Here is a gun from the Colt Factory shipped 10.3.1888. The gun letters as you see it, nickel, gold, pearl, and engraving. But the engraving does not match any I have seen elsewhere for Colt factory engravers, and in this period it was pretty much Helfricht.
Someone, even back then, must have figured it doesn't look too hard to do and, figured they'd give it a try. I don't know whether he got the bottle of cheap whiskey for the job before or after.
And yet it letters. And a gun identical to it from the same shipment does as well.
I have seen plenty of Colts with the money parts beautifully engraved, but the other parts looking terrible.
Here the whole thing looks bad. But in a closeup of the gun I think we can see the work of a beginning engraver who knows what he's supposed to do and striving to do his best.
Production of these guns ceased 12 years before these were shipped. They had about 30,000 left in inventory. Maybe Colt's cut a deal with H&G.
Frankly, folks, I have shown people my Hopalong Cassidy guns and they marvel at the "engraving." Well, if pressed potmetal can impress people, what about a Colt - Nickel and Gold fresh from the factory. Sure we know the engraving is crap, to the average consumer it probably looked like a showpiece.
They were not in the business of selling masterpieces, but moving merchandise. I can show you many Helfricht's that would make you blanch.
I'd suggest before making blanket derogatory remarks, one does some more research on the subject matter at hand.
That said, if one opens up "The Colt Engraving Books" Vol 1 by RL Wilson to page 405 you will find very similar looking engraving done by the Cuno Helfricht shop. It was the practice of the engraving shop to have the master, Helfricht, and as many underling apprentices as work load dictated. As one searches through the section on the Helfricht period, it's quite obvious that many hands were involved in the engraving of Colt firearms. The practice still continues today, which is why there are standard, expert and master graded works available for purchase.
I think you hit it on the nose Bert. The engraver probably made about two or three dollars for the job. Such is the nature of production work. Might have tured out several in one days time in those days. Might not have even come from "Custom Shop" but was a production model done on the floor. Fred
I am enjoying looking at the closeup image - I see each strike in the scroll cuts. This may be well below the level of most people on this forum, but I'd be ecstatic to be able to hold the curve that well!
Question - is the "stippling" done with an actual round end punch? I have a handfull (literally) of oddball little tools, my husband brought them home to me thinking they were for stamping leather. They are FAR too tiny and fine to be leather stamps, but I suspect they are originally made for metal stamping - silver or copper?
Now that I have seen a few gravers !! I think that is exactly what they are, made from chipped or tipped gravers. Will find them and take a few pics to post here - perhaps someone can tell me more.