Silver and gold threads in steel

joseph engraver

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Messages
376
Location
Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Silver and gold threads mixed with steel, I was talking to Frank Hendricks the day he presented his matched pair of Colts at the FEGA show. Everyone was congratulating him for his extraordinary effort and skill he had applied into the work. He sat quietly, then said “They won’t even let touch my own workâ€￾. What do you mean Frank? “They came out to my place and took possession of them. Flew them here to the show, put them on display, they are not mine any longerâ€￾ I understood what he felt. As soon as Franks Colts changed hands they quadrupled in value. The owner profited from Franks work and those Colts are now worth 5? times more than Frank ever received. The income one makes engraving is a personal choice. Plumbers may make $100,000 a year but they have to take more crap than I could tolerate. Me I preferred to work in the comfort of my home, well off and content. Experience taught me that there is no way others can judge what rate is appropriate. So far as I know there are no rich engravers, well off or comfortable is the limit because engraving is a solo endeavor, clients and collectors are business professionals with employees earning money for them and when they contract you, you become an employee. In many or most cases they are already calculating their potential profit while giving you a deposit that will make the next mortgage payment. If you are one of the best, meaning skillful, efficient and reliable they have no problem paying well for your services. That is what you are doing, providing a service not unlike the plumber. It is something that engravers have done since medieval times. I have had people buy my work with not so much as a cursory look at my labors of love. They would ask the price, then want to dicker, (an appropriate word) A price agreed on, checks written, cash changed hands, receipts written, hands shaken and I was once again alone in my studio the whole transaction taking thirty minutes. I had the pleasant but frustrating pleasure of competing for the Engravers Choice Awards against Frank, Ron Smith, John Barraclough, Marty Rabino, Eric Gold, Bob Swartley, Sam Welch, and a dozen other engravers of exceptional talent, skill and knowledge. I was thrilled to receive the runner up and the Beretta Award. I wish to thank for your encouraging comments and applause for my book. Here is a portrait in steel of one of the most copied western artist to have lived. Size is in proportion to screw head
It is pictured in the book you have now decided to buy and opened the doors for me at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. I have no idea who owns it. The man who bought it never shook my hand.
 

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Weldon47

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
1,412
Location
Welfare, Texas
Joseph,

I see what you mention as one of the biggest problems in this pursuit of passion we call engraving: We put our heart & soul into a piece; not just some of our work but each & every item we work on. No one really understands the effort and inspiration, the sweat & tears that sometimes go into what can rightfully be called a work of art. It is truly a shame that after we are done & the work leaves our hands, the price almost magically goes up!
I believe that with concerted effort we will raise the bar continually higher until engraving is widely recognized for the "fine art" that it truly is. We (the current crop of professional engravers) may not live to see this paradigm shift but, if we continue to educate and thereby raise the sophistication of the (average level) patron I believe it will occur.
As for myself, I have all but stopped doing work for those I know to be "middle men" (those who have work done & then flip it, sometimes making more profit than we do) and endeavor to work directly for those clients who appreciate my work, not simply engraving in general. This has slightly reduced my client list (for the better I believe!).
Moving up is difficult and gaining respect is tough: Though our work should speak for itself, our clientèle will use us a we allow them to!

Weldon
 
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