Engraved Trojan

[Bruce Day]

20ga

Why? Because Dick Washburn could. Now owned by a good friend who might have a few Parkers. He uses this for small bird hunting.

[Dean Romig]

Simply incredible!

And, why not? If you want to, and if you can... Why not!

[BRDHNTR]

Wow!

[Setter Man]

Stunning.

[Bruce Day]

Well there are those done in folk art with varying degrees of success then there are masterpieces like this done by top engravers for their own use. When Dick sold this it cost more than a nice condition Trojan by far. I don't own it but would love to and would pay well for it if it became available.

Some of the forum experts say that aftermarket engraving always degrades value but we have seen many cases where that is not true.

Dick Washburn did a number of upgrades from v to a on 28 ga guns. They are lovely and costly

[John Taddeo]

That is absolutely fantastic....

[Tim Wells]

The whole idea of gun engraving, especially non-factory has always been to create a unique one of a kind work of art in steel. It just naturally enhances the value of any worthwhile firearm. If it decreases the value of the firearm it is because of poor design, execution or both, and I've seen a LOT of those.

Part of the goal of FEGA or the Firearms Engravers Guild of America is to educate the public on what hand engraving is and what good engraving and design is supposed to look like. This can only help enhance the value of a good design well executed on a gun when the public knows what good work looks like and can tell it from poor work.

Just look up some old Colt or Winchester engraved by non factory engravers (some where at time factory men but not always) Ulrich, Young, or Nimschke and see what value they have... if you have the funds. Some customers want a classic factory pattern on a new firearm but most these days want something original right out of the engraving artists head.

Factory patterns for the most part tend to be on the basic side especially animal scenes. They had to be cut fast and there was no time to put too much detail in an animal which is why they mostly looked like cartoons rather than lifelike renditions. There's certainly something for everyone in the world of hand engraving.

[OH Osthaus]

looks great to me

if someone doesn't like it - i am sure there are enough stock Trojans out there for them to use

how many Sterlingworths get "upgraded" as well as Trojans or VH's - blank canvases for the right engravers

[Bruce Day]

Originally Posted by Tim Wells

....
Factory patterns for the most part tend to be on the basic side especially animal scenes. They had to be cut fast and there was no time to put too much detail in an animal which is why they mostly looked like cartoons rather than lifelike renditions. There's certainly something for everyone in the world of hand engraving.

Really? I didn't know that.

Parker AH grade, factory engraved.

[OH Osthaus]

one thing that always gets me

we worry about a little pitting in the back nine inches of the tubes

but

we ooh and ahh over engraving cut deeply into the same general area