Product Details
A CASED PAIR OF 28-BORE FLINTLOCK DUELLING PISTOLS SIGNED BLAKE, LONDON, no visible serial numbers,
circa 1795 and of Wogdon style, with slightly swamped laminated London proved 9in. barrels signed on the top-flats in script 'BLAKE, LONDON', engraved band at breech, applied white metal fore-sight, shallow notch rear-sights to the engraved top-tangs, borderline engraved bevel-edged locks with stepped tails and signed 'BLAKE' below the plain pans, swan-necked cocks with bolted safes (one top-jaw and screw replaced), walnut full-stocks with strongly curved bag-shaped butts chequered in the Durs fashion in dot and checkerboard style, the pommels with stylised floral carving, brass furniture including pillar fronted trigger guards with acorn finials, turned ramrod pipes and original worm-ended ramrods, complete in their maker's mahogany casing lined and compartmented in pale green felt (some staining), parchment trade-label with the '104 Gun Dock, Wapping' address and including a scissors mould, lozenge-bodied flask, loading rod and flint wallet, the case with lock closure
Provenance: The maker, George Blake, became free of the Company of Gunmakers by redemption in 1789 and traded from 168 Fenchurch Street. Sadly, by 1791 he was declared bankrupt. Later that same year he re-started the business, this time operating from the Wapping address above and continued until his death in 1804, at which point the business was taken on by his wife, Ann. She ran it until 1822 when it was handed on to their son, John Alkin Blake. It continued to trade for many years until it was finally bought out by Elizabeth Yeomans & Sons in 1864
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Estimate £3,000-5,000