I have to put a plug in for a friend of mine, Marty Ewing, who's the owner and I believe sole employee of Deathwind Stock Blanks. He's provided me most of the curly and plain maple I use on my guns. An "unfortunate" roof leakage and consequent damage to the forends of dozens of stock blanks has worked out quite well for the both of us -- I get blanks sized for rugrat rifles at a good price, he's able to move these blanks without having to cut them to halfstock length, with the waste and loss that would entail.
What most impresses me is the grading of the wood I've gotten from him. I finished a halfstock, very recently, and am working on a fullstock right now, using blanks rated as P++. Though this isn't the very best category by any means I can honestly say this is some of the finest curly maple I've had the opportunity to match my skills against (if you work with and understand curly maple you know why I put that as if I'm describing a competition). I've seen wood of lesser quality graded higher and selling for a lot more.
The prices Marty puts on his wood seem more than fair to me. He doesn't have a website that I know of but he does shows all around the eastern portion of the United States, being based in Denton, in eastern Maryland. His number is (443) 262-6904. I'm sure if nothing else he can give you a run-down of his show schedule, and if you're intending to hit events like Dixon's or the Eastern it'd be worth your while to look him up.
Have seen them stocks at Friendship. He does have good looking offerings. Prices seem reasonable to me, and I'm a cheapskate! He and his wife are always friendly too.
Ah yes, the delightful Millie. She was a little uneasy with some of the attention and teasing she got, first time she came out with Marty, but now she and a couple of other ladies rule most of our row with silk-gloved iron fists. We wouldn't have it any other way.
Maybe you can helpme Mike. I've been looking for super duper premium Birdseye maple and or super duper premium curly ash. I've been on this quest for @ 4 years!
Quote from: pathfinder on December 28, 2012, 03:22:54 PM
Maybe you can helpme Mike. I've been looking for super duper premium Birdseye maple and or super duper premium curly ash. I've been on this quest for @ 4 years!
Marty might be able to help you out with the maple, but that's the only wood he generally deals in.
Since I don't deal with wood suppliers other than him and a couple of fairly local guys with small sawmill operations, unfortunately I can't be of any more help than that.
Pathfinder, You mite chk. with Cecil Fredi of gunstockblanks.com right here in LV. I've used lots a his blanks, and I'm not foolin' he's got 30,000 blanks on hand. One entire bld'g of walnut & another of west coast maple. He could very well have something. Next trip out I'll take you over. Talking to Cecil is worth a trip from anywhere..........Tom
Did Deathwind belong to Ron Griffie years back? I bought a couple of stocks from Ron when he operated out of the old Bowie mansion, back around 1980. Of Course going into the basement of that mansion was something else. 3 inches of saw dust and fleas.
Yep used to be Ron's. Then went to Marty. Heard Marty got killed in a motorcycle accident (I think).
May 9, 2015. I haven't found out and may never find out what the exact cause of the accident was, but Marty was killed when his Harley left the road on the righthand side and went into a ditch.
I was thinking of contacting him about some more stock blanks and that same day received my latest issue of "Muzzle Blasts". His name was listed in the "Last Relay" column. A quick internet search confirmed the bad news. He was a great guy and I am sure is missed in places as far-flung as Friendship, IN, and Dixon's during their fair.
Leaves me wishing I'd called earlier, not for the sake of the stock blanks but just to have said "Hey" to him one last time -- and leaves me glad I didn't make the call I was going to. Whoever might have picked up the phone didn't need a fresh wound poked at.