Capone was released from federal prison. It comes from estate of Ralph "Bottles" Capone (1893-1974). Ralph was never a big-time Chicago mobster like his brother but he did serve time for the same crime his brother went to prison for, income tax evasion. His nickname "Bottles" came from a business he ran distributing bottled water in Chicago. The brothers were close and Ralph was entrusted with some of Al's possessions, including his rosary, baptismal medal, and this pistol. After Ralph's death per the terms of his will, the gun was given to longtime friend Edmund Koeski in 1976.

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone is one of the most notorious gangsters this country has ever seen. He led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate that was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor as well as gambling and other illegal activities in Chicago during the1920s. As was dramatized in movies including "The Untouchables," Bureau of Prohibition agent Eliot Ness went after Capone, closing down many of the breweries and speakeasies Capone owned. In 1931 Capone was indicted for income tax evasion and various violations of the Volstead Act and served time at Alcatraz among other places. He was paroled in 1939, which is when he picked up this gun and moved to his home in Palm Island, Florida. He died in 1947.

[via NY Post]

Tags: al capone, colt gun, colt pistol, gun, guns, mobster, moments in time

The Custom $175K Shotgun Coveted by Pop Stars & Royalty

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Sports

Recession or no, certain truly unique and exclusive handcrafted luxury items remain in very high demand. The Fall issue of WSJ., The Wall Street Journal's glossy magazine, reports that there's currently a five-year waiting list for the custom $175,000 shotguns made by Italian master Tullio Fabbri. Fabbri marries high-tech fabrication - the guns' locking mechanisms are coated in diamond dust to increase durability - with classic Brescian engraving on the metalwork that looks like embroidered lace. He has made guns for celebs like Steven Spielberg, Eric Clapton and King Juan Carlos of Spain, as well as Mexican-born pop singer Thalia, pictured above with her Fabbri 20-gauge. Fabbri's father began the business in 1965 in a small shop in the Valle Trompia, a legendary valley in northern Italy that has been home to gunmakers since the 16th century. Fabbri only makes 30 guns per year, hence the waiting list. Italian artisans spend 400 - 600 hours etching the metalwork on each gun, which can add $50,000 or more to the price. Thalia's husband, music mogul Tommy Mottola, tells the magazine that "Tullio's work is as good as a Picasso."

Tags: celebrity, diamond, Eric Clapton, EricClapton, guns, hunting, Italy, shotgun, shotguns, sporting, Steven Spielberg, StevenSpielberg, Thalia, Tommy Mottola, TommyMottola, Tullio Fabbri, TullioFabbri, wall street journal, WallStreetJournal, WSJ.

The Classicist: Brit 'Big Shot' Westley Richards

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

Birmingham gunmaker Westley Richards was established in 1812 - three years before the battle of Waterloo - by founder William Westley Richards. In less than 30 years he secured a royal appointment to Queen Victoria's consort Prince Albert, and a "continuous stream of technical innovations" put the Westley Richards name firmly on the map. In addition to beautiful craftsmanship, the company introduced notable improvements in breech loading, military gunmaking and ammunition, and a Westley detachable lock is still the trade standard for many modern shotguns.

Today the firm is thriving, having just moved into new $9 million headquarters in Birmingham's old Gun Quarter to house a revamped retail operation and an ever-expanding team of in-house craftsmen. The 21,000-sq.-ft. site, converted from 19th century brick warehouse buildings, is dedicated to all aspects of the gunmaker's craft. State-of-the-art workshops, a full tannery, engraving studios and an underground shooting range are complemented by an opulent new retail showroom, stocking sporting clothes and accessories, including bespoke leathergoods, books, art and ephemera. It's designed to be the "perfect blend of expert outfitters and enthusiasts den."

A new Westley Richards gun may take anywhere upwards of 600 hours to complete – 800 for a double rifle, "unbeaten in its ability to place two shots in rapid succession precisely on target" - depending on the level of engraving required. The gunroom creates an average of 30 pieces per year, with finished rifles and shotguns dispatched internationally. From consultation to delivery, a Westley Richards handmade double rifle or shotgun will be in production for up to two years; hence the maxim "Passion and patience go hand in hand for a Westley fan." They also stock a selection of second hand guns.

Gallery: Westley Richards

Tags: Birmingham, British style, BritishStyle, Guns, Hunting, Prince Albert, PrinceAlbert, Queen Victoria, QueenVictoria, Rifle, Royal warrant, RoyalWarrant, Shotgun, Sporting, United Kingdom, UnitedKingdom, Westley Richards, WestleyRichards

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The Classicist: The $800,000 Rifle Fit for a King

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, The Classicist

Swedish gun and rifle maker VO Vapen, founded in 1977 by master gunsmith Viggo Olsson, constructs the world's most exclusive handmade hunting rifles. The production of VO rifles is limited to a small number of examples each year. The company holds a royal appointment to H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, and has recently found great success with ultra-exclusive rifles made for the Middle Eastern market. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi's Royal Family is another VO enthusiast.

In addition to completely bespoke orders, VO makes several limited edition collections and special editions. The foremost of these is the one-of-a-kind H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque Rifle, designed as "a tribute to the most magnificent building we have ever seen" in Abu Dhabi and to the man who created it, priced at $825,000. This masterpiece includes a grip cap with engraving, gold inlays and 36 multicolored diamonds mimicking the design of the mosque's amazing chandelier (see the gallery).

The Royal Collection United Arab Emirates Edition (above), is designed to be nothing short of the world's most exclusive rifles and limited to only 100 pieces. Specific models have been dedicated to members of Abu Dhabi's Royal Family and bear their engraved portraits, and are priced at $525,000. Other collections include the Big Five, designed as a tribute to five big game animals (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, elephant) and Ernest Hemingway, "the passionate hunter who brought safari hunt to the public attention," nicknamed the "Big Papa," limited to six pieces at $375,000 each; the Viking Collection, inspired by Viking mythology and featuring engravings of Norse gods and 24-carat gold inlay at $275,000 apiece; and the Royal TD Collection, initially created for H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip Bernadotte of Sweden, at $125,000 each.

Gallery: VO Vapen Guns

All VO rifles are based on their patented takedown system, allowing the owner to use several different calibers on the same rifle. In addition to precious engraving and inlaying, the stocks are made of the finest European walnut root, hand-selected by Olsson. When the humidity is at the correct level, the roots are washed and the bark is shaved off, then the roots are cut into planks on a homemade saw. Throughout the next three years, the planks must be stored in different facilities where the moisture is gradually drawn out of them.

The moisture is checked and when it has the right balance, the plank is cut into one or several stock blocks. Clients can also choose their own walnut root plank and have it tailor made to their own measurements. Next comes the oil treatment of the stock, which takes about five weeks. The result is a silky finish that gives life and depth to the natural beauty of the walnut root. VO reminds us however that, "No matter how beautiful a rifle is, at the end of the day it will always be judged by accuracy. And one thing we can assure you – you can not blame your VO rifle if you do not hit the target."

Tags: Abu Dhabi, AbuDhabi, Guns, Hunting, Rifles, Royal Family, RoyalFamily, Royalty, Shotgun, Sporting, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, UnitedArabEmirates, VO, VO guns, VO Vapen, VoGuns, VoVapen

Doettling Safes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Doettling safes are so beautiful that they may make your belongings seem shoddy by comparison. The safes are all proofed by an expert and each one is designed to be totally unique and customized to the wishes of the client. Their latest designs include watch safes which feature automatic winders and drawers to keep your tourbillons in top form. Prices start from around $55,000. After the jump, take a look at another one of their projects, a gun cabinet sold to a Russian gun collector for a cool $160,000.

Source

Tags: doettling, guns, safes, security, watches

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