FALL 2019 GUNSOFTHEOLDWEST 19
T
hereareveryfew
iconicfiguresinthe
firearmsindustry
today,andnowoneless
withthesurprisinglossof
SteveFjestad,thepublisher
andeditoroftheBlueBook
ofGunValuesandsomany
otherBlueBooktitles.Steve
likedtousehisinitialsfor
booksandmagazinearti-
cles,andtheworldcameto
knowhimasS.P.Fjestad.
Buttomeandotherswho
knewhimwellfordecades,
hewasSteve.
Icanhonestlysaythat
thereis nogunmanufac-
turer,holstermaker,shoot-
ingorganization,gunbook
ormagazinepublisheror
distributorintheworld
whodidnotknowS.P.
Fjestad.IfyouownaBlue
BookofGunValues,anyof
mybooksonColtblack-
powder pistols, flintlock
and percussion reproduc-
tions, or any Blue Book on
subjects as varied as antique
American firearms, airguns,
Colt Pythons, Italian gun
engravers, electric guitars or
classic cars, you own apart
of Steve’s life’s work. And
it was always something
done better than anyone else
could do it. That’s theonly
way Steve knew how to do
things. I know this because
I helped him do someof
them, and in turn, he helped
mebypublishinga
numberofmybooks,
butmostofallby
being my friend.
Steve was a
globetrotter—he
went wherever and
whenever therewas
something to bewritten
about firearms fora book
(his, mine or someone
else’s), and he used allof his
connections and resources
to make things happen. We
traveled around the world
writing about guns and
cars—yes, cars—because
Steve loved cars and I wrote
about cars, so when there
wasa tripto
photograph
carsfora book
(Stevepublished
a couple of my
automotive
books as well),
he was packed
and readyto
go. He would
literally take
the shirt off
his back to get
things done. In
Italy, when we
wereworkingona Ferrari
book,Steveusedhisshirt
and a bottle of water to
wipe the tires of a new 550
model so they looked right
for a photo shoot outside
of Maranello. No cleaning
rags! He just smiled about it
and posed for a picture.
I have dozens of stories
of travels and photo shoots
and exhibits and tours,
but at every one, Steve was
dedicated to getting the
best work done, no mat-
ter what it took. He often
used the most expensive
printing techniques avail-
able to publish books with
unbelievable photo clarity.
He was a gun collector, a
guitar collector, and he had
a closet filled with so many
Western boots you’d have
to call it a collection.
We met over 20 years
ago through a mutual
friend, author R.L. Wilson,
who often joined us on our
jaunts around the globe,
with the three of us usually
working on different books
at the same time. We lost
Larry Wilson in December
of 2017, and Steve and I
knew that some of the magic
we had worked in the liter-
ary world over the last two
decades was over. Steve was
just preparing to start work
on the 41st edition of the
Blue Book of Gun Values
when he was diagnosed
with bladder cancer. That
was earlier this year, and
he passed away three days
shy of his 69th birthday on
July 15, 2019. I don’t have
the words to fill that void.
Publishers and authors come
and go, but there will never
be another S.P. Fjestad.
Travel well, my friend. ✪
CELEBRATING
STEVE FJESTAD
Remembering the life and dedication of a publishing titan
ByDENNISADLER
• TRIBUTE •
(Above) John Bianchi
gave Steve a hand-
made gun belt in 2012.
(Right) Steve’s Blue
Book of Gun Values hit
several milestones.
