Mike Dubber
Elite Cafe Member
I've spent the past ten years or so concentrating on Colt engraving...it was time for a refreshing break. During the 2016 FEGA Show I was visiting friends and looking over tables when I came across a beautiful 1873 Winchester....this one made in 1891. Bruce Farman (Bremerton, Washington) had already done his gunmaking magic to the .44 Cal Carbine, the metal was prepped and Bruce had made a beautiful new stock - appropriately checkered in Winchester fashion. I had made my way to Las Vegas via Delta flights so we agreed that Bruce would send the gun after I returned home.
The gun had been in my safe until this January, when I finally had some engraving time to spend with it. I also spent considerable time reviewing the work of the old Masters, especially that of Nimschke and Ulrich on Winchester rifles. I fashioned my scrolls and animals after their examples. The animals are unique, and I'm sure the working engravers of the late 1800's never really saw a Bison or a Bear. I assume they worked from illustrations of the age and added a measure of the European style of animal engraving they had learned during their training.
The vintage Winchester rifles have lots of metal surface to cover. I'm not sure I'll ever engrave another, so I covered lots of territory on this one. It goes out to John Powers for colors and assembly this week.
The gun had been in my safe until this January, when I finally had some engraving time to spend with it. I also spent considerable time reviewing the work of the old Masters, especially that of Nimschke and Ulrich on Winchester rifles. I fashioned my scrolls and animals after their examples. The animals are unique, and I'm sure the working engravers of the late 1800's never really saw a Bison or a Bear. I assume they worked from illustrations of the age and added a measure of the European style of animal engraving they had learned during their training.
The vintage Winchester rifles have lots of metal surface to cover. I'm not sure I'll ever engrave another, so I covered lots of territory on this one. It goes out to John Powers for colors and assembly this week.
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