doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Carved Fences (pics)

El Garro, as I said in the original posting of that gun, those ones aren't mine. I only have one Ideal at the moment, shown in my original post. I like that Art Nouveau gun and if I owned it, I would use it as I use all my guns. However, at this stage of the game, I won't buy a Lunette. I live and hunt in Canada. There are many, many days that gloves are required. Thus, no Lunettes.

I wondered if it maybe belonged to someone you knew. I see what you mean about it being a no glove gun, still, it's one of the more unusual yet beautiful actions that I've ever seen.
Thanks again.

Man,
I wish I had one now...some one slap up a close up of one those ribbandy /reedy top quality fences from an old vld Francotte say a 30 or 45 grade on up ..for me, would ya'?..yummm
franc

For my money, when the Germans got them right, their fences are the sexiest, particularly like in the gun above where the deep cut carves into the fences and then sweeps out to form the sideclip.

These fences are elegant but get lost in what may be one of the few engraving patterns that could make Tony Galazan blush:


A little subtler (and $90k cheaper):

James,

It is difficult to explain without a dissertation on ornamental design and engraving techniques. In brief, the engraver's work is of two parts. Designing the ornamental scrollwork and executing the design. Many engravers are better at one aspect than the other but the engraver in question was well versed in both. Many collectors focus on scenes and figures but most of us engravers judge by the scroll or other ornament such as oak leaf or acanthus. This is because, in many cases, the scenes and figures are often copied from established images and it is just a mater of technical skill to translate those images into engraving. The ornamental work is where the engraver can exercise his creativity (within the constraints of the client's budget). In the case of the Hiawatha/Adolph gun, the flow and development of the floral scrollwork shows an advanced understanding of ornamental design and how it is adapted to the multitude of contours of a gun's surfaces. The execution of the design using chisels, burins, and punches is equally skilled.

I'm afraid that all my verbiage above still does not answer your question. To do so I would need to create a PowerPoint with lines, circles, and arrows with annotation to point out all of the fine points and contrast them with images of other engraved guns of lesser skill and artistry. If we ever meet at a gun show, I may be able to give you some pointers. Until I can post images here without using Photobucket or something similar, I can only use words for explanation.

Regards,
Roger

Purdey 12 circa 1869

I think someone has ripped someone off with that Purdey. I would bet its more like 1869 than 1969.

Roger, that was exactly the kind of answer I hoped for. You may know too much, be too skilled, to remember how so little can be of value, but what you have said, however briefly, helps me a lot. Thank you.

James

Yes 300846 it was a typographical error on my part but a rip off I would not be too sure of that. What would you sooner have a truly craftsman made nitro proof one hundred plus year old Purdey with a history of people who have used it from King Edward V11, cabinet ministers, with one owner who bet some three million pounds on his Epsom Derby horse to win! And it did!!!
To a semi machined Purdey �Barking Iron� made in the 1960s. I know which one I would prefer to own, THIS ONE!!!!!!