Letter from E.C. Prudhomme

[graniteguy52]

Interesting how people pronounce their family names - a few years ago, I knew a couple sisters who each had different ways of pronouncing their last name.

 

[SamW]

I heard that when someone asked Steve Fjestad how to pronounce his name he said...Steve. So I just call him Festus. Roger, I guess we can just call you Captain Bly now.

 

[monk]

try swartzfeger after a few beers ! most of the incorrect variants of my name aren't fit to print here y'all can just use yer imagination.

 

[SamW]

Sam, you are right, the Jack nickname was from his wrestling days of the 30's and 40''s. I read about that somewhere years ago but cannot remember where...Gun Digest or a magazine? Also remember in the bio that he was instrumental in developing the first 2nd seat in a P51. I will keep looking to see if I can run across all this again. I will dig out a photo of the plate I did for his collection and post if I can find a good copy.

 

[Roger Bleile]

Sam, I think the article was in a Gun Digest.

Steve Fjestad pronounces his name to sound like Fee-esh-ted. That's as close as I can get it.

I wonder if Mitch Moschetti's ancestors were gun makers since his name translates from Italian to ""muskets."

 

[SamW]

Thanks Roger. I have an excellent memory. I am just getting too old to keep up with it. That was my first impression for Steve's name which I later verified with Larry Wilson.

Here is the plate I cut for Prudhomme's collection. This would be in the early '80s after the first engravers' gathering called by Roger but before I moved to UT mid '80s. The plates were about 4 inches long and of mild steel.

I hope others will post photos of their plates.

I think there was an article about the collection either in GD or perhaps The Engraver?

 

[Sam]

That's a beauty, Sam!

 

[KayEnglish]

My dad, Wilton English, passed away in August, 2002. I don't know if it qualifies as "a long time ago"--seems like yesterday to me--I sure miss him and I miss seeing him at his bench, engraving the MOST EXQUISITE ART IN THE WORLD! He was a perfectionist in all he did, and a super-genius, to boot, but he would NEVER admit any of this! He was too humble! He taught me everything... I have some of his work, thank God. And photos of dad--which he also taught me photography & developing. He was an awesome photographer and guitar player. In the Air Force, he was a weather forecaster and then a computer programmer (Fortran). I hope he is remembered by today's hand engravers for the master engraver that he was.