doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Examples of Ken Hurst's recent work

Hey Baron-
Ken & Boone are doing one for me as well. I am fired up after seeing the progress made on yours. It looks great! I am anxious to get mine finished.

Thanks guys...as my friend eightbore said, this is not a SxS. It's an auto (best one ever made in my view) and it's a Winchester. A waterfowl scene on the right and an upland game scene on the left have a long tradition on Winchester guns (and reversed by side they are on, they have an even longer tradition).

As eightbore said, I spent about six months searching for every vintage game scene and picture of scroll work I could find and thought long and hard about what I wanted. Ken and I spoke of the project many times, not just details of scratches and cuts, but also the overall appearance and impression we were looking for and how this would integrate with the wood and metal treatment in the completed gun.

My vision for the right side was an illustration of ducks into a farm pond. In discussion with Ken, this morphed into Wood Ducks (my idea) into a Cyprus swamp (his idea). In my view, you can provide guidance and overall aesthetic direction to an engraver and then you have to let them adapt what you are looking for to match their skills and the reality of illustrating on metal. I don't think its wise to try to tie an engraver's hands too tightly and deprive yourself of their artistry and experience.

Also as eightbore stated, the left side shown with short hairs and pheasant is only at an interim stage. Ken is currently finishing it up and there will certainly be the same level of background detail as the right side. There will be vegetation and old broken down fencing and a tumble down barn, etc.

Now, as far as ed1 goes, I am fairly certain his comments are not directed at me or this project but rather are a childish and crude attempt to strike back at Ken for his (and others) posted criticism of ed1's torch jobs. I find his behavior in this thread to be a consistent reflection of his character as demonstrated is the rest of his postings.

What the heck, below are two of the art illustrations that I gave Ken from which to initially work. This may give people who are contemplating commissioning an engraving job a least one example of input vs output between the client and the engraver.





Cheers all

Stephen Meyers

Baron that's going to look great! I too, didn't want to tie Ken's skillful fingers when I gave him a commission. It was hard for me to do my latest project, I really didn't have a hard-core idea. I just wanted Mr. Ken's beautiful work. I'm sure it will have his special touch.

Eightbore, is it really 27,000 bucks for classic English Scroll???
Speaking of which I bought a book a about Firmo & Francessca Fracassi's work. Does anyone know how much Italian engravers, like Fracassi charge?

Couldn't you afford feet for those dogs..

They will be in the grass when finished

But if times get any tougher, I will send these feetless dogs out with a cup to beg LOL

That's some beautiful workmanship. Ken, just out of curiosity, I've been doing some very basic engraving for a few years and would like to try some gold inlay, where would be the best source for the gold wire?

Mr. Alex, I buy my gold from Hoover & Strong in Richmond, Va. If I can be of any help just give me a call ---- I'll be happy to help.

I have written many times of magic guns. That seems strange coming from an engineer, but there is also method behind that little madness. The said magic happens between the shooter and the gun when the stock fit, handling fit, gripping area fit, and aesthetic fit are met all in one gun. I'm no artist, so getting my arms around aesthetic fit is the most difficult for me. This thread has been very helpful in understanding how this process can work. Thank you all very much for sharing.

BTW, magic for one is not magic for all.

Gentlemen - I will try your patience once again with a couple more quick photos.

Ken finished the receiver and we went to NC to pick it up this past Saturday. Below you will see the finished left side of the receiver which you may enjoy comparing to the in-progress version (inlays only) posted above. This shot was taken primarily to show Ken at work (sort of) and the receiver itself is not in sharp focus. However, the extraordinary background scenery can be viewed.

Also, there is a picture of Ken with a message for the board

I like Ken just fine, but I would rather see a closeup of the finished receiver, which the photographer forgot to shoot. The detail of the "upland side" of the receiver rivals the detail of the "swamp side". It is quite a piece of work to be performed on an automatic, but who am I to say what the canvas should be? I remember a Model 50 Winchester that Arnold Greibel engraved a few years ago. It was also quite a piece of work. I have personally examined both sides of the Super-X with magnifiers and I'm rather impressed. The pheasant is wonderful as is the background detail which is not evident until Baron23 posts more pictures. The entire package, finished and with wood installed, will be something to enjoy.