I am really please someone has noticed and brought up the issue of chequering.
It is rarely considered as fully as I think it should be. Badly re-chequering a gun is the easiest way that anyone can do irreparable damage when 'restoring' one.
Cut poor chequer or cut too deep or cut the wrong pattern or get the borders wrong or run over etc and you can't go back and start again. Re-chequering is a real skill, as you have to work with what remains of the old pattern, if it is there, and uneven lines or slippages stand out like a dog's balls.
Too many people, in my opinion, are all too ready to get out the tools at home and re-chequer all their own guns and those of any friends they can get hold of. A little knowledge (or skill) is a dangerous thing when teamed up with over enthusiasm and lack of awareness of one's limitations. Once cut, the damage can't be undone and many a good original stock I have seen on a restored gun is scrap to my eye for this reason alone.
When I get re-chequering done, it costs a lot more than one would imagine. However, I believe it is so important that it cannot be over-estimated.
I'm glad to see this thread,thanks for bringing it up.
Flat top chequer was used on some British guns originally but by no means all. A lot of Birmingham Trade guns feature it and it was often used on mid and low quality guns as well as on guns expected to get dirty or take the odd knock - this is why we see it on many double rifles or larger bore guns.
Earlier high quality muzzle loaders often feature very large, flat-top chequer. The tradition may have carried on with gun-makers evolving the size and shape as the sporting gun developed and tastes changed. It certainly carried over to high quality guns in some quarters well into teh 20th century.
The residual tradition must have remained influential, as we see in many other features, like fence shape and cocking indicators.
When re-cutting worn chequer it is impotant to make it fit the size, shape, style and proprtions of the gun in question. Get it wrong and the whole gun looks 'wrong'.
Last edited by Small Bore; 02/24/10 05:13 AM.
