question about wire inlay

[Nordnecker]

Here's a picture of a gun I'm copying.

Do you think any of the silver wire is missing, or was it done like this originally?

[Mike Brooks]

That's nifty, appears to be a combination of wire and relief carving.

[Longknife]

Is there ant other wire behind the cheek piece or at the entry pipe? Need to see the entire gun!....Ed

[Nordnecker]

I think it's nifty, too. I know it's difficult to see from the photo, but both pieces of wire behind the tang end in the same place in the curve of the scroll. One piece is definitely missing on the lock side. There is no other silver wire on the gun. The carving is just inscribed. There are a few chips of wood missing.

[Longknife]

I enlarged the photo and here is my (unprofessional) assessment. The curved wire on the inner carving continue to meet the "curvy" lines at the tip of the first "leaf" . Then another wire branches off of the "curved" inner wire and outlines the entire carving. Then a wire comes off of the tip of the carving on down the wrist? .......MAYBE,,,Ed

[Nordnecker]

I apreciate your thoughts, Longknife. So, am I to assume that this type of treatment is fairly unusual?

[homerifle]

That type of wire inlay is found on Shenandoah Valley rifles in several different shops and as far west as Hampshire county Va./WV. Without seeing a full picture of your fowler only a glimpse or two of the side plate and wrist I'm fairly certain its from the area I just described. The only shop that I've seen using a combination of relief carving and wire inlay is John Sheetz out of Staunton. When I look at it under magnification it looks to me that it is wire inlay only. Good luck on your build!

[Nordnecker]

Home rifle, You are right. Good eye.