Sitting with CJ

[jimzim75]

Hi all,
This year at Reno, CJ (aka= Chang Jun Cai) asked if I'd help out at his table.
I said of course I would and I also got into the show early. I took a
course with Sam for advance engraving with CJ. It's really taken with CJ and he has done
some awesome engraving since last I saw him at GRS. This year he won the best inlay
award for his knife. Oh my gosh, what a great piece this is.

This award was sponsored
by GRS for the best inlay. Sitting with CJ is a hoot also. While we were sitting at the booth,
an engraver came up to CJ asking if he could proof read the Chinese lettering he had
done on a colt hand gun. Just to make sure it really said what he intended.
CJ told him it was all correct but the coin he had used for the front sight was upside down.
He said he was going to take off the gold and correct it so it read the right way.
In the book he got the image from, the coin had been laid out this way.
I told him he should write in Chinese, this word on the barrel "BANG".
He said because of the price of gold? Maybe not.
This gun was a historic piece about a bit of history that happened in California back
in the 1800's. Sorry I didn't catch his name but maybe someone else did.

It was worth the price of the plane ticket to see CJ and a bonus to meet everyone else.
I had the best time ever on this vacation.
Jim

 

[Peter E]

I have seen several of CJ's knives in books and I liked them very much. The one posted is really nice as well.

Thanks for posting it Jim.

Peter

 

[KCSteve]

Gee, I can't imagine why he won the award for best inlay.

Absolutely stunning work!

 

[jimzim75]

I'm working on a thread about his snuff bottle knife handled knife.This one I found amazing, also.
Talk to you later,
Jim

 

[Ron Smith]

Yes Jim, CJ's work is outstanding no doubt. It is a great show and group is it not? Good to see you there. Will you look be looking forward to more of that?...Ron S

 

[jimzim75]

For those of you that's couldn't make the show. Ron held court after class on Monday. John B.
Evans, and all the rest of the top gravers shared knowledge of engraving and life with us.
We closed the place down at 5:30pm and we should have been out at 5:00. This alone was worth
the money to get there. All the engravers freely talked about how to do what we love in a
finer style. Thank You.

Jim

 

[Ron Smith]

Well Jim, I hope I didn't ramble too much. Just can't help myself sometimes. I'm just enthusiastic and enjoyed the great conversations.........Ron S

 

[Roger Bleile]

Jim,

You mentioned that CJ's knife won the GRS award for best inlay. I was under the mistaken impression that all of the awards at the Firearms Engravers show were for engraved firearms. Can someone straghten me out on this.

Thanks,
Roger

 

[pilkguns]

Roger, the GRS metal inlay award can be on any item, not just a firearm. I was on that judging committee and it was hard job to pick as there were several stunners in the inlay department.

 

[Ron Smith]

Hi Roger, the GRS awards are given by that company (GRS) and they can give it to any item or catagory they see fit, as it is about the inlay and not the item it is on. Actually, all of the awards are sponsered by someone else and have their own designation and are named for the award such as Best engraved shotgun, best engraved pistol etc. Engraver's Choice Award is guild sponsered. The individual sponsers support these awards according to their own interest. I supose someone could sponser a best engraved yo yo and if you could get a sponser for that we would except it, but GRS gives these two awards and I think it is good for the trade. We are elated to have these sponsers in whatever form I think. It is still FEGA however, and we are glad to have interest in other areas. I think it is essential with the booming interest in engraving and competition is getting fierce. The only other requirement comes from having a trade table. In that case, you must have firearms exibited to get that table if I am correct. Rex or someone might be able to get closer to the right explaination than me, as I don't have any official position in the guild any more and haven't kept up with any changes since I was on the BOD......Ron S

 

[jimzim75]

CJ happens to have some really nice engraved guns also. With the guns laws being what they are these
days. Bringing in a couple of shot guns could take a couple of years unless your a large corporate
firm. CJ is lucky that the homeland security still thinks Hawaii is a part of the USA. We were told of
hold ups getting the guns over to Hawaii for hunting parties. Other than birds don't know what you'd
hunt in Hawaii.

I think I'm going to have a big problem living in Canada and trying to have a table in Reno.
I'm not exactly sure how to approach this border issue. One of the rules is that the gun must
be assembled for the show. I suppose I could bring everything over but the receiver and that
can be the large part of the engraved surface. Has this ever been done in the past? How was it
handled?

Jim