More Leeks

[Leland Davis]

My intention was to do a couple of these to get warmed up for a big project with animals and gold inlay. I did a deer first sold it and took an order for the moose. My wife posted pictures of the moose which led to the bear. The customer who ordered the bear was attacked by a brown bear in Alaska. The customer described the scene and I drew it as best of my limited abilities. The bison was next and I thought after it I would just go thru north American big game as I had time. Sorry about the photo quality. Feel free to tell me what I can do to improve my work.
Thanks,Leland

 

[Leland Davis]

Paps, here is a photo of the scale after annealing. The color is not bad I might try just polishing an oval for a game scene then bright cut thru the gray it might look good, or be a unmitigated disaster.Leland

 

[papart1]

Thanks Leland, appears to return to original patina.....or close anyway. The three above are really nice and layed out well......I would estimate between four and five and a half hours each, after annealing that is. I am really interested in the project up and coming. Please keep us informed. Rob

 

[monk]

you asked, so here goes-- the design is quite attractive in its own right. but i think it clashes with the scroll and central panel. the leek would look better in a central panel with scroll on either side. this would exclude the critter, but what is the visual "theme" here ? is the leek more important , or the animal ?

 

[Leland Davis]

monk,your advice is always valuable to me, the leek I am referring to is the knife, Ken Onion designed these for Kershaw and they played off his name the leek is the largest and there is a scallion and a chive. the flower is my poor rendition of a sunflower. The sunflower has become a part of all my engraving, I live in the sunflower state. I have forget it on a couple jobs and was called on it by the customers and had to go back and put one on.
Now your design ideas I agree the flower is to big. The first knife of these I did the sunflower was a shameless way to fill space fast. Now the customers say they want it just like this but with different animals so what do you do? Do I redesign it and hope they like it or not even notice?
Thanks,Leland

 

[monk]

wait a minute, i'm tryin to get my foot outta my mouth ! i assumed the sunfower design was the leek, and not the knife. i learn something new every time i visit the forum.

 

[Leland Davis]

monk,I didn't explain myself very well just thought you knew about the Ken Onion knives. I would still like to know what your thoughts are on the design. What would you do change the design to something that flows better or give the customer what they asked for? With your experience has this come up in your business? How did you handle it? Design it right in the first place.
Thanks,Leland

 

[monk]

since the sunflower is a must in your particular case, i'd put a smaller one on both ends. perhaps inside the innermost part of the scrolls. better balance that way imho. then, there's the desire of the client. they have the cash. i always took seriously, the ideas of a client. if they clashed with mine, i'd try to strike a visual "deal". if agreement didn't work, i would always give the client what they insisted on.
when i became serious about engraving, i made several 2 x 2" brass sample plates to show people the variety of scroll styles i was comfortable using in design development. showing these sample engravings saved a lot of time spent in coming to an agreement as to what sort of design would be used.
my repeat clients would often tell me to do whatever i wanted to. if a first-timer would tell me that, i'd always end up showing my sample plates. to end this novel, any client deserves the best design work executed in the best possible cutting techniques even if the engraver might not really like the chosen design.

 

[tolesh]

I think the Moose looks the best. I like the left scroll going up rather than the other two where the left scroll goes down. The sunflower is a nice signature keep it, it's you.

 

[Archie Woodworth]

Paps, here is a photo of the scale after annealing.Leland

How do you anneal the scale?
On another note, I've glass bead blasted the scale, if I have a "slip" (after first burnishing it out). Works well.

 

[Leland Davis]

Archie, on the knives I take the scale off and just heat with a torch to a dull red then let it air cool seems to help. You get oxidation that way but I polish afterward and remove that.
Thanks,Leland

 

[Leland Davis]

monk, thanks for the insight there is no substitute for experience.
tolesh thanks for comments I tend to agree with you on the direction of the scrolls. I was trying to use the border of the oval like a starter scroll so it flowed around the scene will have to re think that approach.
Thanks,Leland

 

[gcleaker]

My intention was to do a couple of these to get warmed up for a big project with animals and gold inlay. I did a deer first sold it and took an order for the moose. My wife posted pictures of the moose which led to the bear. The customer who ordered the bear was attacked by a brown bear in Alaska. The customer described the scene and I drew it as best of my limited abilities. The bison was next and I thought after it I would just go thru north American big game as I had time. Sorry about the photo quality. Feel free to tell me what I can do to improve my work.
Thanks,Leland

outstanding