There are many different ways to look at it.
But understand, it’s a computer file. It’s not a guy with a hammer and chisel and a marking pen.
So, on the one hand because of ease of duplication, the first hand engraved model carries all the cost and then the 10,000 copies of it that are made have almost 0 cost.
Once you see the same laser engraved pattern on production guns, five or six times, you lose interest. At least I do.
But you can laser engrave 100,000 guns for less effort than the first guy did one.
Bringing very elaborate and engraving patterns to the masses.
Not everybody is into that.
The second point is efficiency, I see no reason why an engraver couldn’t have the machine do 90% of the work, and then he could hand finish the rest and complete a very elaborate job in a fraction of the time.
Especially for deep relief carvings.
Not everybody views machine work prior to hand finishing as a benefit. There is a big following within handmade firearms for maximum hand work over maximum machine work.
Don’t ask me how to balance that.
This is a big bone of contention among stone carvers. The technology now exists to grind out the Pieta (+- 1%) and then sell precise copies of Michelangelo‘s miracle without a human doing anything except final smoothing.
Last edited by ClapperZapper; 01/04/26 08:00 AM.
