Engravings sugestions sought

[Scota4570]

Leman engraving looks pretty bad to me.  Any better suggestions on what to do with this type of cap box?  My engraving skills are very basic. 

[Hungry Horse]

 I think you kinda have to understand that Leman was primarily a mass production company. They did make some higher grade guns, but the majority of their guns were working guns. The design you show on the antique cap box isn’t horrible, it just looks like your average twenty minute engraving job. The same design with more time, and care taken, could be quite nice.


Hungry Horse

[Daryl]

Looks fine to me.

[jerrywh]

Around the 1850s there was an engraver called L. D. Nimschke. There is a book out with many of his engravings in it you can find some very nice stuff like what you are looking for in that book.
 https://www.amazon.com/L-D-Nimschke-Firearms-Engraver/dp/1884849024
 You might be lucky enough to find s used one on the internet. Or you could just send the patch box to me to be engraved. I guarantee it won't look like that one posted.

[Scota4570]

I am a sucker for good books.  I'll get one.

Thanks for the offer.  Having somebody else do it for me would be cheating.  I am sure you could do a better job than I.  I build because I enjoy it, enjoy learning new skills, and enjoy making every one a little better than the last one.  .

[davec2]

Scota,

I make no claim to anything historically related, but I did engrave a series of similar cap boxes for TC Hawkin and Seneca rifles.  I post them here just as ideas of what might be done.  As you can see, most of mine have a nautical theme.....

[Gaeckle]

I agree with HH: the original cap box engraving isn't too terribly bad, it is common of what those makers were capable of. The engraving could be altered slightly and tightened up a bit, some lines redefined, some eliminated and some added. Those old boys back then had basic design skills,  basic tools and no LED or other electrical  lighting,  depending upon natural light or candle light.

[Scota4570]

The TC boxes are beautiful. A round element, like the lid, is still difficult for me to lay out nicely.

I found an Ulrich box while searching the net last night.   IT has the naive pencil sketch quality that I can do.  I'll have to mess with  it and see what I come up with . 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

It is my opinion that what gets a pleasing engraving off to a good start is the border lines.  Either single of double line borders diminishes the field for the fancy stuff, but the border amplifies the inlay's outline and shape.  From that point, all the rest is just fill.  One thing too that makes engraving interesting, is variation in the depth and thus the width of the cuts.  I am one of those who never uses practice plates, but they are a good idea, especially if you want to experiment with design that is out of your comfort zone.