Ken Hurst
06-17-08, 02:10 AM
I have been engraving firearms for 50 years this summer --- about this time 50 years ago I reckon. The 21 has given anyone trying to engrave one a giant fit. These action are about the toughest of all dbl guns an engraver will run across. Some of my clients worry that the ultra fine lines of bolino work will wear off quickly ---- that will be the least of your worries. The tempered/hardened steel in these guns will allow the engraving to long out live the owner if the guns is cared for. By this I mean kept oiled and not allowed to rust OR, drag it across rocks and such.
For those of you who wish to have a piece engraved, carefully select your engraver. Ask for pictures and judge if the person is capable of executing the level of work you are looking for. Don't be surprised when the quote is higher than you'd expect. Remember, the engraver will be spending lots of hours during the job just re-sharpening his tools. And, engraving a 21 is much more time consuming than work on say a Parker or Fox. Ken
For those of you who wish to have a piece engraved, carefully select your engraver. Ask for pictures and judge if the person is capable of executing the level of work you are looking for. Don't be surprised when the quote is higher than you'd expect. Remember, the engraver will be spending lots of hours during the job just re-sharpening his tools. And, engraving a 21 is much more time consuming than work on say a Parker or Fox. Ken