Engraving - are you serious?

[Daryl]

Double Gun and Single shot Journal. Twentieth Ann. Winter 2009  Article page 45 on Lisa Jo Tomlin of Virginia, now engraving for Rigby.  Unlike many, she does the complete job, not just part of it.  Astoundingly beaurtiful work!

[Acer Saccharum]

Geeze, if you are going to taunt us, why don't you give us some links? 

[Daryl]

I just bought the book yesterday - figured there might be some copies around the country in News Stands - if you're serious to see what you can actually do, with some practise, of course.  A builder should pick up the odd issue, just for ideas on design, from time to time.  Often there are high grade muzzleloaders presented, but not this particular issue. The insipiration this article gives should be worth the modest price of admission.

[Rootsy]

A couple of years back American Rifleman TV ran a segment on the S&W custom shop.  One area they covered was engraving.  There was a lady working on a revolver and I don't believe there was so much as one square micron left untouched by her graver... So much detail in fact, that it may take you years of studying that handgun in order to take everything in. 

[Jerry V Lape]

Miss Lisa had a little practice all right.  She was trained by Ken Hurst; for years  worked in his shop.  Mr. Ken, as I recall, was also the master engraver for Colt firearms for quite a while.  So she was learning from one of the best.  Wish I could get a gig like that if only for a week so I could begin to do the relatively simple engraving required for longrifles.  Mr. Ken engraved a flintlock for me last year.  I didn't ask for much and gave him free rein.  His knowledge of flintlocks is fairly extensive and he is friends with Wallace Gusler if his own knowledge isn't enough.  Give him a try.  While the work I asked for wasn't extensive it is exquisite.  The closer you look at it the more detail and depth you see in the shading cuts etc.  And his prices are very reasonable in my opinion.  Was going to put that lock on a rifle now underway.  Now I am hesitating because it might be better to have it framed on a wall so I look at it more frequently.  Best part is he is such a pleasure to talk too.  I second Daryl comments on Miss Lisa's work in the Double Gun Journal. 

[jwh1947]

There is engraving and there is engraving.  A master engraver can do the eye of a bird while holding a conversation and glancing at your eyes.  Sometimes they have a pattern book on the adjacent table, sometimes just the mind's eye.  My favorite engraver is not a man, but a beautiful young lady who works  in Val Trompia, northern Italy.  She doesn't speak English well, but French and Italian fluently.  

In the profession over there, you not only have to be good, you need also to be able to crank out the work at production level, with speed.  She is employed by a small but established builder of hand made rifles and shotguns.  When she gets overloaded, they outsource the engraving to one of the many engravers in the area who have the time, many retirees who do it in their home, for cash.

There is a small handful of engravers here that could work beside her, and a larger group that could fetch and maybe sharpen her tools; I couldn't even polish her shoes. Yes, you could argue that we are comparing apples to oranges, but a comparison of her work to the norm here would be somewhat like comparing lightning to the lightning bug.  

If I am not mistaken, some of our finer contemporary engravers were educated as jewelers, and someone so trained prior to entering gunbuilding does have a distinct advantage over others.  This and/or a background in classical art would be a good base. Again, not meant to rain on anyone's parade, just a comment to let you know how far you can go with this one aspect of Kentucky rifle work.

[Acer Saccharum]

Very few of the old makers had the skill or artistic training to do a rifle to the degree of artistry we see today. There wasn't the call for that kind of work in America. The closest you'll come is Kuntz or Rupp. Even their work would be termed 'folksy' when compared to today's level of skill.

But that is a whole 'nuther ball of wax.

Tom

[Pete G.]

Very few of the old makers had the skill or artistic training to do a rifle to the degree of artistry we see today. There wasn't the call for that kind of work in America. The closest you'll come is Kuntz or Rupp. Even their work would be termed 'folksy' when compared to today's level of skill.

But that is a whole 'nuther ball of wax.

Tom

I totally agree with Tom. Fortunately most anyone can do a passable job of longrifle engraving in some of the simpler styles. A longrifle just does not look right without engraving (if in the style on an original rifle that normally is engraved that is). My own engraving would destroy the value of a Colt, for instance, but I can at least tolerate it on a flintlock. Each one gets better and perhaps one day I might even be tempted to attack a replica Colt, but not just yet. (Not ready for a Fordney just yet either)

[flintriflesmith]

Very few of the old makers had the skill or artistic training to do a rifle to the degree of artistry we see today. There wasn't the call for that kind of work in America. The closest you'll come is Kuntz or Rupp. Even their work would be termed 'folksy' when compared to today's level of skill.
But that is a whole 'nuther ball of wax.
Tom

Tom,

I think you just opened a whole new interesting thread. Which period longrifle builder do you think was the best engraver and why? Want to kick it off with why you like Kuntz and Rupp?

Gary

[jwh1947]

I vote Kuntz. And you guys are entirely correct.  My extent of engraving is to do the minimum needed to accentuate a pattern, then say to myself, "I could stop here and not make a total fool of myself." That's my extent of engraving, and the customers seem to be happy.   If I were to want to offer a polished touch, I'd defer to Greg or Geoffrey or someone else who knows what they are doing.  The average Kentuck is not a Diana Grade Belgian Browning.

Here again, the boys at Jacobsburg--Hujsa, Dech, Correll and Shreck-- taught us how to hold a graver, how to sharpen a graver, how to chase and push.  Then they turned us loose and encouraged us to draw our own patterns.  Then they brought the professionals mentioned in to show us how they do it; most humbling, but educational. Had I not been given basic instruction, I still wouldn't be holding the tools correctly. For what I need to accomplish, I can now get by. I respect all artists more now that I have made meager attempts to make things look acceptable.

Perhaps this note may serve as encouragement to those of you who have thought about building a rifle, but just never got around to it.  If you have the will to learn, you can do it.  Great teaching programs here at Jacobsburg, and at Connor Prairie and Jamestown, KY.  Just do it.  I have never heard anyone say that they regretted it...bled and cussed, yes, but regretted it, no.

[Daryl]

The whole idea here is to conjure up some ideas and thoughts, and encouragement on engraving - what can actually be accomplished but one has to start.