Jesse James, American Craftsman pilot.

[IronMonster]

I know there is a lot of controversy about Jesse and his JJFU firearms. I personally think most of the bashing done towards his guns are by folks who having nothing better to do that hate successful people. I like Jesse, I know him a little bit ( I sold him the Nazel 4 B hammer forging hammer, a few other tools and he has been to my shop for a visit) And I can tell you in person he is a real guy with a real passion for real work.

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[clearconscience]

That's a nice looking pistol.

People can hate on the guy. People will hate on anyone and everyone. No different than chevy guys hating fords, etc.
No one can take away the guys unbelievable skill that he has to create something. Those skills are hard to come by especially when doing it with such precision.
Jesse has a ridiculous passion for creating. For learning new things and taking them to the next level.
I started to like him after monster garage. He's a no BS guy, if you don't like me, FU.
I like that. He doesn't just try to sell ratings or pretend to be a builder/craftsman he lives it.
I lost some respect for him after cheating on sandra bullock but let's be honest he had no business being with her. If you were that rich and that famous I would be banging strippers and pornstars daily.

 

[Certaindeaf]

So that was pretty neat, that's for sure and I enjoyed watching that.. nothing but respect for the feller.
But making some bar stock (for the slide only?) Damascus and then having a specialty CNC outfit render it out and then scab on store bought parts and then be able to say "I built this gun" (five ways to Sunday or whatever).. is pretty disingenuous to me.
Good for him though.. he has skills and heart.

 

[IronMonster]

Yeah, I think saying "I built this gun" is valid. He made the steel, which is a impressive accomplishment. Its probably several days worth of work to make the damascus. Making damascus homogenous enough to build gun parts is not an easy task.

How many guys say they "built" a gun that do nothing more than slide together various parts from different manufactures? That gun was nothing but blocks of steel when they started, no one else who builds a commercially available gun does so with files and a hacksaw. I dont think using CNC machinery makes it any less "built" by him.

If you started a firearms company and where having your own parts made from scratch, wouldn't you say you built the guns?

As far as his AR's go there are more parts made by him on his guns than just about any other AR manufacture builds that are on their guns. His guys build the uppers and lowers, handguard, pistol grip, triggers & compensator. Most all of the AR "builders" out there dont make any of there own parts (there are exceptions, but not many)

Id like to have one of his AR's, But even the cheap ones are $3500, the high end one is $5000. From a performance standpoint is it worth the money? Nope, I am sure I could build (ok assemble) a AR that would preform just as well for a couple grand, however Id still like to have one of his. Its no different than me building a chopper for a 1/4 of what one of his costs. It might even be as good, but it wont be one of his.

Its no different than collecting any other sort of "art".

 

[gunfreak]

His dad told him not to half a$$ it, that sounds exactly like my dad. I now teach my son that same philosophy. These types of values have been lost in America. Looks like a great show.

 

[timac]

His dad told him not to half a$$ it, that sounds exactly like my dad. I now teach my son that same philosophy. These types of values have been lost in America. Looks like a great show.

That's the way I was taught. If you're gonna do it half azz, don't do it at all.

 

[Mark W.]

I have hand forged many pieces of Damascus it takes about an hour with a good trip hammer to make a piece of Damascus large enough to make a pistol slide.

 

[IronMonster]

I have hand forged many pieces of Damascus it takes about an hour with a good trip hammer to make a piece of Damascus large enough to make a pistol slide.

Mark that is simply not true.


It might take an hour to get first weld done on the billet, it took several hours, or an hour at least, of prep time to get the stock ground and stacked and set up. It took 20 minutes to get up to temp and 10 minutes soak time between each hammer pass. Then you split it, fold it and start over. Even If you know what your doing it would take most of a day to make one 10 pound 500 layer billet.

To imply your going to knock one out in an hour is silly.

I am a professional blacksmith, I do this for a living and have one if the largest, best equipped artist blacksmiths shops on the west coast, I couldn't do it in an hour

You might make a single weld stack in an hour, that's hardly the same thing.

 

[Unka-Boo]

Nice setup......I love watching "old school" blacksmithing, such an artform.

 

[Mark W.]

View attachment 105571 View attachment 105570

Mark that is simply not true.


It might take an hour to get first weld done on the billet, it took several hours, or an hour at least, of prep time to get the stock ground and stacked and set up. It took 20 minutes to get up to temp and 10 minutes soak time between each hammer pass. Then you split it, fold it and start over. Even If you know what your doing it would take most of a day to make one 10 pound 500 layer billet.

To imply your going to knock one out in an hour is silly.

I am a professional blacksmith, I do this for a living and have one if the largest, best equipped artist blacksmiths shops on the west coast, I couldn't do it in an hour

You might make a single weld stack in an hour, that's hardly the same thing.

Custom Knifemaker for 14 years and I had no idea anyone was talking about making a 10lb billet of material. Nor was I talking about all the prep work. I was talking about making the 4-6 welds to a stack of material it would take to make something the size of a pistol slide. Which of course would take way less soak time and hammer time then a 10lb billet.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Not many people have those kind of tools anymore let alone know how to use them.

 

[bolus]

I am a professional blacksmith, I do this for a living and have one if the largest, best equipped artist blacksmiths shops on the west coast, I couldn't do it in an hour

You might make a single weld stack in an hour, that's hardly the same thing.

Do you have a website? Im curious to what kind of stuff you make.

 

[IronMonster]

I have several, None really show that I do.

Here is a point of sale site for the blacksmith tools I manufacture
http://quickanddirtytools.myshopify.com/

The web site for my architectural work
www.monstermetal.org

If you really want to see what goes on in the shop though probably the best thing to do is like the Quick And Dirty page on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/QDTool