HELP identify this engraver please!!!!

bwp777

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By bwp777 at 2011-10-05

I bought this Uberti and it has a CD inside a square next to the serial number. Can someone also please give me an idea of the value of this gun. It came w/ an extra 5.5" barrel that is also engraved on the top
 

Andrew Biggs

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Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting the pictures.

I can't help with the engraver.

However, the value of the gun is another thing...............basically it is only worth what you paid for it.

Uberties are replicas as I'm sure you know already. While they are good firearms that have a lot of favor, particularly in the western action scene, they are also inexpensive.

The engraving has added no value to the gun. The engraving itself is not all that good and a lot of engravers learn their trade on these sorts of guns before moving up to more expensive guns.

I would suggest that you enjoy the gun for what it is, but don't look at it as an investment.

Cheers
Andrew
 

bwp777

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Thanks, I guess. You are telling me that the engraving adds NO value at all. I'm gonna have to disagree with you here. I have NO experience in this arena thus I may show my ignorance here but.........................................say I have a turd in the yard. My kids hate going on poop patrol but if those same turds were covered in a precious metal then it would be a different story.

Not everyone can do this type of work. I also disagree with the quality or lack thereof that you also added. I know it isn't accented in gold but it is very nice compared to many I have seen on the internet with similar work that goes for $500-$1000. They must look at things a little differently over in NZ:thinking:
 

Haraga.com

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The engraving would be the equivalent to the turd in the backyard. Sorry.
 

Andrew Biggs

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Unfortunately that is the way things go. People often have the misconception that if something is old and an antique it is therefore valuable, when in fact it isn't. In all collectors markets, including guns, these misconceptions happen.

Weather or not the engraving has added value to the gun will all depend entirely on who you can sell it to further down the track. To use your analogy about the gold................if you added gold to this gun it would only increase by the value of the actual gold you have added, which in this case it would probably be more than the entire gun is worth.

There was a joke floating around many years ago when Russia first started manufacturing the Lada car................How do you double the price of a Lada?...............fill it with petrol. Unfortunately the Lada owners never saw the humour in it :)

I am not trying to pour cold water on your gun or diss it. In fact I'm trying to be as diplomatic as I possibly can.................... but you did ask the question and I have given you an honest answer.

You obviously like the gun which is great because there is no reason not to. Just enjoy it for what it is and have some fun with it and hopefully when you sell it you may (or may not) make a few bucks on it.

Cheers
Andrew
 

bwp777

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Thanks. I guess my ignorance has shown it's magnitude. Thanks for the reply. I plan to enjoy the gun as long as I own it. I'm sure as a master engraver, you know much more about the quality and time invested. I'm a bit disappointed but at least the gun shoots. I will try to move the gun in a cowboy type setting. YeeeeeHaaawwww!
 

Andrew Biggs

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Yes, enjoy the gun because there's nothing wrong with it and the engraving makes it unique and more interesting than a plain gun...........at the end of the day that is all that matters. Uberties shoot well, are reliable and are a lot of fun to play with.

I sincerely hope that you make a few dollars on it when you sell it and the gun moves onto another person that likes it as much as you do. That is what it's all about :)

Cheers
Andrew
 

Roger Bleile

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BWP777,

Andrew may live and work in NZ however he is very familiar with gun engraving in the US. You are probably not aware that he is on the board of directors of the Firearms Engravers Guild of America.

As an American gun engraver and published author on the subject, I can tell you that Andrew has given you a fair assessment of the gun and its engraving. I am also quite familiar with the cowboy shooting scene having competed in the sport for the last seven years. I am familiar with many of the engravers who work the SASS competition circuit but do not recognize the engraving on your gun though it is on par with some of the work that is quickly knocked out during the major shoots.

CRB
 

DakotaDocMartin

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BWP777,

I am familiar with many of the engravers who work the SASS competition circuit but do not recognize the engraving on your gun though it is on par with some of the work that is quickly knocked out during the major shoots.

CRB

:eek::confused: I've often wondered about that when I see them engraving in the various videos. Thanks for sharing that. It answered some questions I've had for awhile now. :bow:
 

bwp777

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Since I opened this can of worms,give me some guidelines on engraving.
If this were a Colt would it have brought the price of the gun down?
Is hand engraving or computer engraving worth more?
If this had been a top notch engraving job then would it have made the turd more valuable?
What does it cost to have a gun engraved? On this scale and on the scale of a master engraver w/ this style?
Thanks
 

DakotaDocMartin

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If this were a Colt would it have brought the price of the gun down?

If someone were to engrave a Colt like that it would not only make it worth less but the engraver should be pistol whipped with it besides. :eek:

Those scrolls have more dog legs in them than a pack of hound dogs.:confused:
 

Mike Fennell

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highveldt

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This thread puts me to memory of something that happened at a gun show 40 years ago. A person I knew had a old pistol at the show ( he was a seller with a table there); and at this gun show were a group of "engravers" knocking out engraving roughly and quickly. The individual that I knew took the old pistol (that he was having a tough time selling) over to them and told them to do a $100.00 of engraving on it--whatever style they felt inclined to do. A couple of hours later the individual went over to the engravers table took his newly engraved pistol, gave the engravers their money, and proceeded to walk the floor of the show until he found a buyer for the pistol. Sold it for several hundred bucks more than he had in it including the engraving. You never know---it ain't over until its over.

Regards;
Steve
 

bwp777

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Well 1 of the 4 questions I asked have been answered. Anyone want to take a crack at the others? Thanks for all the replies. I enjoy learning about most things in life................................even the ones that cost me dearly. By the way. What are the dog legs you refer to?
 

Andrew Biggs

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Hi bwp777 (what is your first name??)

That is a huge area and has some very long answers and then you need to combine that with some experience. I would suggest that you buy Roger's book "American engravers in the 21st century" That will start you in the right direction...............and it's a fabulous book just to look at the pictures alone!!!

1. Yes, if it was a Colt it would have brought the price down and perhaps rendered it near worthless.

2. Is hand engraving or computer engraving worth more?...........wash your mouth out :) Good hand engraving is worth more. Similar to an original painting versus a print.

3. If this had been a top notch engraving job then would it have made the turd more valuable?........maybe..........but not by much simply because the canvas (gun) is not valuable. Generally the two go hand in hand. But that is a rule of thumb and you will see the occasional anomaly.

4. What does it cost to have a gun engraved? .......Now that is a very hard question because there are so many variables. Better to have less engraving but of a very high quality than full coverage done badly. The only thing I can really say is that if it's cheap, be afraid and research your engraver and ask to see samples of their work and shop around. Not for price so much .............but for quality. You will find that better engravers charge more for their work.

Like I said, buy Rogers book and have a good read and study the pictures and you will start gaining a good background knowledge on all this.

There is a saying that is as true today as it has always been................a good collection starts with a good library :)

Cheers
Andrew

P.S.

Dogs legs are what we call a scroll that has lots of bumps and lumps around the edges. It should be smooth and perfectly formed and not look like the Hunchback of Notre Damne. :)
 

bwp777

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Brian. Thank you for answering the rest of my questions sir. I will look for the book you describe. Good thing it wasn't a Colt.
 

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