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Post by kings6 on Aug 16, 2016 22:51:09 GMT -5
I recently was able to snag one of the fairly scarce copies of Elmrr Keith's book titled "Safari" which details his month long hunt in Africa with John Lawrence of White Hunters Limited. Day by day and step by step recounting of each stalk, tsetse fly bite and poacher hide he experienced all told in his down to earth Everyman words and style. If any of you are fortunate enough to find a copy of this book, close your eyes at the price, open your wallet and buy it. It ranks right there with his books Sixguns and "Hell I Was There" as well as those by Skeeter Skelton.
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Post by mike454 on Aug 16, 2016 23:28:01 GMT -5
Ever since I first read it 25 years ago, copies were always a few more dollars than I wanted to spend. I finally bit the bullet and picked up a copy several months back and wished I'd picked up a copy years ago, well worth the price. As an aside, I managed to buy Elmer's champlin 338/378 kt at auction and there are a few nice pictures of that gun in Safari
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Post by serialsolver on Aug 17, 2016 12:21:53 GMT -5
I seen one of those books. Signed by mr Keith. I didn't want to sell a n frame to buy it though.
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Post by Ken O'Neill on Aug 17, 2016 19:06:51 GMT -5
Twenty years ago or so, copies were selling for about $200-225. Then perhaps about 5 years ago, I located one for around $100. Other than "Keith: An Autobiography", it was the only one of his books I didn't own, so I bought it. Keith disavowed the Winchester Press published "... Autobiography", saying it was too heavily edited and changed his intent. He then wrote "Hell I Was There" to refute it. I still haven't bought the Winchester Press version.
To me,"Safari" is worthwhile because it is a rare publication from a man we all admire, but there are many more worthwhile books covering African hunting.
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Post by nolongcolt on Aug 25, 2016 17:03:54 GMT -5
I just bit the bullet and ordered the least expensive copy I could find on line, at $200! In my search I see where a signed copy with jacket sold on Auction Arms about 12 years ago for $57! It is the only Keith book I didn't have so might as well have them all.
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Post by sixshot on Aug 25, 2016 23:54:37 GMT -5
Elmer's book "Safari" is really rare because so few were ever published, can't remember the reason but you just never see one for sale. I bought my copy from Elmer sometime in the mid 70's on my way back from an elk hunt In the Selway country of central Idaho. I had stopped a few times before & bought books from him & it was always exciting to sit down & spend some time with the "prophet". We went out back to his trophy room where he kept all his books that he shipped & that's also where he did his writing. Mike I handled a Champlin/Haskins rifle, don't know if it was yours but it was a best grade model, I remember that & it was on display later at Cabelas in Boise. I loaned my copy of the book to a friend who managed to get it wet somehow. Anyway, we had a good visit, I took a few photo's & left for home. Here's my copy of Safari, you can see the buggered edges from being wet. That's my OM 357 Shorty on top.  Another one of Elmer's books I bought from him, I think this is one of my old model 45's, maybe a 41, not sure.  Sold a Ruger #1 45/70 to Jed Wilson of Salmon, Idaho & told him I would deliver it. Stopped At Elmer Keith's & bought his book Sixgun"s & he signed it for me, showed me several revolvers he kept up stairs & then went out to his old converted shop in the back for a while. Not sure which OM Ruger this is on the book.  This is a photo I took of Elmer Keith in his converted trophy room/writing room out back of his house. He's holding his engraved 375 H&H Ruger #1. This gun was bought at the auction by a big time Ruger collector & he contacted me & wanted a copy of this photo. He wanted to make an enlargement of it & place it with the rifle. I told him he couldn't have a copy but I would give him the original after I made me a copy, that's what I did & he sent me some nice stuff back! I was usually coming back from elk hunts when I would stop & buy a book from Elmer, the others are signed in Sept. but its too late tonight to find them. Once my brother was with me, once my denist Brent Johnson was with me & a couple of times my wife was with me & she got to me Lorraine Keith.  The guy that bought the 375 also bought Ken Waters Ruger #1 several years ago. Dick |
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paulg
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,420
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Post by paulg on Aug 26, 2016 5:31:23 GMT -5
Mr. Thompson,
Just curious and risking a thread hi-jack, what is the best advice Elmer Keith gave to you over the years or your most memorable conversation with him?
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Post by mike454 on Aug 26, 2016 7:11:16 GMT -5
Dick, Elmer had three Chamlin Haskins rifles, all top of the line Keith Grade, two of which I believe were in the on display at the Cabelas. The only one I remember seeing for sure was the Frank Hendrix engraved .375. The gentleman who has Elmers #1 has O'connors as well and had a nice little display at the last NRA show.
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Post by whitworth on Aug 26, 2016 12:10:43 GMT -5
Ever since I first read it 25 years ago, copies were always a few more dollars than I wanted to spend. I finally bit the bullet and picked up a copy several months back and wished I'd picked up a copy years ago, well worth the price. As an aside, I managed to buy Elmer's champlin 338/378 kt at auction and there are a few nice pictures of that gun in Safari That's right! You bought that Keith rifle! How cool is that?! You need to post up more photos of it. I'm surprised at the lukewarm reception here knowing there are many Keith fans on this site. Sorry for the thread hijacking. |
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Post by zeus on Aug 26, 2016 13:25:52 GMT -5
Ever since I first read it 25 years ago, copies were always a few more dollars than I wanted to spend. I finally bit the bullet and picked up a copy several months back and wished I'd picked up a copy years ago, well worth the price. As an aside, I managed to buy Elmer's champlin 338/378 kt at auction and there are a few nice pictures of that gun in Safari That's right! You bought that Keith rifle! How cool is that?! You need to post up more photos of it. I'm surprised at the lukewarm reception here knowing there are many Keith fans on this site. Sorry for the thread hijacking. I'd like to see them as well. I may have missed them if hey were posted. Thanks |
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cmh
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,745
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Post by cmh on Aug 26, 2016 13:33:22 GMT -5
Definitely a must see 😆
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Post by sixshot on Aug 27, 2016 1:38:29 GMT -5
paulg, sorry for the long delay. My son & I made a long round trip past Boise today to pick up a trailer load of 6" fence posts to fence his pasture & we just got home at dark. A few things stick out about my visits with Elmer. #1 was his worry about Communists being in American politic's, he mentioned that more than once & mentioned it in some of his books, don't recall which ones. Another thing he talked about at length was how much he hated Golden Eagles, he had killed a lot of them before it became illegal to shoot them. I told him I had seen one back down by Tendoy on my way up, I'll leave it at that. He also mentioned how much he liked Jim Carmichael & Ross Seyfried, I think Ross was a frequent visitor.
Mike, thanks, I knew about the NRA exhibit & received some items from his display after sending him the photo of Elmer. Those early 4 digit #1's had some of the finest wood ever put on a rifle. I also had one in 308 that was serial #1224 (one dozen-2 dozen) and I know where it is, I'm trying to get it back, the wood was as good as the 45/70 I sold Jed Wilson, sheriff of Lemhi County (Salmon, Idaho)
Max, sadly I think since Elmer died in 1984 that a lot of the younger gunners know of him but don't really know him & what he brought to the table in the world of sixguns, rifles, bullets, moulds, holsters, rifle scabbords & long range shooting. I also think that he would like some of the lighter bullets of today but in the 20's, 30's, 40's, & 50's about the only reliable bullets were heavy jacketed bullets for rifles like the Western Tool & Copper Works Bullets, Bitter Root Bonded Core (always in short supply) the Speer 275 gr. slug & later the Nosler Partitions. There were never any good jacketed handgun bullets in the early days of handloading & his cast slugs ruled supreme. Actually a few of the jacketed weren't too bad but mostly they failed clear into the late 60's when Super Vel blasted onto the scene.
Elmer made lots of mistakes, both with the rifle & the sixgun but he had no one to show him the way....he was the way. Basically he was the first man on the moon when it came to sixguns & loads, he went where others had never been & he stubbed his toe's several times doing it, mistakes were made. The first heart surgeon probably wasn't successful either. There are some things he did that have been proven wrong but for the most part, even after all those early years the grand old man hit a home run almost everytime. Shoot big bullets at good velocity, with accuracy & penetration & eat venison all winter. Pretty simple.
No, I didn't shoot that Eagle!
Dick
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ryan
.30 Stingray
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Post by ryan on Aug 27, 2016 6:24:49 GMT -5
I was only 11 when Elmer Keith died but knew who he was even then. Guns & Ammo magazine is what introduced me to him and Ross Seyfried at a very young age and they've influenced everything I've done with shooting and hunting since.
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Post by nolongcolt on Sept 3, 2016 22:31:33 GMT -5
If I am not mistaken, SAFARI is self published, as apparently and strangely no major publisher wanted it. Safari Publications in LaJolla CA, printed it, but I think its a one off job. If you look at Bookfinder.com there are quite a few copies available for just over $200 to over $6oo. Only one printing of one edition. I always chuckle when I see FIRST ED., like its a big deal when there was only one Ed. anyway.
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Post by Ken O'Neill on Sept 4, 2016 6:24:22 GMT -5
Yep, I believe that Ted Fowler was responsible for getting the book published, and that he and Elmer shipped them from their homes to buyers.
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