Mike, I happen to like your junk very much.
Bob, those are some really good comments. Separation of opinion from honest critique can be difficult.
On Nate's original posting, I didn't see any request by him for critical feedback, so I didn't offer any. I like his carving, it's very folksy. But that's my opinion, and not criticism.
When I post a gun on line, I don't ask for criticism, because I ask individuals during the build: collectors, and builders whose opinion I respect for the style of gun I'm building. It's a more project-specific kind of input.
The best input is from an experienced builder IN PERSON. Example: I am building a Lehigh, and I bring to Mark Wheland at Lewisburg. He's looking at it, running his fingers over the stock, then his gaze drifts across the room. I'm a little puzzled, I thought he was checking out my stock work. But then he looks back at the stock, and says he can feel the transitions better than he can see them. "This is a little fat right here, and here...etc"
Ah! the light bulb turns on! You'll never get the full picture when posting your work on line. Photographs can lie: they can make the work look better than it is, or WORSE than it is.
