Bookout explores his passion for gunsmithing in Toad Hall

Steve Bookout has always done things his own way.

He’s flown helicopters in Vietnam, saved a co-worker’s life at Maytag, has written horoscopes and most recently informed Gov. Terry Branstad he would have to “earn his copy” of the book he edited, “The Boys from Jasper County: Tales from ’Nam.”

“I pretty much do what I want to do,” Bookout said.

One of the things Bookout most often wants to do is make and design guns, which he has been doing this since 1974 in his home away from home, Toad Hall Rifleshop, with the aid of his “Ye Yellar Tom Cat Forge.”

Bookout said his family has been building firearms since 1816, specializing in long rifles, particularly flintlock and percussion-cap black powder rifles. Each is made by hand, without electricity, and crafted from whatever materials Bookout can find, including leftover Maytag parts.

“I am probably known as the premier traditional barrel rifler in the world,” Bookout said. “Nothing in this shop is for public display.”

Toad Hall is decked out with hand tools, custom-made rifling equipment and photos of Bookout with other famous rifle makers.

“I always wanted to be known as a gun maker,” Bookout said. “I called people, but no one would give me the time of the day.”

Bookout said he got his big break from Robin Hale, who he described as a “famous southern mountain gun expert.” Bookout said he wrote a letter to Hale, who wrote him back and asked Bookout to send him $10 and he would send back a copy of one his books.

Bookout co-operated and eventually crafted his first rifle barrel, and he and his wife traveled to a Kentucky Rifle Association show, where he showed it to Hale.

“When I showed up, he said to me, ‘I figured I’d heard the last of you,’” Bookout said. “We showed the barrel to some of the other famous makers, and they were impressed. Robin took me serious; he didn’t charge me for the show and was the first person to give me the time of day.”

Bookout considers Hale a great friend and mentor and has paid it forward by teaching others the fine art of gun making.

“I remember how I was treated when I first started out,” Bookout said.

Bookout said he has taught people from all walks of life, from children to Russian doctors, and has written several books on the matter. Some of his books on rifling include: “Notes from a small Iowa rifleshop: Tips, tools and techniques,” “Muzzleloader’s Mini-Guide” and a book he co-authored with Alan Neubauer, “A Wooden Iowa Rifling Bench.”

That’s quite an accomplishment for a man who “couldn’t get the time of day” in the past.

Bookout, who is very passionate about his work, said he has a few requirements of his customers.

“My guns are tack-drives,” Bookout said. “I don’t make guns for collectors or show pieces. In the past if a customer said they weren’t going to use them, I wouldn’t build a gun for them.”

Toad Hall may seem like a strange name for a rifleshop, but Bookout said his daughter and the ’80s cartoon “Drak Pack” were the inspiration for the name.

“The evil guy had a henchman that was a toad,” Bookout said. “Every time the evil guy got foiled by the hero, he would start beating his henchman in the head and yell, ‘Bad toad, bad toad!’ Well my daughter, would sit on the couch and just laugh at the toad getting hit on the head, because it was so absurd.”

He said he used to repeat the actions with his daughter as a joke and then the tale spread.

“People who had heard it from other people started calling me ‘Toad’ once in awhile,” Bookout said. “I would be like, ‘No, I am not Toad.’ They started doing that enough that I put a sign on the door that said ‘Toad Hall: Land of the Willows.’”

Bookout even took it to the next level and started collecting toads and had stationary with Toad Hall made for the house. Fans of his work and friends and family give him toad merchandise for the house.

Toad Hall is licensed to sell guns, and the art of gun making has become very popular in recent years thanks to shows likes “Sons of Guns” and “American Guns,” but Bookout plans to retire from gun making soon. He is working on completing his 400th and final weapon, which he dubbed: “My Masterpiece.”

It is only appropriate that Bookout’s home and workshop name is inspired by a fictional character, because the man himself compares his lifestyle to another famous pop culture icon.

“I’m like Peter Pan, I never grew up,” Bookout said. “The only difference is that [guy] could fly without a helicopter, and I could envy him for that.”