Don't Carve That Stock!

[oreclan]

The idea of all the plain rifles being used up and discarded is just speculation and lacks any real evidence. Most of the surviving rifles show at least some carving if from the period where carving was typical.

That may be true, but it is impossible to prove.
Most gunsmiths probably did some carving just because of pride in their product.

 

[MtHoot]

The exact same advise could be dispensed appropriately to many gun makers across the past 500 years. In fact, I keep researching original work looking for carving patterns to copy and have found the majority of the work to be fairly crude, not precision work done by an expert specialist.

You ought to look at the Sell brothers from Pennsylvania back in the early 1800’s. You would think it was done by machines it’s so precise. Frederick Sell was a truly brilliant builder and craftsman of fine Pennsylvania long rifles, his carvings are unmatched even by today’s standards.

 

[MtHoot]

That may be true, but it is impossible to prove.
Most gunsmiths probably did some carving just because of pride in their

 

[MtHoot]

I believe they did carvings as an upgrade for wealthier clients who used the rifles for sport. Most common folk used their rifles for hunting, survival and protection, most certainly a utilitarian tool. Military’s most certainly would not be paying extra for carving for soldiers rifles, unless of course it was a gift for an officer…Just my thoughts

 

[mikesto44]

Just a thought but I believe a lot of old guns were turned in for the war effort. Both War 1 an 2 for the steel drive at the time. So we are basing all our facts on the surviving few. JMHO

 

[MtHoot]

Just a thought but I believe a lot of old guns were turned in for the war effort. Both War 1 an 2 for the steel drive at the time. So we are basing all our facts on the surviving few. JMHO

You would be surprised how many actually survived. The amount of quiet private generational collections in this country is uncanny, and there are still quite a few originals. They rarely become available to the market.

 

[PathfinderNC]

A couple things about stock carving: There were some comon areas of 'carving' on most early guns such as around the lock mortise and barrel tang that were common even in military muskets and pistols.
These can be found on Brown Bess muskets, for example (until post 1760's I believe; see Dave Person's excellent history on his presentation at Kempton Gunmaker's Fair, 2023).
More elaborate work was found on higher-end privately contracted guns of course.
The decorative carvings (such as at the cheek piece and barrel/ramrod tangs) on antique guns that I have seen in pictures and museums were always done well and masterfully, some obviously better than others, but beautifully designed and executed nonetheless.
Whether poorer or crappy carvings were done on guns would seem to be pure speculation to me, as I haven't seen any such examples in my limited purview of original muzzleloading guns. Sloppy carving seems to be more of a dabbling hobbyist's affair, I think.

 

[mikesto44]

Hoot well aware of that..! I have a very good friend who has a collection of over 250 Longrifles and pistols. He doesn't attend shows and only a handful of people have ever seen his complete collection.

 

[Garbear34]

If it's your gun do what you want.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

If it's your gun do what you want.

If I hear that again I'll shoot myself.

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

I am no carver. But I am thinking about inletting the crossed sabers, Buffalo, and my sergeant insignia on the stock. Opinions? Suggestions?

 

[Garbear34]

If I hear that again I'll shoot myself.

So whine about it

 

[IanH]

I am no carver. But I am thinking about inletting the crossed sabers, Buffalo, and my sergeant insignia on the stock. Opinions? Suggestions?

Woodburning.

 

[Coot]

Mediocre carving and/or highly personal decorations typically have a highly negative effect on a gun's value. Now if Theodore Rosevelt scratched his initials into a gunstock with a blunt nail, the value would go up, not because of the "decoration" but because it connects that specific gun to a very famous person. Heck, even high end professional work can sometimes hurt a sale - I passed on a highly (and well done) carved Anschutz anniversary gun because the carving did not suit my taste. If resale or trade up value has some importance, a "plain" gun should be considered. Otherwise, as some say, it's your gun.

 

[sheriff john]

The carving/decoration attempts "gone wrong" that I've seen were those obviously hurriedly done with less-than-optimal planning/mastery of the tools used. Curves that weren't. Gouges/chips/chunks. Just plain silly designs from Tandy Leathercraft catalogs, etc. "Hand made" is not a synonym for "Craftsman" or "Master Builder". Some stuff's just plain odd.

Want to see non-artists at work? There used to be a couple that set up at gun shows that weren't bad, they were awful. Some animals they tried to carve into customers' buttstocks looked like cave paintings out of National Geographic. One old man at a table next to mine showed me his "bear gun" with a buttstock carving that turned out to be not a grizzly, but a groundhog. He was not happy, but what could he do?

I tried to copy a little decoration around a tang - just like my friend had done. Sadly, I had watched him while he explained. Mine was a flop.

 

[Eric Krewson]

You see all kinds of stuff, one guy inletted a subway token into his Lancaster buttstock that had the same date as the year his grandmother was born, 1917 or somewhere there abouts. Looked like manure.

You see people asking for your opinion from time to time on some outrageous "decoration" they want to do to their rifle. I tell them; if you plan to keep the rifle for a lifetime, go for it, if you plan on selling the rifle somewhere done the road it is unlikely that anyone will find the decoration as appealing as you do. All of these decorations turn out to be very poorly done, the worst are carved (or wood burned) animal scenes on the buttstock.

 

[The Appalachian]

Ok, so we are including ridiculously stupid manure, some on unmentionables, in with long rifle "carvings" that are a little off or not exactly right. Is that to broaden the argument?

Let's see pictures of those bad carvings on traditional long rifles and smoothbores. That would be a more educational example than hearing about groundhog bears and subway tokens.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Ok, so we are including ridiculously stupid manure, some on unmentionables, in with long rifle "carvings" that are a little off or not exactly right. Is that to broaden the argument?

Let's see pictures of those bad carvings on traditional long rifles and smoothbores. That would be a more educational example than hearing about groundhog bears and subway tokens.

The topic is about stock carving in general.
You do beautiful work building rifles- do you do decorating carvings?

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I'm just a mediocre builder and did the carving on this rifle, not the best but I did it!

 

[The Appalachian]

The topic is about stock carving in general.
You do beautiful work building rifles- do you do decorating carvings?

Nope, I'm not good enough, though I may try it one day. I wasn't good at a lot of things once, including rifle building, then got better as I went on.

Besides, I like plain and utilitarian. Does that disqualify me from appreciating others artistry or others work that's the best they can do?