Question: Rudolph Kornbrath engraved Rifle

[thughes]

All,
There is a site I check out on occasion just to look at the engraving, called Hallowell & Co. Under "Latest Arrivals" they have a pre war Winchester Hi-wall the say is "almost cartainlt engraved by Rudolph kornbrath". Thay have some amazingly detailed photos of the engraving on their guns. Would anyone recognize his work by sight, and did he sign his work?

Would his work command that kind of price?

Thanks

 

[Ed Westerly]

thughes,

What is the exact web address for Hallowell & co.?

 

[thughes]

That's it.

 

[Ed Westerly]

I went to www.hallowellco.com, and saw what appears to be the gun you are talking about. My reading of the text would lead me to believe that they are only claiming that the buttcap was engraved by Kornbrath, which wouldn't necessarily mean that they believe that he engraved the whole gun. that said, it would seem odd that two different engravers would have worked on a gun with one doing the vast majority of the work, and one doing one small piece. I wish they had written a little more clearly as to what they meant.

Or maybe I'm just reading more into it than is there. I've been known to do that!!!

 

[SamW]

That does not look like Kornbrath work to me on the receiver.

 

[thughes]

Thanks Sam, I'm very very far from an authority, but it doesn't look like his work to me either. But you know the old saying by somebody famous " it's better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to open ones mouth and prove it ". So being the coward that I am, I was't going to venture an opinion, figured I'd wait for more experienced eyes to look. It just doesn't look to be the same quality as his work I've seen in other photos.

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

I handled this one at the Hallowell booth at Vegas last January.
Perhaps it is the most significant engraved hi wall ever done.
Its a custom rifle, a John Oberlies.
I belive it was in the 70k range, quite reasonable.

 

[SamW]

Now THAT looks like Kornbrath! Thanks Barry. Morris has a lot of wonders pass through his hands.

 

[Roger Bleile]

I looked at the same high wall Barry pictured when I was at the same show. Beautifully done and typically Kornbrath Germanic work.

BTW, there was a dealer there with a matched set of Colts that Barry had engraved years earlier. When Barry showed him that they were pictured in my latest book he raised the price!!!

Regarding the gun in question, I originally saw it on the James B. Julia auction site so I suppose Halowell bought it there. The engraving is wonderful and a style that I personally like very much. That said, It looks nothing like anything I have ever seen attributed to RJK. I have no idea what logic they are using to attribute the grip cap to RJK but maybe they know something about it that is not mentioned in the description.

There is no doubt that gun dealers like to attribute the names of famous engravers to their merchandise regardless of how thin they can stretch the connection. Just look at all of the "Nimschke" engraved guns for sale that have never been within 20 miles of LDN's bench!

RB

 

[Sam]

Barry: It's such a pleasure to see nice examples of Kornbrath's engraving. Thanks for posting these photos. :clapping:

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

You are very welcome Sam, he was a great engraver and an inspiration to us all.
An historical note:
A gun historian once told me most of his career his income came from checkering steel, mostly revolver gripstraps. He did not make most of his living from decorative engraving.

 

[SamW]

This same rifle (right side) was included in Kornbrath's brochure that was on the back of The Engraver in one of the 2009 issues if I remember correctly.

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Can some one with the know how,PLEASE ! add this to the photo archives.mike

 

[Bushmaster1313]

My 1919 Baker with Kornbrath engraving

 

[Sam]

Thanks for posting these pics. I wasn't aware that Kornbrath used a liner to shade. I wish there were more photos of his work.

 

[mitch]

My 1919 Baker with Kornbrath engraving

is there a signature or other documentation for this gun? the work doesn't look like any other verified Kornbrath i've ever seen.

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

is there a signature or other documentation for this gun? the work doesn't look like any other verified Kornbrath i've ever seen.

I was thinking it looks quite rough to me. Not of the high quality one would expect of a master engraver.

 

[Sam]

I agree Doc, but maybe Kornbrath also did production level work?

 

[JJ Roberts]

The style of engraving on the Baker double looks like the engraving on a S&W or Colt revolver I saw in a book some where that Kornbarth did.J.J.

 

[monk]

barry lee : it must be a wonderful journey to take a "walk" thru your collection of gun fotos. how do you keep all your fotos organized ? these are very good fotos, a joy to look at. thanks for doing this.