Ken Hurst

[Keith]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Ken Hurst Passed away last night at 7:30 pm from Cancer.
There will be no funeral service.
He was responsible for so many getting their start in the engraving world.
He was a mentor to many and will be missed.
RIP Ken.

 

[SamW]

Sad new indeed!!

 

[Roger Bleile]

Ken was a true old time American master. He taught himself to engrave using sharpened triangular files and a ball peen hammer. From that humble beginning, Ken progressed to the point that, at one time, he was master of a gun engraving shop employing several engravers. Several of his former employees are today top gun and knife engravers.

I have included a picture of Ken from 2010 and a couple of close-ups of a shotgun he engraved at the same time.

 

[John B.]

God's speed Mr. Ken.
Such a fine gentleman and a mentor to so many.
You are missed. R.I.P, my friend.

 

[Crazy Horse]

Mr. ken was always willing to teach his art to anyone who had the time. A gifted engraver to say the least. Here is a photo of one of his Colt's I photographed at the first engravers gathering he held at his home in N. Carolina.

 

[Doc Mark]

I attended all of Ken's engraver get togethers in N. Carolina. He will be sadly missed! He was always willing to share any and all of his techniques. He was the first to teach me how to set gold inlays. He gave me the piece of ivory that I carved into a Golden Eagle "cameo". I offered it to Ken, but he wanted me to keep it. I will treasure it in his memory.



Dedicated to KEN HURST "IN MEMORIUM"

 

[mdengraver]

Beautiful work Doc, and a fitting tribute to Ken!

 

[monk]

i never met him face-to-face. no matter-- he and i had quite a few chats over the phone. almost as if i knew him all my life. a true artist, teacher, and all around great gentleman
i once sent him a bottle of transfer solution i made up. you'd thought i sent him a bar of gold !

 

[Archie Woodworth]

Ken was such a wonderful teacher/mentor ...always ready to talk and help anyone willing to learn. I stopped in to see / learn numerous times. He was always the true Southern Gentleman.

Occasionally, he would share one of his life experiences; some quite humorous, like his time playing football at East Carolina University ... and dating while there ... and others, not so much, when he was in the military in Vietnam.

The photo below is a gun that he engraved...it was an "old beater" that he bought at an auction and preceeded to transformed it into a work of art.

May God bless you Ken, as you have blessed so many others who have had the privilege to spend time with you.

 

[Archie Woodworth]

43942[/ATTACH]

Roger, I remember him showing me the same gun as he was working on it ... he included so much detail in that scene ... there was even a small rabbit that he had almost hidden in the scene.

 

[Patrick valade]

Fantastic engraver sorry here about his passing.

 

[sam]

Sorry to hear of Ken's passing. We'd never met but emailed and talked on the phone a few times. Heartfelt condolences to his family.

 

[saint]

I am not an engraver, but I do appreciate the work that engravers do. Ken was a long time acquaintance and friend of mine. He and Julie were also great to me and my friends when we would visit. I own many guns that Ken engraved for me over the years. I will miss him!!

 

[rmgreen]

Ken did a lot of work on shotguns I built in the late 1980's and early 90's. Was always a pleasure to talk and discuss projects with him. RIP

 

[Tim Young]

I am sorry to hear of Ken’s passing. He came to Montgomery Technical College in NC in the mid 1980s to teach a seminar on engraving. I was a gunsmith student at the time. I had no interest in engraving until I picked up a hammer and chisel and fell in love whith it. He was a nice guy, very charismatic. If it wasn’t for Ken, I wouldn’t be engraving today. I am forever in his debt.

 

[JJ Roberts]

I've known Ken for twenty years and he has been a big help with his knowledge of the art of engraving which he shared with me and many others,the list of engravers Ken has helped is endless.I'm glad I was able to talk to Ken before his passing,RIP Ken J.J.

 

[bailey p bradshaw]

I never had the pleasure of meeting Ken, but he was spoken of very kindly by mutual customers.

Ken was engraving a .22 Hornet double rifle action I made for one of those mutual customers. He wasn't finished with it at the time of his passing, and I am trying to find a contact of someone who could help get the action returned to me so I can finish the rifle and get it back to it's owner. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I can be reached at (903)746-0004, or email bailey@bradshawgunandrifle.com