Break Gorman is the best there currently is for Damascus barrel work
I just got a set of barrels from a board member here that Gorman did. They’re awful. Poorly polished. Absolutely no pit removal or draw filing done., sharp edges on the lugs rounded over, and the color was way way off. Terrible job.
I've seen several examples of Dustin's rust bluing and browning work on both fluid steel and Damascus. He does a superb job, and is obviously very careful with the prep work that is required to obtain a very nice result. He is eminently qualified to know the difference between great work, and mediocre work.
It doesn't take much for a good reputation to be ruined. The poor prep work observed by Dustin could have been done by a helper or apprentice. But poor work should never be returned to the paying customer, even if it constitutes only one percent of the work that shop turns out. Some things like shipping damage may be unavoidable. But final inspection before shipping should catch the types of errors Dustin described. Some errors can be fixed. But once metal, engraving, and other fine detail is removed, the damage may be permanent. That's a big reason I prefer to do my own work.
