Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman, and many others, are in this book “Liège Gunmakers through their Work. 1800 - 1950”.
For more detail see: LIEGE GUNMAKERS
Pirlot & Simonis
Here is a beautiful percussion pistol in the Empire style, rifled barrel in Turkish damas (one of the many types of damas). 55 caliber, marked H. Gonzales New York under the barrel and Ch. Pirlot et Simonis à Anvers on the lock.
These Messrs. Pirlot and Simonis are mentioned in an 1838 business directory as merchants on Hoboken Street. Ch. Pirlot is still mentioned as owner Courte rue de l'Hôpital in a 1877-1878 directory.
I do not know if there is a link between this Ch. Pirlot d'Anvers and the Pirlot Brothers active in Liège between 1836 and 1879.
H. Could Gonzales in New York be the manufacturer?
Or the importer?
There is in any case no punch of the profhouse of Liège.
The initials SJB could not be identified.
GP
Pirlot & Simonis
Beautiful
tight red velvet box (red = duel) containing, in addition to the complete tools
to load and maintain these weapons, two English style duel pistols with
percussion breech. The flange barrels are made of damas steel (calibre not
communicated). The barrels are bolted. The trigger guard are finger-rests and
the rods are fixed under the barrels. Walnut wood butt is shaped in the
"English", that is in a saw handle.
The barrels carry in fine gold letters “Ch.
Pirlot & Simonis à Anvers”. This
inscription is very mysterious and it is the first time I meet it.
The files
are silent about a gunmaker of that name in Antwerp in the mid-19th century.
The Antwerp Commercial and Industrial Guide in 1840
mentions a Pirlot & Simonis,
merchants
(in what way?) and salted fish merchants, Rue
d’Hoboken, 827 in Antwerp circa 1840. It was not uncommon to practice several
trades at the time and perhaps these characters were selling guns in the back
shop?
Finally,
these weapons (unless I’m mistaken) do not bear any proof mark or manufacturer’s
mark, so an identification is very complicated!
GG
