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

I hope these images come through and show in the post.

Below are two examples of Ken Hurst's brilliant engraving work that he is doing on a gun of mine.

I know some of you distain gold inlays on guns. Also, this work is not being done on a double. However, I also believe that many of you admire and enjoy viewing Ken's work and I believe these are excellent examples.

Some of you may also remember Ken sending out a call for pheasant pictures and parts about a year ago....well, it was for this pheasant (or at least this pheasant initiated the request...I'm sure Ken has/will do many others of its kind).

I hope you enjoy.

Simply wonderful. I can't wait until Mr. Ken gets my gun done. Luv them tail feathers. BTW there is no shame in an autoloader.

Actually, Ken has no shame! He'll work on other things as well. He engraved a Mauser bolt action receiver and bottom metal for me recently, and I am well pleased with the results. It's nearing completion now into a classic style rifle in 7 x 57.

As always great work. I can almost hear the pheasant cackling.

"BTW there is no shame in an autoloader. "

Oh, I'm quite sure I have no shame about it. I love SX-1s and have no shame in general LOL.

I was just trying to be sensitive to the nature and subject of this particular BBS (but I don't do sensitive well).

As for Ken...no shame indeed. I think that is about as beautiful a game bird as I have ever seen engraved in metal anywhere/anytime. And I like the dog very much also. The dog came from a vintage illustration the creator of which was known for overdoing it just a tad...like the set of briskets on its chest :-) But sometimes a little over emphasis is good in an illustration or a 3/4" long engraved dog.

Please keep in mind, Julie took these with her new camera...they are more "home snap shots" if you will rather than professional shots like you would see submitted for the hard copy publication. I'm sure there is a lot of detail in these figures that we just cannot see in these particular pictures.

Post deleted by Baron23

Thanks Baron, glad you like it. Perhaps you could post the picture showing the overall shot with the two dogs & bird together for proportion. Please keep in mind that these pictures show the work as rough & there is also light bouncing out of the cuts in some cases which degrades the pictures. If you consider that th dog is only 13/16" long, you'll realize that this same roughness won't be visable to the naked eye. Baron, I'm engraving the tumbled down old barn in the background now. Also, I'm going to engrave something real small hidden in the background for you to discover ---- like the tiny turtle on the other side ..............

HI Ken - I will post the overall receiver picture when I get home this evening. I didn't load it into Photobucket so I can't post it here yet.

As for the little suprise...way cool. I love the turtle on the other side and am always challenging folks to find the hidden animal. .

Stephen Meyers

Ken is first class in every way.

Per Ken's request, hopefully below will appear the picture of the left side of the receiver overall.

Right side of receiver, which I have posted previously, but showing Ken's wonderful work never gets old to me

I have had the good fortune of having that SX-1 receiver in my hands twice, and both times the wood ducks on the right side of the receiver drew my attention. IMHO they are as fine, maybe finer, as any I have ever seen inlayed/engraved on a shotgun... Congratulations to both the engraver and the owner!!!

Marvin

looks rather gaudy and goshe induced to me...

That would be "gauche", actually. ;-)

that too, but goshe probably.

I thought I might find something between "gosh" and "goshawk" in Webster's Ninth Collegiate, the newest print edition I sprung for. However, "goshe" is not there and the other possibility doesn't apply. It's a goddamned automatic, Ed. Full coverage of English scroll is about twenty seven grand. I have seen the waterfowl scene in person, used a glass, and I like it. The pheasant isn't bad either.

I find it very artistic. You don't see spanish moss engraved much. I've only seen it on a Purdey belonging to a Southern Planation Owner. BARON23 did you come up with the concept and design?

There is a lot of beautiful scratching on that automatic! Is the side with the pheasant and dogs going to be filled in a little with grass and reeds like the waterfowl scene? It sure looks nice.

looks great Ken, can you post some pics of the tools you use. i seen a youtube video of a guy in Mexico doing guns, amazing work he turned out and fast i couldnt believe it. i'm really interested in the engraving process.

IMOD, yeah, Baron came up with the design and Ken elaborated on it. I don't think my friend Baron could have done what Ken did with the swamp scene. It can't be appreciated as well in pictures as it can be under a glass. The water and Spanish Moss is astounding. David, the upland scene is only partially finished in the supplied pictures. To our new poster, Ed, "It's a goddamned automatic for gosh sakes. You don't cover them with English scroll." As Ken has told me, "You can't afford it."

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.

I've been an apprentice of Ken for a while now. Got the privledge of watching Ken engraving Baron23's receiver. As good as the pictures are, they just don't compare to actually holding the receiver and being able to examine it close up.

Beautiful work Mr. Hurst! It is stunning!

Ok Lowgun, our mutual friend the photographer is to take pictures today of the receiver (good pictures, that is...versus my hack jobs) as soon as he gets done lallygagging around with his lunch time social engagement. ;-)