"Above Grade" wood

[Nav]

FYI, Kibler is now putting above grade stocks on their site for immediate shipping (for anyone who didn't get the email). My guess is that he is simply pulling the most exceptional ones out and asking a little more money for them. He has been offering stocks with small defects for a discount. I was all set to order a SMR so I was looking through the pics of his defect stocks when I saw that there was one for $100+ with no defects because it was exceptional. Wow! Is it exceptional! I have never seen one that has this strong and uniform of a curl from tip to tail. It is the most gorgeous stock I've ever beheld. It may deserve a higher level of finish than just rubbed oil. I had intended to make a field rifle, but this thing is so good looking I'm handling it like it was made of egg shells. Pics to follow.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

That's the main problem with a rifle that's too beautiful, you're afraid to use it for fear of a ding or a scrape.

 

[garypl]

That's the main problem with a rifle that's too beautiful, you're afraid to use it for fear of a ding or a scrape.

Kind of like your new car - the first ding hurts and after that not so much!

 

[Nav]

Phone and basement lighting don’t do it justice!

 

[64Springer]

Excuse me.

But I'm feeling triggered.

Can you please photoshop all of those glorious reloading dies, shell holders and pounds of magical smokeless powder out of the pictures?

OMG. There's a brass tumbler lurking in the background too.

Elizabeth, I feel the big one com'in on.

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

I never bought into the too nice to take out in the woods way of thinking. If you want a nice piece of wood on your firearm, then get it. As long as you take care of it, don't worry too much about normal use.

I carry this one all through the grouse and woodcock covers. The comments from other hunters are far more enjoyable than if it sat in a safe or rack.

 

[Nav]

I used to hunt with a guy who brought a Greener sidelock into the duck blind. Bill is dead, but he gave it to George, who now brings a Greener sidelock into the blind. His condition on the inheritance is that he hunts with it as long as he’s able. I use the butt of my Citori to smash through ice, and as an improvised oar when necessary. The Greener doesn’t get that treatment.

Oh, I’m going to shoot this and carry it into the field. But I am going to try and be careful with it.

 

[garypl]

Basement looks way too organized!

 

[Nav]

10lbs of doodoo in a 5lb doodoo bag. That, and too many projects going at once.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I always have felt that, in economic terms, most of the time, using higher quality materials has a multiplier effect when it comes to the market value of a finished product beyond their increased marterials' cost.

If we use the hypothetical of a $200 stock in a $1000 parts set + 200 hours of labor you get a $3000 finished product, or 3x materials' cost. Your labor is priced in to the piece at $10 / hr.
If we use a $500 stock in a (now) $1300 parts set +200 hours of labor for the same finished product you might now have a $4000 finished piece (now 3.07x materials' cost) for no additional labor. That extra $300 in materials' cost yielded an extra $700 in market value. But your "labor value" has now been priced at $13.50 / hr.

On the other hand, increased labor for certain things done primarily to increase utility or convenience has only a very slight bump in market value. Take the installation of wedges vs. pins for instance. Wedges are a TON more difficult and time consuming to install (than pins) but only marginally increase the final market price. But for guns I'm just building for myself and not to sell my labor is valueless, (but convenience isn't) so I only install wedges now.

Of course, you only get "paid" when the piece sells, and there are more buyers for $3000 pieces than there are for $4000 pieces (they both do the same thing so have the same utility value). On the other hand, pretty wood helps sell pieces faster than anything else.

I'd like to hear the thoughts of the professional builders on this forum to hear what their actual experiences have been.

 

[Rifleman1776]

That's the main problem with a rifle that's too beautiful, you're afraid to use it for fear of a ding or a scrape.

That is always a concern. But rifles are built to be used. My longrifle, with a beautiful stock, has been used for 50 years. Sadly, several years ago it got a deep scratch. Bummer, but it is still useful and beautiful.

 

[springfield art]

Phone and basement lighting don’t do it justice!
View attachment 249477
View attachment 249478



View attachment 249480

What a find! People go nuts trying to locate something like this. BTW, just USE it! Don't baby it; it will only look better in future.

 

[Brokennock]

I never bought into the too nice to take out in the woods way of thinking.

I don't get it either.
At least if the deer aren't moving you have this beautiful rifle to get lost in, following it's grain and curls, maybe some nice engraving and carving.
There is a difference between abuse or damage from being dumb and/or clumsy or neglect, and honest wear and maybe some dings or dents from using a gun for its intended purpose.

 

[Col. Batguano]

".....At least if the deer aren't moving you have this beautiful rifle to get lost in, following it's grain and curls, maybe some nice engraving and carving....."

The down side to that is, if you are spending all your time looking at this pretty gun you've built then you won't see the game when they too come by to admire your work!

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Excuse me.

But I'm feeling triggered.

Can you please photoshop all of those glorious reloading dies, shell holders and pounds of magical smokeless powder out of the pictures?

OMG. There's a brass tumbler lurking in the background too.

Elizabeth, I feel the big one com'in on.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I always have felt that, in economic terms, most of the time, using higher quality materials has a multiplier effect when it comes to the market value of a finished product beyond their increased marterials' cost.

If we use the hypothetical of a $200 stock in a $1000 parts set + 200 hours of labor you get a $3000 finished product, or 3x materials' cost. Your labor is priced in to the piece at $10 / hr.
If we use a $500 stock in a (now) $1300 parts set +200 hours of labor for the same finished product you might now have a $4000 finished piece (now 3.07x materials' cost) for no additional labor. That extra $300 in materials' cost yielded an extra $700 in market value. But your "labor value" has now been priced at $13.50 / hr.

On the other hand, increased labor for certain things done primarily to increase utility or convenience has only a very slight bump in market value. Take the installation of wedges vs. pins for instance. Wedges are a TON more difficult and time consuming to install (than pins) but only marginally increase the final market price. But for guns I'm just building for myself and not to sell my labor is valueless, (but convenience isn't) so I only install wedges now.

Of course, you only get "paid" when the piece sells, and there are more buyers for $3000 pieces than there are for $4000 pieces (they both do the same thing so have the same utility value). On the other hand, pretty wood helps sell pieces faster than anything else.

I'd like to hear the thoughts of the professional builders on this forum to hear what their actual experiences have been.

I don't do nothin for free. The more time it takes me to build your gun the more you're going to pay for it. I find the air to be pretty thin at 5K and up.

 

[rchas]

Beautiful, beautiful piece of wood....

But Lord forgive me, I hate (with a passion) working with curly maple....

 

[ZUG]

I'll take a figured wood stock over a plane jane stock and day of the week. That figured stock better be an accurate shooter or the first thing I will do is make the stock fit me. If modifying it is not possible then I make a new stock that does fit me. Years back I purchased a Winchester 101 diamond grade trap gun that had a great figured stock wood but I could not shoot it well so I purchased a replacement stock that was not as highly figured and took a rasp to it. That shotgun now fits me just fine and moved me from "C" class to "A" class on the trap range. I've done this to other long guns that I compete with. The main idea is to win not to have a gun that only looks nice..

 

[Pete G]

I disagree. The main point is to win with a gun that looks nice. Then you have the best of both worlds.

 

[olskool]

Excuse me.

But I'm feeling triggered.

Can you please photoshop all of those glorious reloading dies, shell holders and pounds of magical smokeless powder out of the pictures?

OMG. There's a brass tumbler lurking in the background too.

Elizabeth, I feel the big one com'in on.

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