doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Stock Figure Embellishment/ Marklart

I am thinking about sending a very plain stock (from a very nice German hammer gun) out to be given a new suit of clothes.I haven't heard back from Mark Larson; first, I am wondering about the level of enthusiasm here on the board either for Mark's work or for another such artist. Secondly, is Mark still plying his trade? Thanks! Gil

Hello Gil, Mark is out on a hunting trip and supposed to be back today. Anyway, I just sent him my Bernadelli Italia stock for his enhancement. Mark has done 3 other enhancements for me and all have held up very well, no problems with the finish cracking, peeling or whatever you can think of. The process he uses does not even come close to something like Xtra Wood or any type of dip. His looks like the real McCoy.

I'm very happy with his work and will continue to use him and recommend him. He's also a great guy to deal with, top notch and a straight shooter.

If there is a certain type of grain you like, just send him a picture of it and he'll do his best to give you that look.

Best of luck to you!

Greg

Does great work and super guy!

faux is faux.

Hey Steve, about every girl on the bikini contest circuit has faux taters, but I still oggle a bit. How about you?

Is taters across the road from hOOters ?

Maybe hOOters should start selling sxs and call themselves shOOters . . . . sorry, OT but I couldn't resist

Faux is faux. Art is art. Embellishment is embellishment. Hand engraving is more highly regarded than laser etching, hand checkering more so than machine and, given the talent required and the uniqueness of each piece, hand painting wood figure trumps film dipping.

But what makes scratching the surface of a plain metal action or rasping the wood with geometric grooves a loftier endeavor than grain embellishment?

Mark Larson is a very nice person and quite talented at his 'gun art'. I am going to have him do his magic on a sidelock I own to which I have added an extension. The reason is really two-fold. For $400 Mark can blend this extension to the original stock which fits me well. Right now I am too CHEAP to spend $7500 for a proper replacement which may or may not fit me as the original. It's all about economics. Mark is providing a GREAT service for us IMO.

Mike,
I guess that the feeling among some people regarding faux grain enhancement is that it is used to show something that isn't really there. Making a plain piece of wood look like a $1500 piece of wood by painting in grain and mineral streaks that arent really there, that would and could make some people uncomfortable. For instance, an expensive gun, with an average piece of wood, the owner wants to sell it but knows there is more money to be made selling a gun that has a fantastic piece of wood, so the seller has the grain "enhanced" and Voila', the gun is all the sudden worth more money because of the "premium" wood. You being the buyer of that gun believed you were paying a extra premium because of the wood quality, only to find out later that it isnt what it seemed to be. Not saying that anyone here would sell a gun that has been enhanced without first disclosing that information to the potential buyer right up front, just saying it could happen and make for a nasty surprise for the buyer later on down the road.
And from what I've seen, Marks work is so well done it would almost be impossible to tell unless told, that can make people, aka potential buyers nervous about the process, granted....some people probably wouldn't care one way or another, but some would.

Comparing what Mark does to metal or wood embellishment like engraving or stock carving (think high grade Fox, or even high grade muzzleloaders) isn't fair in my opinion. What is being done there is out in the open and it something that has been traditionally done for hundreds of years..you can see it, feel it and know its there.

I dont think what Mark does is comparable to X-tra wood or any garbage like that, I think what he does for sure has its place in the gun world. Not everyone can do what he does, he shows considerable talent and skill and his work is useful.

Dustin