Kentucky’s Finest Gunmaker, Jacob Rizer of Bardstown ©
Foreword: Kentucky had many fine gunmakers during its early years, but most early rifles were limited in decoration. The graceful Lexington rifle borrowed heavily from earlier North Carolina rifles and had the most iconic Kentucky patchbox, the two-piece cast brass “Lexington” box with “captured” lid. But Bardstown rifles from nearby Nelson County were Kentucky’s most artistically decorated rifles. Pierced and engraved patchboxes, attractive inlay work, classic molding lines, and touches of carving elevated Bardstown guns above those from Kentucky’s other gunmaking schools. At the heart of the Bardstown School was Jacob Rizer, the gunsmith most responsible for the Bardstown style.
Figure No.1: Rizer’s signature remained consistent throughout his career with one small exception. On percussion rifles, the script “z” in “Rizer” had its dangling tail removed, making it look more like an “r” than a “z.” This signature is from rifle No.4.
Rizer’s Background: Rizer was born in 1785 in Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia). At age fifteen he was apprenticed to his uncle, “Golden Age” gunsmith George Rizer of Cumberland, Maryland, from 1800 to 1805. In 1806 Jacob headed to Kentucky, settled in Bardstown, and opened a gun shop. Bardstown was an important early town in central Kentucky with a bustling economy, wealthy citizens, and a demand for good rifles. Rizer soon became the town’s leading gunsmith and had a long, prosperous career with four identifiable periods: 1) early Bardstown years from 1806 to 1815; 2) Rizer & Weller partnership period from 1815 to 1826; 3) Jacob & Matthias Rizer partnership years from 1827 to 1837; and 4) post-partnership years from 1837 to Rizer’s death in 1859.
Figure No.2: This circa 1820 Bardstown rifle is signed “Rizer & Weller” and has their first style patchbox. Despite a joint signature [1], the gun was made by Rizer based on having his engraving style, patchbox shape, cheekpiece with cross-hatched lower edge, and rear pipe made from a single piece of brass with engraving. Barrel: 45-5/8 inches, originally 46-5/8 inches, .36 caliber bore, 6-groove rifling. Author’s collection, photos by J. Jaeger.
The Bardstown patchbox with its Maryland influences was a key element of Rizer’s work. Over the years, he used three styles of patchboxes, each a modification of the prior patchbox. First period rifles were well-stocked but plain… the author has never seen/heard of a pre-1815 rifle signed by Rizer with full patchbox. Rizer’s work blossomed during the Rizer & Weller partnership period with large, pierced patchboxes, silver inlay work, fine engraving, and incise carving that included his trademark chip-carved “swag & tassel” border along the butt plate’s vertical rear edge. After Weller’s departure in 1826, Rizer’s patchbox evolved to its second style with a small “step” added inside its rear piercings. A few years later Jacob’s younger brother Matthias began working in the shop, and patchbox lid engraving moved toward the more detailed “jumbled foliage” style. Around 1835, flat strips began to appear along each edge of the patchbox lid, the side leaves and finial became more elaborate, and Matthias’ name began appearing on the barrel as “J. & M. Rizer.” Matthias left the Rizer shop in 1837, and Jacob had no known partners after that time.
First Style Patchbox: The circa 1820 “Rizer & Weller” rifle in Figures No.2 is typical of the best-known Bardstown rifles with its first style Bardstown patchbox, traditional side plate, and Rizer’s “swag & tassel” border along the butt plate’s rear vertical edge. The barrel has the partnership period’s typical 6-groove rifling and most common bore size of .36 caliber. Rizer seldom used forestock inlays while partner David Weller often used them. When present, Rizer’s inlays protected the barrel wedge locations while Weller’s inlays were usually decorative and placed between the wedges.
Fig. No.2a: The “Rizer & Weller rifle full-stocked rifle has the most commonly seen first style or traditional patchbox. This patchbox was made by Rizer based on having Rizer’s finial shape, engraved arcs above/below hinge, and looser style wavy-line borders.
Figure No.2b: The reverse of the “Rizer & Weller” rifle has a typical Bardstown sideplate with serpentine borders and a larger wavy line running through its center. Rizer’s “trademark” “swag & tassel” border runs along butt plate’s vertical edge, and the lower cheek is flattened.
Second Style Patchbox: An “1835” dated rifle by Rizer is illustrated in Figures No.3 with the second style Bardstown patchbox with modifications to its rear piercings and finial. By that time, Weller was gone and Matthias Rizer was in the shop, but his name was not yet on the barrels. Several rifles with a second style patchbox are known; one is signed “J. & M. Rizer,” indicating Matthias became recognized as Jacob’s partner later that year. The patchbox lid engraving was also evolving into the “jumbled foliage” style, a change that appears related to the years Matthias worked in Rizer’s shop.
Figure No.3a: This full-stocked rifle is signed “J. Rizer,” dated “1835,” and has a second style Bardstown patchbox. The patchbox side leaves now have a small, rounded step or bump in the corner of their rear piercing, and the patchbox lid engraving is the “jumbled foliage” style.
Figure No.3b: The reverse of the 1835 “J. Rizer” Bardstown rifle illustrates three significant changes from earlier Jacob Rizer guns: 1) the cheekpiece is now a rounded “beaver tail” style; 2) the guard’s rear spur curves forward; and 3) the sideplate has a more linear, generic shape.
Third Style Patchbox: The rifle in Figures No.4 is a signed “J. & M. Rizer” and dated “1837” on the barrel. The gun is one of several known with the more elaborate third style patchbox that began appearing around 1835-1836. It has the “jumbled foliage” engraving and flat edges on the patchbox lid associated with Matthias Rizer’s years in the shop. A heavily pierced toe plate, elaborate patchbox, and barrel inscription that reads, “J. & M. Rizer Bardstown KY 1837” make it an exceptional rifle. The barrel is 44-1/2 inches long with a large .44 caliber bore despite being a later half-stocked rifle. This rifle remains one of the finest known Bardstown guns and has an early Bardstown history with the original owners of Burkes Bourbon distillery in Nelson County that later became Makers Mark distillery.
Figure No.4a: The patchbox on the half-stocked “1837” rifle by Jacob and Matthias Rizer is more heavily pierced and delicate than prior Bardstown patchboxes. The lid’s narrow flats along each long edge with a raised mid-section can just barely be seen. Author’s collection.
Figure No.4b: The reverse of the “1837” Bardstown rifle has a later double-spurred guard and '“beaver tail” style cheekpiece but retains the traditional Bardstown 8-pointed hunter’s star. The butt plate heel has an iron insert. Barrel: 44-1/2 inches, .44 caliber bore, 7-groove rifling.
Late Rifles: The half-stocked rifle in Figures No.5 was made in the mid-1840s and represents Rizer’s later work when demand for fancy rifles had weakened, and plainer rifles were becoming popular. Despite the gun’s lack of inlays, molding lines and capbox, it is well-stocked in fine curly maple with Kentucky’s traditional longer-than-expected barrel and cast nose cap set several inches beyond the rear ramrod pipe. In its day, it was a good quality gun despite the lack of embellishments. Today’s collectors often prefer front-action locks, but in the late 1830s and 1840s the back-action lock was considered an improved, superior lock by most of Kentucky’s better gunmakers.
Figure No.5a: Rizer made a wide range of guns including rifles, fowlers, buck & ball guns, and pistols. This 1840s half-stocked rifle has fine curly maple wood with the grain bending through the wrist for greater strength. Barrel: 46-1/2 inches, .32 caliber bore. Author’s collection.
Figure No.5b: Rizer’s half-stocked rifle lacks both wrist and cheekpiece inlays. However, it has fine curly maple stock wood and shows good workmanship in its fit and finish. Rizer’s later percussion guns had wider cheekpieces and used commercial guards and triggers.
Rizer Pistol: Flintlock era pistols from Kentucky are rare. The diminutive, well-made Jacob Rizer pistol in Figures No.6 was found in Louisville many years ago. While unsigned, it has many details specific to Rizer’s hand. The original owner’s name, “John W. Hundley,” is engraved on the backstrap; he was a wealthy Louisville slave trader. Rumors of other Rizer pistols have persisted in Kentucky for years, but they have proven elusive. One rumored pistol reportedly was signed and had a sash/ belt hook, an unexpected feature. When the illustrated Rizer pistol was found, it also had a rare belt hook, strengthening its attribution to Rizer. Barrel: 5-1/2 inches, .44 caliber, 7-groove rifling.
Figure No.5a: This circa 1830 flintlock pistol by Jacob Rizer is well made with a fine maple stock, checkered grip, and coin silver nose/butt caps, backstrap, ramrod tip, and ramrod pipe. The nose cap has Rizer’s distinctive “swag & tassel” border on its rear edge and his “trademark” engraved oval rosette on the tang, belt hook base, and guard.
Figure No.5b: The back of the Rizer pistol has an unexpected belt hook, and its base is engraved with Rizer’s “trademark” oval rosette and dotted line borders. A short forestock molding line terminates similar to those on his rifles, and a coin silver butt cap has his typical four-petal flower with half-shaded petals. Author’s collection.
Summary: No one really knows which of Kentucky’s many fine gunsmiths was truly the best, because fine rifles were made in most of Kentucky’s gunmaking regions. But when artistic enhancements are discussed, Kentucky’s most decorated and artistic guns came from the Bardstown School in Nelson County, and its finest maker was Jacob Rizer. He was trained by an eastern Golden Age gunmaker in Cumberland, Maryland, brought those skills to central Kentucky, and made highly decorated rifles for many years at Bardstown. His rifles were eagerly sought by Kentuckians in his day, and surviving examples are even more coveted by today’s collectors and students of Kentucky’s history.
Footnote [1]: David Weller probably made many of the early hand-forged Rizer & Weller barrels. Weller’s father was a blacksmith, suggesting Weller was better educated in those skills than Rizer. Weller had a small log shop with dirt floor next to his house, apparently working separately from Rizer at times. Weller’s barrel-making would answer two lingering questions: a) Why did Weller engrave the silver barrel plates on guns built primarily by Rizer? b) Why did the partnership’s 6-groove rifling change to 7-groove rifling on later Rizer guns after Weller’s departure in 1826? If Weller made the earlier, more heavily swamped R&W barrels, he probably rifled them and inlaid the silver barrel plates, at times signing them, before they went to Rizer’s larger shop for stocking. When Weller left Bardstown and the Rizer & Weller partnership was dissolved, he apparently took the 6-groove rifling bench to Elizabethtown in Harding County, and Rizer got a new/improved 7-groove rifling bench for his shop.