rod
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Our esteemed colleague, Roger Bleile, posts often on the forums, and most will be aware of his new book:
"American Engravers -The 21st Century"
I am fortunate to have added it to my reference library. I say fortunate for two reasons, one is that it was so popular at Reno 2011, it quickly sold out, and secondly it is a treasure trove to pour over for anyone with an interest in engraving.
The Bleile brothers, Carl and Roger, are well known on the forums. I had read their posts and tutorials, and eventually got to meet them. Both were in Reno in 2010, or was it 2009? As is often the case in the engraving community, when we meet those whose work we are familiar with from afar, we discover that, by golly, they are also decent and good hearted people, and fun to hang out with, with broad experience in many fields and lots of good stories to tell. To my astonishment, I discovered Roger has a deep knowledge of Scots folk songs, many of them he knows by heart, so we have had fun singing them. I do not know if it a family secret, but I hear tell that Carl, among his many talents, knows his way around the fingerboard of an electric guitar pretty well, and I hope to pin him down next time to swap a tune or two.
The new book has more about these two brothers, and some 40 or so of this country's master engravers, a big chunk of the book tells us more about Sam A, Steve L , Winston C, Lee G, Sam W, Barry H, Ray C, and many more, don't get me started as I may forget the long list of heavyweight engraving artists!
Roger and I are from very different backgrounds and experiences. I like nothing better than to be in the company of others who have a different perspective in life to share, especially when that comes with a good heart and a broad sense of humanity, so I have enjoyed our conversations together, and have gotten to see why his writing is so good. He will draw you out in conversation, as he has that great quality of being 'interested'. Being 'interesting' lives in a separate domain, and writing a book that combines good research, experience, and passion is a wonderful place to be interesting.
I like this new book so much, I wrote a short review for Amazon.com. Currently you may have to get your copy elsewhere, so in the meantime, I include my short review below, just in case there are one or two on the forum who may have missed the book's launch at Reno......
Best wishes, and congratulations to Roger!
Rod
Short Review:
Thirty one years after the publication of his 1980 book, "American Engravers", author C. Roger Bleile has followed through with a wonderfully illustrated new work:
"American Engravers -The 21st Century"
suitably launched at this year's Reno Show of the "Firearms Engravers Guild of America" (FEGA).
Between the hardbound covers of this 360 page book, readers will find forty-four biographies of America's finest engravers, with more than 700 high definition color photos covering their work in detail. Setting the whole story in context, sixty pages precede, which include the background of FEGA, a foreword by editor, S.P. Fjestad, introduction by the author, history of American arms engraving from the 1700's by R.L.Wilson, chapters on the state of the art in the 21st Century, and the value of engraving today. Housed in the back cover is a reference computer disc, crammed with useful information including the author's illustrated Glossary of engraving terms.
Roger Bleile is not only a successful author, he has hands-on experience as an engraver, and has been part of the core group who formed FEGA decades ago.
To quote the author, "Americans do love their guns!", so it is not surprising that a good deal of the illustrated works are on firearms and edge weapons, however you will find other artifacts displayed... jewelry, musical instruments, watches, buckles, spurs, tools, fishing rods and reels. Having read the book, I have to agree with the publishers, it is without doubt the finest book ever published on American engraving.
In the interest of full disclosure, it should be known that I am not a gun engraver, my trade is 18th century style flute making, and I sometimes engrave the silver keys and rings on these wood bodied instruments. However, I do pour over many a tome on arms engraving in my reference library. These are a ready inspiration of examples in the fine arts cut into the unforgiving canvas of steel and precious metals.
For those who appreciate the fine arts, yet are unfamiliar with the clear meaning of 'hand engraving', let me summarize. The technique is hand guided only, separate from the closely allied woodcut/copper preparation of master plates to be used to print paper copies, and those who make the master plates are called 'engravers'. Yes, they do work with similar 'burins'... tiny precisely pointed chisels to incise small furrows in a flat surface, which when inked will print a design onto paper. The 'hand engraver' will use burins, even hammer driven on harder metals to cut furrows on smooth metal, punches that can form sculpted shapes with deep relief, and often will inlay gold and other precious metals into steel for high contrast effect. To a non-engraver, there is much to be enjoyed and learned by close study of masterworks covering large areas of, say, a shot gun having challenging panels to work, while following a general theme. Studying master engraving works can be as fruitful as studying the stone carvings of Michelangelo, while knowing we may never practice that particular form of expression. I say this to encourage you to consider this book as a reference work that may shine an unexpected light upon your own separate interest in the arts.
Rod Cameron
"American Engravers -The 21st Century"
I am fortunate to have added it to my reference library. I say fortunate for two reasons, one is that it was so popular at Reno 2011, it quickly sold out, and secondly it is a treasure trove to pour over for anyone with an interest in engraving.
The Bleile brothers, Carl and Roger, are well known on the forums. I had read their posts and tutorials, and eventually got to meet them. Both were in Reno in 2010, or was it 2009? As is often the case in the engraving community, when we meet those whose work we are familiar with from afar, we discover that, by golly, they are also decent and good hearted people, and fun to hang out with, with broad experience in many fields and lots of good stories to tell. To my astonishment, I discovered Roger has a deep knowledge of Scots folk songs, many of them he knows by heart, so we have had fun singing them. I do not know if it a family secret, but I hear tell that Carl, among his many talents, knows his way around the fingerboard of an electric guitar pretty well, and I hope to pin him down next time to swap a tune or two.
The new book has more about these two brothers, and some 40 or so of this country's master engravers, a big chunk of the book tells us more about Sam A, Steve L , Winston C, Lee G, Sam W, Barry H, Ray C, and many more, don't get me started as I may forget the long list of heavyweight engraving artists!
Roger and I are from very different backgrounds and experiences. I like nothing better than to be in the company of others who have a different perspective in life to share, especially when that comes with a good heart and a broad sense of humanity, so I have enjoyed our conversations together, and have gotten to see why his writing is so good. He will draw you out in conversation, as he has that great quality of being 'interested'. Being 'interesting' lives in a separate domain, and writing a book that combines good research, experience, and passion is a wonderful place to be interesting.
I like this new book so much, I wrote a short review for Amazon.com. Currently you may have to get your copy elsewhere, so in the meantime, I include my short review below, just in case there are one or two on the forum who may have missed the book's launch at Reno......
Best wishes, and congratulations to Roger!
Rod
Short Review:
Thirty one years after the publication of his 1980 book, "American Engravers", author C. Roger Bleile has followed through with a wonderfully illustrated new work:
"American Engravers -The 21st Century"
suitably launched at this year's Reno Show of the "Firearms Engravers Guild of America" (FEGA).
Between the hardbound covers of this 360 page book, readers will find forty-four biographies of America's finest engravers, with more than 700 high definition color photos covering their work in detail. Setting the whole story in context, sixty pages precede, which include the background of FEGA, a foreword by editor, S.P. Fjestad, introduction by the author, history of American arms engraving from the 1700's by R.L.Wilson, chapters on the state of the art in the 21st Century, and the value of engraving today. Housed in the back cover is a reference computer disc, crammed with useful information including the author's illustrated Glossary of engraving terms.
Roger Bleile is not only a successful author, he has hands-on experience as an engraver, and has been part of the core group who formed FEGA decades ago.
To quote the author, "Americans do love their guns!", so it is not surprising that a good deal of the illustrated works are on firearms and edge weapons, however you will find other artifacts displayed... jewelry, musical instruments, watches, buckles, spurs, tools, fishing rods and reels. Having read the book, I have to agree with the publishers, it is without doubt the finest book ever published on American engraving.
In the interest of full disclosure, it should be known that I am not a gun engraver, my trade is 18th century style flute making, and I sometimes engrave the silver keys and rings on these wood bodied instruments. However, I do pour over many a tome on arms engraving in my reference library. These are a ready inspiration of examples in the fine arts cut into the unforgiving canvas of steel and precious metals.
For those who appreciate the fine arts, yet are unfamiliar with the clear meaning of 'hand engraving', let me summarize. The technique is hand guided only, separate from the closely allied woodcut/copper preparation of master plates to be used to print paper copies, and those who make the master plates are called 'engravers'. Yes, they do work with similar 'burins'... tiny precisely pointed chisels to incise small furrows in a flat surface, which when inked will print a design onto paper. The 'hand engraver' will use burins, even hammer driven on harder metals to cut furrows on smooth metal, punches that can form sculpted shapes with deep relief, and often will inlay gold and other precious metals into steel for high contrast effect. To a non-engraver, there is much to be enjoyed and learned by close study of masterworks covering large areas of, say, a shot gun having challenging panels to work, while following a general theme. Studying master engraving works can be as fruitful as studying the stone carvings of Michelangelo, while knowing we may never practice that particular form of expression. I say this to encourage you to consider this book as a reference work that may shine an unexpected light upon your own separate interest in the arts.
Rod Cameron
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