Putting Your foot in IT

[Marrinan]

I live in the heart of some of the largest quail hunting plantations around.. Ted Turner, Leslie Wexiner Live on Olin's Plantation. (a small private piece of in the middle of it anyway. Winfield "Orvis top rated is a mile away. Never sold anything to any of them. That's okay, Ray Viramontize (sp) told me ne has never sold anything locally either. So to day I was in our one "real" Gun Shop looking at what they had and two pieces caught my attention. The first was a cold mini auto in .25 cal. The proprietor said it was hand engraved. Glancing at it in hand it was clearly etched. I pointed out how to tell the difference and what the clear tell-tail signs were. Let him use my pocket magnifier to see for himself what the signs were. Next was a 1911 that was literally ruined with the cutting. There was absolutely no shading cuts. the dot punch background was a disaster-going ever which way, overrun onto the design,(term used very loosely). No scrollwork at all just leaves and swirls helter skelter. He said he was waiting on a letter from colt to verify it was done in the custom shop. I tried to explain the process shared by Mike Dubber to become a Colt Master. Said the piece was very raree and had a sign on it saying it could not be handled because of it's value. I don't think I am allowed in his store any more. Sorry but I tried to be gentle, don't think I did the engraving community much good today. Just made a man feel foolish for not knowing what he was talking about. Fred

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Fred,
What did it smell like, when you put your foot in it ? I have special shoes just for stepping in it.

michael

 

[silverchip]

Needed hip boots a time r two myself!!!

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Good for you. No one ever said education was easy.

At a show one day, a guy nearly hit me when I told him the $400 "original" powder flask he was trying to sell was in fact a $20 Pedersoli replica. However, the next day he had brought the price down to $15

Cheers
Andrew

 

[SamW]

That's OK Fred...better to tell the truth than let him remain ignorant on a subject so dear to us. Just think of all the people who went away thinking the fellow knew what he was talking about. Not a shop I would frequent! Hello to Viramontez when you see him.

 

[Marrinan]

Thanks for the feed back. Hope to see Ray at the Eastman show/sale tomorrow. If he is there as he usually is I will pass along your howdy Sam. Fred

 

[Jörmungandr]

Good on you man, keep standing up for good art.

//DQ

 

[highveldt]

Fred;

We have those "real gunshops" here in South Carolina as well----for those of you who do not know to find one of these shops, here is a test that you can make to see if you happen to be in one: Simply enter the front the door of the shop and in a strong semi-loud voice sound out "hey bubbbbaaaa", and if more than 50% of the people in the shop turn your way to see who is calling them you are in a "real gunshop". I can say this without prejudice as I am a South Carolina native whose family was here way before the"War", even before the war that we fought here to remove Lord Cornwallis and Col. Ferguson.

Keep up the good work.

Steve