I'll relate my experience with Mr. Hurst on a Cogswell & Harrison restoration project that I did a few years ago. This was during Ken's "heyday" when he was posting alot, maybe around 2004-05 time frame. I contacted him to recut the engraving on the floor plate, trigger guard, forend escutcheon, and left it up to him to cut a couple scrolls on the heel and toe plates that were made for the new stock the gun received. The engraving on the gun was not fancy at all, definately not best quality english scrolls, just stuff that you find on a mid level Coggie Avant Tout. When Ken got the parts from the stockmaker, we talked, I told him what I wanted and he told me that it wouldnt take anytime at all, the engraving was rather simple and he'd have it knocked out very quickly.
He gave me a estimate over the phone for around $300. About a month later, he calls me and tells me its all done but the bill is now $500+. Geez O' peet. It was more difficult than it seemed, yada yada yada. I paid the bill and the parts were sent to a finisher (Classic Guns Inc.).
When the stockmaker got the parts back he called me and asked me what I had the engraver do (He knows Mr. Hurst as well, has seen many of his engraved Colts), He told me that it didnt look like he did much of anything. Oh well, I told hiim to just put the gun together and send it to me, I'll see what it looks like.
When I got the gun in hand about a week later....I was less than impressed with the recut. The cuts were very shallow, the number on the trigger guard barely visible, some of the scrolls looked as if you could erase them with a pencil eraser. I was not happy for what I paid the man to accomplish. The engraving he put on the heel and toe plates were little squiglys, I wouldnt even call them scrolls.
I know Ken does good work, I've seen it, but like most artist, he has a style all into his own. His big swooping scrolls may do it for some people, others might not think they are so hot. The work he did for me, for what he charged was not satisfactory. I've seen other guns that Ken has engraved for people and they have turned out very nice. I believe it all has to do with the "style". If I had another project, I am better informed now, know the styles I like, and I have found other engravers that can make me happy.
Talking on the phone with Ken, he is a gentleman, fun and easy to talk with, it always reminded me of talking to a mix of Foghorn Leghorn and Colonel Sanders. He would crack me up. I like the guy as a person, no doubt about it.
He engraved a couple of pins that I had made for a shotgun (I didnt send him the work, the maker of the pins uses Ken as a engraver) and they turned out fantastic. I know pins cant be compared to a whole gun, but the work was very satisfactory there.
I hope this helps and I hope that I presented my experience in a fashion that its more educational than a complete tear down of a man and his lively hood. I mean no ill will twards Mr. Hurts.
I will post a couple of pics, they are not of good quality and you can judge for yourself.
Dustin
Not a great pic, but the depth of the engraving was not what it should be, in hand, it looked "etched" on. The egdes of the cuts were not sharp. Classic Guns Inc. blued the parts as they were received, as Ken polishes as he engraves. They did no further polishing.
Again, not a great pic, but you get the idea. Same thing here, the engraving was almost like "scratching", it was not deep, almost reminded me of a first generation Fox A-grade with the border engraving that looks like it was done with a nail, just barely scratched in the metal.
