Rudiments and Rope

05/30/2026

Added a bone vent insert on this repro Eli Brown shell and reworked the bearing edges. Two other shells are off to the artist for painting. One will get a Vogt eagle and the other a Horstmann. Tack designs, shell and hoop colors are made to match the originals. It’s not a one size fits all deal. Each drum is based off of an original, not a mix and match of various drums.

05/26/2026

"From the silence of sorrowful hours
The desolate mourners go,
Lovingly laden with flowers
Alike for the friend and the foe; —
Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day; —
Under the roses, the Blue;
Under the lilies, the Gray." Francis Miles Finch

05/23/2026

Exact copy of an Ernest Vogt contract drum from my collection. Hand painted eagle motif, skin drumheads, h**p rope, and gut snares.

05/21/2026

C&F Soistmann contract eagle drum. Hand painted with oil paint, calf skin batter and goatskin snare head, brass tack design copied from a the original, gut snares, oil painted hoops and oil varnished shell, h**p rope, leather ears, and no strainer (as the original). $1700 shipped Paypal F&F or add 3%

05/21/2026

Copied directly from a William Kilbourn manufactured drum, this reproduction is a museum quality piece. It measures 16” diameter by 14” tall. Heads are calf and goat, gut snares, brass strainer, bone vent insert, and oil paint and varnish. The rope is Hempex, which is the only component not natural. Lightly used so I am selling it at a discounted price. $1200 shipped PayPal F&F or add 3%.

05/19/2026

Flint keeps a close eye on me while working on drums, making sure they’re no attacks from birds, deer, or squirrels! Haha

05/19/2026

05/17/2026

Music display this weekend at Bushy Run Battlefield for the Boy Scout Camporee. The weather was great for calfskin! There was a lot of interest in old drums, and we had great conversations with many of the participants.

05/10/2026

Taken from Bruce and Emmett’s Drummers’ and Fifers’ Guide, this tune is requested a lot by spectators. Camp Chase did record and play this in the movie Gettysburg as the Iron Brigade is deploying into battle. Unfortunately, this was not the tune played, as Col. Rufus Dawes wrote it was actually The Campbells Are Coming.