What do you think of the design?

[Vestvol]

First let me say this is a practice stock and the carve out is very rough. My 10 year old son helped me stab it in and we used a bunch of different tools, and made some mistakes. That said I am thinking about doing this on my next build. It is part of my family symbol. I know it isn’t period correct, I keep flip flopping on wether to do it. Again this is the first time I put it on wood while trying to teach my son some things.

[rich pierce]

Non-traditional. I’m guessing it means something to you personally.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

If this symbol has speclal meaning to you and your family, then you have to decide for yourself.  Personally, I have no interest in a diversion this radical from traditional work.  But never say never...you might very well start a new trend that becomes the norm.

[Vestvol]

I think I agree. Just too big a deviation from traditional. I was trying to think of a way to make it more period appropriate, but I am just not coming up with anything. I like my rifles to be as period correct as possible with my limited skills. Well on to the next idea.

[TommyG]

IMO, I would downsize the symbol and try to incorporate it into a more traditional design.  Something like Niehart did with his snowman that is situated between 2 C scrolls.

[smylee grouch]

If that is of importance to you, you could still make a more traditional gun and engrave that symbol on a brass plate in the bottom of a patch box. 

[Vestvol]

Tommy I think you might have a good idea I may try to draw some designs with a smaller arrow design or maybe try to outline the crest with scroll work.

[mikeyfirelock]

If the design has significance to you, would you consider using it as a cheek piece inlay instead a star, and using a different carving motif ?

[Daniel Coats]

It's a daisy 

[J. Talbert]

Just not my cup of tea.

Jeff

[alacran]

A personal design like that would be more appropriate on a thumb piece inlay on the wrist.

[smart dog]

Hi Vestvol,
The biggest problem to my eyes is you are imposing an overly large  perfectly symmetrical object in a space that is anything but symmetrical.  The arrow at a right angle to the bottom of the cheek piece does not help either.  Symmetrical shapes are not a problem but I don't think they should dominate the design.  Here are some examples where I embedded round suns and a symmetrical star in carved landscapes that fit the space behind the cheek piece.









dave

[Mike Brooks]

sucks

[ScottNE]

The fact that you’re flip-flopping on whether to do it suggests you might regret making a gun with that design. I have a similar mindset. My imagination runs wild with possible designs but the nagging desire to at least pass as plausible for the period reels me in.

On the other hand, you could probably incorporate the symbol very easily into a folksy, period-plausible design that doesn’t jump out so dramatically as ahistorical.

[borderdogs]

I give Vestvol credit to posting his design for comment. Although the few rifles I built do not have carvings one I built was for a friends 80th birthday and I considered inletting a half dollar with his birth year on the cheek piece. There was healthy debate about it when I posted it to the forum. In the end when I gave him the rifle I gave him the coin and told him what I was going to do with it so he could do it if he wanted to. Recently, I had a custom saddle made for me and wanted a compass rose carved on the horn. The builder tried various carvings for trial but nothing looked right. So I had her use the Drummond family crest with the phrase "Gang Warily" carved above it. It came out great so much so I thought I might try that some place on my next rifle.............if I do maybe I will not post it on the forum!
Rob

[axelp]

I like the idea of imagery/design that means something to you but would suggest doing it in a more traditional style/manner. You could incorporate the same symbolism in a traditional 18th C style, and I think it would be pretty neat.

[Eric Krewson]

I was a really good duck decoy carver back in the day, complete with every feather carefully carved as well as  all of the bill detail. Now I just can't draw the scrolls necessary to do good work as I have lost the dexterity in my hands to 25 years of pealing tough osage bow staves with a drawknife.

For my guns I have decided that no carving trumps bad carving 100% of the time so my guns remain fairly well made but completely unadorned except for forestock and buttstock moldings that only require a straight edge and pencil.

[t.caster]

Just for fun, you could do a "rampant lion" with an arrow tail But no straight lines, please.

[Vestvol]

Smart Dog that work is awesome.

The significance is that in researching my family tree I found the first of my family to come to North America. He came in 1609 and appears to have had a coat of arms as some minor noble I guess. He later crossed into Virginia now West Virginia and settled. The COA is just a plain white arrow pointing up on a blue back ground. I thought the history was interesting. I am sure he was a mercenary or some such as he was German in an English Colony.

I agree that a lot more design work needs to be done. My purpose for posting was to get ideas from the group to help me think it through. I did get that in spades thank you to the group for the comments.

[Bsharp]

"This Side Up"

I like it!

[LilysDad]

Maybe you could do your design on a powder horn or possibles bag.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

sucks

Fence sitter!!

[Vestvol]

I admit when I Mikes comments I laughed a spit my tea out onto my computer. His comments were succinct.

[mikeyfirelock]

Hmm….the story about the coat of arms is very interesting and I think significant.    A design incorporating it on  the patchbox finial might be appropriate, could be sized to be noticeable, maybe even bimetallic,  and could be incorporated in a manner that would actually be historically compatible .    ( see…… I used some of the big words we know in Indiana)
Mikeyfirelock ….

[Jerry V Lape]

I think it would look pretty nice as the center of the compass star inlet in the cheek.  Doesn't need to be large to be a significant reminder.  Perhaps the stylized star as in Smart Dogs first photo above.