Greetings...

I'm new to the forum. I'm no longer an engraver but I did engrave from 1982-1996. I attended the Bottega di Giovanelli in '84 and '85 and was the second American to go through the program. Joseph was the first, then Kurt Horvath after me.

In '96, while working at a machine shop, I got my hand a little to close to my automatic screw machine and lost the end of my thumb. When I finally healed up I realized I could no longer do bulino. No feeling in what's left of the thumb. Heck, I have problems now trying to get a nut started on a bolt. The old saying "he's all thumbs" is backwards. "He's all fingers would be a more appropriate saying"...for my condition at least.

I guess I came here for nostalgia and to see what some of the new crop of engravers are doing. Also, I have a few pics of my past engraving jobs I'd like to share. Here are a couple. The Browning .22 is a copy of a Grade3 with the coin finish. I inlaid the animals and birds in gold and blued it instead. I even copied the statue looking, Felix Funken style dogs and birds. Homer Tyler, author of the book on these .22's, saw this rifle and commissioned me to do one identical for him, which I did. Photos were taken with a film camera. Am I dating myself?? Gary

welcome, Gary- maybe you need to have a chat with Ron Smith about getting back into engraving- he lost his right thumb to an angry jointer a few years back (now i call him Stubby Smith, Snuffy's cousin...) and he's still cutting away. i'd hate to see your talent go to waste!

Welcome to the forum Gary, nice to have you here.

It's a shame about your thumb!! Your work is very good and I particulary like the duck scene.

Cheeers
Andrew

Thanks for posting- lovely work!:clapping:

awesome work!! Welcome and thanks for sharing with us!! Hope to see more.

Welcome to the Cafe, Gary!

Acorn,

Welcome to the forum, and great to see examples of your work!

I know it can be daunting to confront an injury that impacts our work so directly. I am going through an eye injury dilemma currently, also once cut the end off my thumb, and had it sewn back to good effect.

Our colleague, Ron Smith, is an inspiration. He made an artificial thumb himself (well, he is a craftsman) from that thermo-set material from GRS, and since he also picks guitar and sings, he had a fake thumb with a flat pick built into it, works pretty good, as we have played together for years. A few years back, and post thumb accident, his gun took the Reno prize, and showed us all that where there is a will there is a way.

By the way, has most of your work been hand push burin and hammer and chisel, or have you also worked with air assist? Your situation may well be one that "air assist" might be the stepping stone needed to get all of your experience and skills back into action?

I also know a superb German violinist who developed tendinitis in one hand and could no longer play violin. He took two years off, retaught himself violin reversing his bow arm and his fingerboard arm, and came back to fame as a 'mirror image' of himself.

I write this to encourage you back into the fold, and perhaps to look at training your other hand. I know it may well seem impossible, but it appears it can be done?

Anyway, Acorn, critiques from experienced engraving artists are very welcome, and do contribute greatly to those of us who are still gaining our skills.

Do keep posting!

Rod

Thanks to Rod and the others for the encouragement. I tried many times to do bulino with my injury but it just isn't possible. Without the feeling in my thumb I have little to no control of the tool. I can still cut with the hammer and chisel but even then there are so many times you need the hand graver that I just said "enough". To go backwards and do work that is much lower quality than I did before just isn't something I want to do. I do still have all my tools so coming here may give me the urge to try again. At least to do some style of hammer and chisel work where I don't need the hand graver as much. Gary

That would be a good thing!

Sir I agree with the others and join them in urging you to continue. I know that producing work that is not up to the standards that you set for yourself before your accident is discouraging but it would be a shame to let your talant go completely dormant. Wishing you the best and welcome to the forum.

Gary, Never give up! Never Surrender!
Your gift is to precious to let fade away. You should make every effort to continue in some form or another. Sounds to me like you also could have a very gratifying future in passing you art on though some type of teaching.........

An old Italian stone carver told me about a fellow from his home town, pre WWII, had lost his right arm. He had a block of wood tied to his forehead, held the chisel in the other hand, and carved that way. :hammer:

This evening I was at the grocery store, and as I entered a young lady was leaving- she was wearing shorts, had a prosthetic leg (thigh height). Her gait and balance was as smooth and natural as a non-amputee; the combination of her efforts at therapy and the incredible technological advancements in recent years made for a very impressive result.

The lack of sensitivity in the thumb is a real issue, but there may well be innovative ways around it.