Not trying to beat Mike's 8000 posts

[Mike Lyons]

I apologize for posting so many questions here lately but I'm neck deep in this Rupp Rifle and I'm starting the carving process.  I swear I have read the entire internet and looked at every square inch of every picture known to man.  I even went to three local libraries to look at rifles.  This particular rifle has very very very little relief carving.  The relief carving that it does have is barely relief carved and then has incised carving all around it.  The incised carving looks to be stabbed in in most sections rather than using a V gouge.  It's very faint.  I'm sure it's faint from age but, I can see the uneven stab marks from the tool on some of the carvings.  I got the opportunity to handle and Allen Martin and Mike Brooks Lehigh rifle and an original at the CLA gunshow.  Both were amazing and  identical to the original.  What is your theory on the Lehigh carvings?  Does anyone else think that they are stabbed in in some places?  I'm trying to nail this thing and it seems like only about 4 people out of the 100's of Lehigh makers are able to do it.  Most blow it on the carving job by relief carving the entire rifle.

Mike Lyons

[Craig Wilcox]

Hey, fellow Vet!
I am quite a ways from doing any carving, but it looks to be a formidable task.  I had not seen pics like this that display the "carving".  Pretty low stuff, almost like imagining it's there.
It does very much look like it was stabbed in, then nothing else was done to it.  And with the finish on it, it does not look as tho it wore down from use.
Quite the conundrum - to carve or not to carve.....

[rich pierce]

I can’t see how such work could be done with a V gouge unless it was a 30 degree one, and even then....  so think it was stabbed in as you say, and not that much else done to it.

[Mike Brooks]

Take a look at A Martin's , Eric Kettenburg's websites as well as Eric Von Aschwieg's (name butchery I'm sure, my apologies) That will help clear up what the carving looks like. I myself don't have a clue what they actually did back in the day on these. Probably some of both, stabbing and parting tool, but just a guess on my part.

[Mr. Bubbles]

People use the terms "relief carving" and "raised carving" interchangeably, but they are different.  raised carving is just that.  The design is outlined, and the entire wood surface is lowered around it.  relief carving starts out as incised carving (basically lines) bu the lowered part is actually profiled or modeled.  Those curly cue snail shaped things are the most common thing to see in relief carving.  Most Lehigh guns are relief and incise carved, but a few also used raised carving.  It varies from maker to maker, and by which part of Lehigh County they were working in.

[David Rase]

People use the terms "relief carving" and "raised carving" interchangeably, but they are different.  raised carving is just that.  The design is outlined, and the entire wood surface is lowered around it.  relief carving starts out as incised carving (basically lines) bu the lowered part is actually profiled or modeled. 

Where did you come up with that definition?   
David

[Mr. Bubbles]

From this article
http://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Kentucky-rifle-Pennsylvania-School-Northampton-County-B061_Gabel.pdf

I guess another name for it could be called "sunken relief" as well.  That indeed may be a more accurate description anyway.

[Mauser06]

Could possibly been cut it with a small knife as well or stamped in with a small gouge as has been shown here before.   Seems tools were often minimal back then.... having and array of different gouges probably wasn't the norm which is why V gouges were probably the common tool to cut in designs. 1 tool opposed to a large number of tools to stab in with...


Hard to see for sure, but that appears as if it's 1 finely cut line which looks like it could have been done with a small knife.