Engraving new rifle

[jerrywh]

These are a couple times oversize.

[greybeard]

Awesome as usual sir.   Bob

[Joe S.]

Wow,that's some nice work there.Post some pics of the whole rifle when your finished,please.

[Ed Wenger]

Nice, as always, Jerry.  What thickness of gold would you recommend for such inlays, and what karat?


         Ed

[n stephenson]

Very Nice Sir!!!

[FALout]

Oh my gosh


You do some great work

[Timothy88]

Very beautiful and realistic!

[Mike Brooks]

Well done. Looks like some work I've seen on high grade bolt guns.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I have never seen finer!

[Carl Young]

Thanks again for posting photos Jerry. They are always a pleasure to study and are important in helping me understand the design and execution of truly first rate work.
Your illustrations opened my mind to quality that I would have thought practically impossible for one person to achieve, before I was illuminated by your work.

-Carl

[g2608671@verizon.net]

This goes beyond decoration into the arena of art.  You sir are an artist.

 

[mulemauler]

That is inspirational!

[Daryl]

So well done, Jerry - bravo!

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Wow!!

[horologist]

Beautiful, what remarkable detail.
Did you inlay a different metal inside the gold borders, and if so what did you use?

Troy

[jerrywh]

 Thanks for the compliments everybody. Ed Wenger The gold frame is two different colors. The outside of the scrolls are 24K about .010 thick. The inside of the scrolls is 18K green gold or light yellow. Inside of the frame is not browned as you can see. The scene is frosted. That is done by dancing around the barrel and chanting a special magical phrase for exactly 16 minutes during the full moon.
  That deer consists of about 1000 cuts, It is not bolino style. It is hand push line engraving and done with a European style graver nothing like the ones mostly used in this country by gun engravers.
 

[J. Talbert]

Super nice Jerry.
Thanks for the peek.

Jeff

[Long John]

Jerry,

Absolutely stunning!  I can't even imagine how you do such work.  How long does it take you to do a muzzle treatment like that?

Every time you post a picture it serves as an inspiration and challenge for me to strive for a higher level of craftsmanship, no matter what my current level might be.

Thank You!

JMC
John Cholin

[n stephenson]

Jerry, Beautiful work!!!  If  this is a rifle ? I just wondered where the front sight will be positioned ? Not second guessing your work by any means , it just looks like the sight would be way back.  A video post of that "frosting dance" would probably get some views LOL!!

[jerrywh]

stephenson
    This is on the Breach end. The muzzle just has a gold wheat band. Long John. The Man who taught me to engrave is Robert Evans. He taught history for 25 years and has a Masters degree. He probably has engraved more guns that anybody alive today.  One of the things he taught me is to do things you don't believe you can do.  This will force you to continually get better. It also stops you from ever getting bored with the job. So far I have never found anything I couldn't do but I was always afraid I couldn't.  Never let fear detour you from ambition. Most people have no idea what they can accomplish if they try. There are engravers a lot better than I am. 

[n stephenson]

Jerry, I see what your saying . I deffinately wasn't trying to second guess you . I thought that was the muzzle .  Sorry!!!       Great Work!!!

[Tim Crosby]

 J'zoo Jerry, You never cease to amaze... Absolutely Beautiful.

"Most people have no idea what they can accomplish if they try." I have thought that for years, though easily written or said, it is had to convince. 

   Tim C.

[Mike Brooks]

I'm sort of a traditionalist.....just what sort of KY rifle does this type of high end work belong on? I don't even recall anything from Europe that had that kind of work on it. Very nice for modern day bolt guns but just completely out of place for any sort of ML gun. If I had the talent (I don't) I'd have to stick that sort of thing on a modern gun in order to sleep at night.... Don't get me wrong, this is very fine high end stuff Jerry does, but is it remotely appropriate for a ML gun? Does it fit in with our "stated purpose"?  I know, I know "it's Contemporary"... but still wouldn't some really fine 18th century style stuff executed to that same level be more pleasing?

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[Cody Tetachuk]

I'm sort of a traditionalist.....just what sort of KY rifle does this type of high end work belong on? I don't even recall anything from Europe that had that kind of work on it. Very nice for modern day bolt guns but just completely out of place for any sort of ML gun. If I had the talent (I don't) I'd have to stick that sort of thing on a modern gun in order to sleep at night.... Don't get me wrong, this is very fine high end stuff Jerry does, but is it remotely appropriate for a ML gun? Does it fit in with our "stated purpose"?  I know, I know "it's Contemporary"... but still wouldn't some really fine 18th century style stuff executed to that same level be more pleasing?

Interesting conclusion from about 6 inches of the breech end of a barrel. Museums are full of 17th and 18th century guns with high art decoration including precious metal inlay and high relief chiseling. I doubt that the gun jerry is building with that barrel is intended to appear as if it came from "The Hawken shop" in St louis. IMO there is (or at least should be) room in this hobby for all manner of tastes. You build great guns in their own right but they are not the be all and end all of rifle building just like Jerry builds great guns in their own right but they too, are not the be all and end all of rifle building. To each his own. Quality of execution can be questioned but taste is individual and should be strictly off limits to any sort of criticism IMO.

[jerrywh]

  You know, I really don't mind being criticized.  First let me say that Simon North Made a set of pistols about 1815 that were engraved by a member of the American banknote company. They were a presentation set for a renowned Navel officer. The engraving on them far exceeds what I have done on this barrel. A while back I made a statement on this forum. I said I was making a rifle that would drive Mike Brooks out of his mind. His reply was "short drive". This is it. Short Drive. I like Mike a lot but Contemporary is contemporary. It's the CLA Mike.  There is a Traditional Forum for all the Trad guys. If long rifle builders were to be confined to limits of creativity There wouldn't even be any such thing as a golden age rifle. Here are some other contemporary guys.