Another dog portrait

carl bleile · Dec 9, 2008

I'm still working on the 3 dog portraits for this job. The steel is tuff spend as much time sharpening as cutting. This dog is almost done just some more grey shading and finish the background ( med. relief )
For those that asked, no I don't put ink in the cuts or leave any on the surface and no burrs left up, gun people don't like that because after cleaning, oiling and rubbing it starts to come out.
I'll post better pictures when it's done if I can get them to load.
Carl Bleile

RT Bit and Spur · Dec 9, 2008

WOW! Thanks for posting. You mean it's going to look better than that.
Rod

Dave London · Dec 9, 2008

Carl
Excellent and beautiful, thanks for the photos, what kind of steel is it( I wantto avoid it

) Dave

vanknife · Dec 9, 2008

Good day Carl,
It looks like the dog is ready to jump through the ring, very life like. well done.

Cheers

"VAN"

monk · Dec 9, 2008

you must be good, carl ! that rendition is a dead ringer for a dog my daughter has out on her farm.

Roger Bleile · Dec 9, 2008

The gun is a Parker reproduction A1 Special as sold by CT Shotgun Mfg. (Galazan) in the white. Unfortunatly, in the white does not mean pre-hardened. My brother has had to fight the toughness of the steel in this gun at every turn.

CRB

CRW · Dec 10, 2008

Roger.
I have heard in the past that only 7 A-1 Specials were manufactured, is this correct or do you have any information on them.?
Carl,
The dogs are great. Someday!!!!!!!!!!!! I may try that and see what I can do.
Have a great Day
Carl Wallace

KCSteve · Dec 10, 2008

Carl

Glad to hear you're doing a gun that will be used. Museum pieces are nice - some are incredibly lovely but there's something a bit sad about a tool that's been made so special it's no longer used.

I'm sure the owner won't just be tossing this fine piece in the bed of the truck with the duck decoys, but it sounds like it will get to see some time in the sun.

Tom Curran · Dec 10, 2008

Carl, I am intrigued by your belief that the engraving should be seen without the aid of ink filling. Makes perfect sense to me, but HOW that is accomplished needs some explanation to me, at some time if you are willing and able to describe the process.

fantastic shading and modeling.

Tom

carl bleile · Dec 10, 2008

Tom C. there are a number of ways to get fine engraving to look black in any light, a lot of these are used by old timers like me which we learned from other old hands at engraving, but this seems to have got lost and a lot of the newer engraving is being inked, I think this mainly started from the knife engravers?
IMO the worst thing an engraver can do is leave burrs up and leave ink on the surface between cuts, this way is tempporary and in a short time the picture will look blotchy with a lot of shiny dots.
I would like to pass the old ways on but it would take a lot of typing and pictures on the fourm. I'll see if I can do another artical for the FEGA mag. showing banknote or fine line from start to finish.
Carl Bleile

Mike Cirelli · Dec 11, 2008

Carl that's great looking work. You got some great tonal variations. Do you use the tradition bulino style graver. By that I mean like a very narrow 60 highly polished?

eisman · Dec 12, 2008

Why would there be a difference between knife and gun engraving? I've never heard that.

The issue with burrs is very real though. Guns and knives get used (or should) and any field work will show a sharp or rough spot quickly.

Roger Bleile · Dec 12, 2008

eisman said:
Why would there be a difference between knife and gun engraving? I've never heard that.

The issue with burrs is very real though. Guns and knives get used (or should) and any field work will show a sharp or rough spot quickly.

The type of knives that are engraved with extremely fine bulino work are also known as "art knives." These are almost never used for cutting or rough handled. They are strictly collector pieces or in the case of "gentlemans" knives they are usually carried in a little pouch or leather sheath to protect the engraving. Lots of useable knives get engraved like the Bowie I carry at cowboy shoots but gun scroll is commonly engraved on such knives. Fine guns whith high art engraving are commonly used in clay target and live pigeon shooting as well as some bird hunting. It may seem odd that one person may shoot sporting clays with a $100,000.00 gun but won't gut a deer with a $5,000.00 knife. Of course the clay shooter is not getting blood all over his gun.

CRB

eisman · Dec 13, 2008

Okay, I understand the differences between bulino and scrollwork, what I still don't get is that Carl hinted there was a physical difference between the engraving of knives and other work (with respect to inking, etc.). The question I had was/is there a difference in how the finished product is arrived at? Why would knife engravers be responsible for a change/degradation in techinque or style?

Another dog portrait

carl bleile

Elite Cafe Member

Attachments

RT Bit and Spur

Elite Cafe Member

Dave London

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

vanknife

Elite Cafe Member

monk

Moderator

Roger Bleile

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

CRW

Elite Cafe Member

KCSteve

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Tom Curran

Elite Cafe Member

carl bleile

Elite Cafe Member

Mike Cirelli

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

eisman

Member

Roger Bleile

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

eisman

Member

Latest posts

Sponsors