How Many Years Have You Been Engraving?

[JJ Roberts]

I started 32 years ago..thanks to the "Art of Engraving" by James Meek...two years of practice, then I started working on gun parts that I found at the gun shows...shotgun side plates, floor plates. Started doing gun shows NJ, NY State, CT, and PA. I did a little advertising, but I think word of mouth was a big help.

Tira...attached is a picture of me standing in front of the last painting I did before I started engraving..I thought you would like to see it since you engrave motorcycle parts.

Yours truly,
JJ Roberts
School of Artistic Engraving
Manassas, VA

 

[Ray Cover]

This was hard for me to pin down.

When I was in high school I was doing a lot of scrimshaw (back in the early 80s). My dad bought an old used gravermiester and some gravers for me to play with. I farted around with that for a long time but had no real direction and no clue how to sharpen a graver properly. Needless to say I got frustrated and started loosing interest. When I moved away to college the engraving attempts stopped.

Then I got reinterested about 1989, bought better equipment, some of you gun engravers started doing knife shows and I now had access to a few guys that would let me pick their brain a bit. Finding out how to sharpen a graver really helped . I have not looked back from that point.

So my actual start time is kinda muddy depending on if the first attempts really count. I don't usually include that when folks ask.

Ray

 

[GeorgeKhayata]

I have been an engraver for about 27 years, my first 12 years(before I immigrated to the USA) where in Damascus-Syria, I am a self taught engraver, back home we didn't have engraving schools, I didn't even know how to sharppen my gravers properly which I learned here in New York but I was considered as a good engraver comparing with other engravers and thank God for that(there were only 3 good engravers in the whole country and I was the youngest one -17 years old and the first time I watched an engraver I was able to engrave with the flat graver without slipping), I started using GRS tools about five years ago, and started using microscope about 2 weeks ago.
Many thank to all members that helped me to improve my skill, and special thanks to Mr Alfano who is being very helpfull.
George

 

[Darren]

Jan. will be 29 years as a pro. Started wile still in high school for a small western buckle shop in N. Cal.
I'm still loving it. I still do allot of western engraving but been doing allot more knives these days. Heck I'll engrave anything if it's not nailed down.

 

[FANCYGUN]

Heck JJ
I remember you looking like that .it's beent hat long and we both had hair then. At the Newburgh gun show.........I think I also sold you that 50 dollar vice...it was pretty slick too and back then there was so little on the market to buy. I started with ground down chain saw files to hammer with. I'll buy it back from you for 55....that's a 5 dollar profit.
Thanks also for the postcard of Downsville

Marty

 

[Tira]

JJ - Thanks for showing us the picture. Painting is one art form that I wish I possessed. Both my grandmother and great aunt were painters, but that gene never trickled down to me.

 

[JJ Roberts]

Marty...Glad you joined this forum. I had 3 of those postcards...kept 1 for myself, and gave the other one to Jim Lowe. I am waiting for confirmation on the Baltimore Gun Show are you coming out this way to visit Dave?
The show is March 17,18,19th.

Tira...Glad you liked that painting..do you ride motocycles? I used to ride way back in the 50's...I had 2 Harley's and 2 full skirted Indian Chiefs..those were the days..now the bikes have push button starters, radios, and who knows how many other bells & whistles!

Keep up the good work.

Yours truly,
JJ Roberts
School of Artistic Engraving
Manassas, VA

 

[Peter E]

JJ,
Those Indian Chiefs would be worth a tidy sum these days. I love bikes and riding. The advancements just in the 37 years i've been riding are simply astounding. Perhaps even more than the advancement of engraving tools!

Peter

 

[Mike Cirelli]

I started hand engraving a little over 2 years ago. Although I was not unfamiliar with the tools, as I have been at a jewelers bench for about 27 years. I started when I had to get a gravermax because of a pinched nerve in my neck. I couldn't pave' set stones from the pain and lack of strength in my arm and hand. Thank God that's over with. It was after the the 2003 Christmas season that I realized that I could also engrave with this machine. Started looking on the internet for engravings, seen Sam's site and admired his work, and others on the internet most just blew me away. But Sam's had hobo nickels he had carved and remembering a customer coming in with her collection about 15 years previously. I thought what a great way to practice and it was. Being a Goldsmith, Diamond setter I am unable to put in the time I would like too in engraving. I have to thank the many engravers’ that had helped me along the way and all the guys on the Knife Network. The modern engravers are some of the most generous and helpful people, always willing to help. I hope in the future I can return this kindness to others.
Here are a few pieces I did. I threw in the pendant (I know it's not engraved) but I received an award from the Pa. Jewelers Association for design and craftsmanship in the professional category. I guess I'm more a goldsmith than a engraver.
Mike

 

[bpeak]

I'm coming up on one year exactly with this hobby. I've been messing around about once a month, sometimes more, with the good ol' Dremel. JJ, its funny you sould mention, my wife was kind enough to fill the request of "The Art of Engraving" by Meek for Christmas. I've alreasy read it twice cover to cover. What an inspiration.

 

[David Jacobson]

1-1/2 years. I wish I had more time to practice.

Dave Jacobson

http://www.santacruziron.com

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Dave: Beautiful iron work.
Mike

 

[Big-Un]

I started in the mid-eighties with The Art of Engraving by Meeks, a few tools and a vice from Brownell's, then a correspondence course with Robert Maki, then the Neil Hartleip book and some supplies and a handpiece from NgraveR and Mr Phillips. After several years of frustration after reaching a plateau of skill level, I put it aside for a while. A few years ago I got really interested again after discovering all the help available from well accomplished engravers, such as on this site, and took a GRS course with Rex Pedersen and have fallen in love with the medium all over again! Since then I have met with Ken Hurst a few times and he has been most gracious and encouraging to me. Everyone that contributes on this forum, whether experienced or a novice, is to be commended, as we all can learn from each other. I used to tell my construction apprentices to offer their suggestions as to how they would tackle a given job, and was sometimes pleasantly surprised at the way they would do it. Sometimes we "older" experienced journeymen get caught up in the "it has always been done this way" syndrome and forget to look at a project a different perspective. I could say I have been engraving for twenty years, but in reality I have been serious for the most recent three.

 

[monk]

how many years have you been engraving

started oil painting portraits & landscapes-then wood, stone, & metal sculpture +jewelry couldn't make a buck
started engraving, been at it for about 34 or so years. do hand, panto, laser. have done guns, custom knives, hawks, harley parts, even toilet seats for thos fools - uh i mean discerning collectors of fine art !
favorite work: front stuffing gun parts and making and engraving belt buckles.

 

[Steve Adams]

27 years, 2 months as a die engraver. I do other things now, but the die work has been my main income.

 

[deazyner]

I purchased a GraverMax about a year ago but only began using it about three weeks ago. I have been reading these forums for the past year and am grateful for all of you who make it easier to learn today than in the past.

Keith

 

[SamW]

How long have I been engraving??? Well, let's see...what time is it?

 

[Jim-Iowa]

Just starting, with a Meek's assortment of push gravers I got from Brownells and a few sent to me by Dave London. I have started accumulating parts to build a .45 cal Tennesee longrifle and since engraving would be part of the package it was time to get into this. This Forum has been an inspiration so Rifles certainly won't be the extent of my endeavors.

 

[Bama]

I have been playing at it for 2 years and have a couple of jobs under my belt. All of my engraving has been on early American Longrifles which is a long way from most of the work I have seen on this board. There are many talented people here. Thanks for letting me take part.

 

[smays]

I have been learning tons of stuff on this forum for about a month or two now and that has been the extent of my engraving skills....UNTIL TODAY... my new Gravermach, Magnum, Monarch, MagnaBlock, Duel angle sharpening fixture, and gravers come in TODAY! I will post a picture on Monday!

Shawn