WE'RE BACK After a Successful Migration to Google's Blog Servers

Well, this has been a trying experience. Our blog has been off-line or partially impaired (no photos) for about a week. Like many other blogs, we migrated to Google's blog servers as instructed by Google (Google hosts Blogger). And like many other blogs, we ran into a mountain of problems.

However, thanks to the near genius efforts of Edd Schillay who has a passion for solving the unsolvable, we're back, fully loaded and operating just fine.

You shouldn't notice any difference (other than perhaps an improvment -- faster loading).

You should will still be able to access the site at the familiar URL of www.FieldDrums.com.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

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1861 Abner Stevens Drum Reappears After Not Selling 18 Months Ago

Jerseyrebel ( 1247) apparently wasn't listening in September 2008 when the market told him (by not buying his 1861 Abner D. Stevens listed with a starting price of $875; see 1861 Dated Snare Drum by A.D. Stevens, this blog, Sept. 6, 2008, that his starting price of $875 was too high.

So he's back now as jerseyrebel ( 1389), some 142 ratings later, with the same drum offered as eBay item no. 260562251973 and an even higher starting price of $975.

Uh, perhaps he's unaware of the recession?

An 1864 A. Rogers Civil War Field Drum (and a Repro)

Looks like eBay buyer j***8( 655) (well-known to CW enthusiasts, drummers and drum collectors) sniped in at the last second (actually the last 5 seconds) to snatch this beauty for only $5,850.00 a mere 5 seconds before bidding closed. (Note: see EZSniper and you can do that too, assuming you have the financial wherewithall to actually pay the winning amount.) Congratulations Jim.


eBay seller esoldauctions ( 10421) posted this beauty as eBay item no. 400105283043, described as follows:

1864 A. Rogers Civil War Field Drum w/ Eagle WOW!

This drum measures 16 1/2" round from across outer ring and about 14" high (this dimension is difficult to determine, because the bottom ring has seperated from the drum and I am not going to force it back into place) The drum is handpainted and says "U.S REGt Infantry" The skins are totaly shot, and the tension ropes are gone. You get what you see. I am including a picture of a restored drum that looks just like this should. More info on this drum can be found by Googling "Rogers Field Drum Civil War"

The Sticks appear to from the same era, but they are different from each other. One measures 17", the other 16 1/4". The inside label is fully intact and in great shape. The wood on this drum is not brittle at all and looks to be a great restoration candidate!

Label says "Manufactured by A. Rogers Flushing L.I."

This belonged to the 60 year old owners Mom before she passed away. He said it was in the house, in this condition, as long as he can remember. Unfortunately no other information is known about this fine piece of U.S. History.

The drum received a lot of attention (29 bids) and sold for $5,850.00. I spoke with the seller (who was really an eBay consignment store). He told me that the owner found it in his house and was considering junking it. Neither of them had any idea what it was worth. The bidding on eBay shocked them.

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And here's a pretty good-looking reproduction offered by johnc7253 ( 13) as eBay item no. 170454638557 and described as follows: "Like new condition, Rope Tension Drum. New synthetic heads, nice brass work, leather strap, custom set of sticks. Hand painted Pennsylvania regimental insignia." This one has a buy-it-now price of $750.

British Drum in Norway

[Ed. Note: We travel far and wide to bring information to our blog readers. This morning we went to Norway (virtually) and picked up these images. Of interest are:

a. a familiar tack pattern -- 10 ratamacues to the person who can identify the tack pattern on this drum and tell us where we've seen it before;
b. a typically Swiss J-hook snare strainer with curlique wing nut;
c. dowels (wooden pegs) pinning what appears to be an internal reinforcing hoop;
d. a neatly overlapped counterhoop pinned with an iron tack;
e. a neatly overlapped flesh hoop;
f. a half-round snare bed carved into the drum shell and bottom internal reinforcing hoop; and
g. repair patches.

The half-round snare bed looks a bit crude in comparison with the finer workmanship evident in the construction of the overlapped hoops. I wonder whether the snare bed had originally been a more subtle depression in the shell to allow for a press fit (no snare hardware at all), later modified in Europe to accommodate a European J-hook snare strainer. That's my guess because the tack pattern seems inconsistent with the snare strainer. I could be wrong though.]


Kjell Tore Innervik, activities
The old military drum from the 19 century.
Probably used in "Drangedal", western Telemark, Norway
The drum was bought in an auction in Skien in 2002. The owner was living in a farm i Drangedal in Telemark, Norway. No more history was not possible to get.

It was restored in 2003 by Ingvald and Kjell Tore Innervik. New hoops, "ears" and dear skin from the western part of Norway shot by Dr Stene from Fredrikstad made the drum sound again. The string is the original hors tail.

The drum is probably British. I sough a similar drum in Büchler trommelbau in Basel, and they had bought it from a museum witch operated with a dating from around 1780. I similar drum is also at the Castle of London.

More info from Warren Simpson are soon to come about old military drums

These three really heavy sticks came with the drum.



The string is the original hors tail.



More pictures of the drum: Inside

As you can see it has been prepared several times



Metal nails and carved hole for the snare



Original rim



Rim used inside the skin [fleshhoop]



Wooden Nails [dowels]



Note: Terry Cornett wrote us: "That is the same tack pattern Cooperman call 'Kings Landing' as it was found on a Loyalist drum in Kings Landing, Nova Scotia." Terry gets 10 ratamacues and a subscription for life to www.fielddrums.com. Terry is a talented drummer, drum historian, drum maker and drum restorer. Terry is also is principal percussionist for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. Terry is also the sole propietor/maker of Heritage Drums, which specializes in historically accurate, custom hand-crafted, rope-tensioned drums patterned after 17th- through 19th-century models. He also performs restorations for National museums. Drums built by Mr. Cornett have been used in films such as "Last of the Mohicans," "The Class of '61," "The Blue and The Grey," "Gods and Generals" and several Smithsonian productions. Turner Broadcasting Company purchased a drum for use in advertisements for the NBA play-offs.