No 2 in the Thorburn series

[Marcus Hunt]

Here are a couple of lockplates I engraved just prior to leaving the UK. The client is an Archibald Thorburn fan so the main birds on each plate are inspired by his wonderful (but somewhat ole fashioned) artwork. This is the 12 guage and is No2 in the series after the Kingfisher/Wren .410, and depicts a heron and long-eared owl. Hope you like it.

Heron

Long-eared owl

NB, As strange as it may seem to certain people, I am commissioned to engrave clients' guns and rifles. I am told by the client what they wish to see portrayed so, for example, if a client wants a semi-carved scroll covering with lions or buffalo that is what I have to give him or her. I cannot just become all 'artistic' and engrave what I like. I can't be told by a client to engrave a game scene and give him one of people playing banjos. I have licence within certain parameters to do as I please but have to follow the brief. To the people who seem to question why I engrave what I do and find it 'unimaginative', it is because it is what the client asked for, and, strange as it may seem, it happens to be what they want on their firearm. Why? Who knows, but hunters have decorated the weapons which kill their prey with totems since prehistorical times and although they kill the animal it is treated with an almost 'spiritual' reverence. Where in the past the hunter would have made a sacrifice, today they do the same thing by giving money to the person who decorates their weapon. So for all our 'progress' we still have the primitive somewhere within us.

 

[monk]

that's quite beautiful to look at, but if that's old-fashioned darn- i'm not sure what the term means. that's not old-fashioned, pal that's just classic clean lookin traditional work !

 

[Gargoyle]

What kind of shotgun did you use to shoot all them holes through those plates? The holes are different sizes, so you're using a gun that takes mixed gauge buckshot loads!

 

[Brad Hartliep]

Looks pretty imaginative to me - now if you cut those beautiful pieces of art with a 6 penny nail hand-filed on a whetstone and hammered with a ballpeen that would be old fashioned.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Beautiful work Marcus.

The sheer diversity of what people like having on their guns is one of the many things that make the work interesting. Naked women, fast cars, dinasours, plus all the usual game animals and birds. I also think that having a brief of what you have to produce can make the work easier and harder at the same time. Easier in the sense that you can focus you imagination. Harder because then you have to try and make the topic fit the space which is not always an easy task. Sometimes it can be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I should imagine that research would also be quite time consuming.

One thing I would be interested to know.

When you get the brief is it normally very detailed or loose? Do you have to submit drawings for client approval? or do they just say "I want an owl, heron and wren" and leave the rest up to you?

Cheers
Andrew

 

[sam]

Beautiful engravings, Marcus. I especially like the herons. Obviously a lot of hours spent on this job.

 

[Ron Smith]

Excellent Marcus! I favor the herons also, but both are exceptional!..........Ron S

 

[Weldon47]

Fantastic work as always, Marcus!
I'm still working on acquiring a mando tailpiece for you.

Weldon