Reenactor Spotlight: Jeff and Shelly Gier

Shelly and Jeff Gier pose behind the bar in their home in Jeromesville, Ohio, with one of their newest projects, a historical hide-covered box.

Researching and crafting historically-accurate leather-covered wooden boxes is the latest creative pursuit for Jeff and Shelly Gier, owners of J and S Gier, Artificers.

"Artificer" is defined as "skilled or artistic worker or craftsman," and that certainly describes Shelly's creations of leather bags and similar leather artwork as well as Jeff's artistry with powder horns and similar items.

Although they generally pursue their crafts separately, making the decorative and functional boxes requires them to work together.

"We did a really deep dive into these hide-covered boxes," Jeff said. "It's been really interesting."

They found some examples in antique shops that were in bad shape, which allowed them to see how boxes were made behind the leather covering.

Using correct and specific materials right down to the handmade square nails, the Giers are joining their talents to make historically-correct boxes of their own in a time-consuming process.

"We have to pass the box back and forth to get all the steps completed," Jeff said. "Each one is custom made."

They make two boxes at a time and it takes them each a week of work.

Handles are made by blacksmith Jamie Gier, Jeff's brother, and they've learned new processes needed to complete the boxes.

"But it's exciting to know we're making something that not many people are making," they said. "It's been fun to see the reaction on people's faces."

Last weekend, Jeff was honored to be recognized for his work during the annual Honorable Company of Horners show. In February, he earned the status of journeyman.

At the show, he entered three powder horns and a rum horn in the organization's competition and won, taking blue ribbons in the categories of traditional engraved powder horn, undecorated powder horn and horn item. In addition, his unengraved horn won best of show.

The Horners Guild show is one of several juried shows the Giers attend each year.

"We do a lot more market fairs and that type of thing," Jeff said.

"But we still love to go to rendezvous and hang out and shoot," Shelly said.

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They tend to limit their shows to one a month. Some events they attend annually, while others are on a rotation because it's hard to get to every event every year with enough sale items for a good selection.

The Giers receive personal invitations to "top shelf" events at this stage of the creative careers.

"Fort Fred is one of our top shows," Jeff said. "Camden Battlefield is a fantastic event."

"With the 250th coming up, that was a spectacular show," Shelly agreed.

Martins Station in May is "another really great event."

"Cook's Forest is a great reenactment, but we're going to Boones 250th instead," Jeff said, referring to a special event June 7-8 at Fort Boonesborough State Park commemorating the 250th anniversary of the settling of Kentucky.

"Another great event is Mt. Vernon," Shelly said. The event at the home of George and Martha Washington is highly juried and "there are cameras everywhere," but she said, "It's nice to have a little glass of wine on George's veranda."

According to their website, J and S Gier, Artificers, plan to be at Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair April 24-27, Martin Station May 9-11, Gunmakers Fair tat Kempton July 25-27, Contemporary Longrifle Association Aug. 7-9, The Fair at New Boston Aug. 31-Sept. 1, George Washington's Mount Vernon Colonial Market Fair Sept. 13-14, Mississinewa 1812 Oct. 3-5, and Carolina Revolutionary War Event Camden Nov. 7-9.

In January, they attended the Alafia River Rendezvous for the first time and discovered Florida can be cold in winter.

"All the clothing vendors did really well that were selling wool clothing," Jeff said.

Neither Jeff nor Shelly create their works while they're on the road. They both prefer to work in their home workshops – Shelly in the basement and Jeff in the garage.

Shelly said she limits her work to one commissioned bag per month, along with the leather items she makes for shows.

"Otherwise, I'll fret that I'm behind," she said. "I was fretting too much."

Limits also give her time to make things she's never made before, to "push herself" and her skills forward. For example, she recently made an "angling wallet" (as in fishing) using pictures and descriptions in a book.

Did the Giers have a goal of becoming the artisans they are today?

"No," Shelly said. "The bags and horns kind of took off."

They both got their start in reenacting long ago.

In the 1970s, Jeff attended events with his father, uncle and brothers as a child through high school.

"My family shot muzzleloaders and went to events like Friendship and the Eastern," he said.

In college, he stopped competing but still hunted deer with his muzzleloader.

He moved to Florida to pursue his wildlife management career and his work schedule didn't allow him to attend living history events very often but he sometimes participated in an Ohio event when he visited his family, and at St. Augustine, south of Jacksonville.

When his father died in 2008, Jeff said he was going through his belongings "and I got the bug to get back in it again."

Shelly started out in the reenacting world by volunteering for a "one and done" event in West Liberty where she lived.

"The historical society asked for volunteers," she said. "And then I realized there were a lot of little events everywhere."

She had been looking for something she and her then-husband and five children could do together.

In 2003, the family attended their first rendezvous. The kids learned to church butter and carry wood and water and do the myriad of chores of camp life. They competed in shoots, archery and hawk & knife.

She got involved as a staff member for events, and she and her ex served as booshway of the Old Northwest Territory Primitive Rendezvous at Call to Liberty in 2008.

After they divorced in 2009, Shelly and the kids continued their weekend excursions.

"Three years later, I met Jeff," she said.

Jeff and Shelly met in 2012 at the Morgan County Rendezvous at Burr Oak State Park. Jeff was newly retired from his work in wildlife management in Florida. Shelly was a teacher at West Liberty-Salem Local Schools. They married in 2013.

"I didn’t think, at that point, I'd be doing what I'm doing now," Shelly said.

But the kids grew up and there were other life changes. They started to expand into juried events and new areas.

Today, their lives mainly revolve around family and history.

However, they have a few other priorities in life.

They moved to the Jeromesville area a year and a half ago and have been working on decorating their new house.

"And we can't let history interfere too much with hunting season," Shelly said.