I was farting around, as usual, on the net and came across this beauty and just wanted to share it with the DRSS.

From what little I know about engraving, after the engraving job that was done for our .577, I would have to assume that the engraving alone, by Grifnee, cost almost as much as the basic rifle.

Here are some photos:

Look at the artistic liberty Grifnee took with the "A" in the second Holland & Holland word:

And the fit and finish; AMAZING!

fantastic !!

and just in time for HALLOWEEN !

aren't those gargoyles spectacular.

nice to see, but i'm still for the olde english scroll. thanks for sharing

That rifle is pretty fantastic. The reps at the H&H and Purdey booths in Vegas told me they engrave their standard patterns in Britain but outsource commissioned works in Italy and Belgium. This similar 577 was for sale on H&H's table:

Wow. What an amazing rifle and work of art.

what caliber is the rifle ?

in a 375 or larger i think a new one is $55 k and probably more for a 465 or larger.

i know $4,000 gets FULL coverage on a bolt gun

so with the engravers name guess $10 - $12 k

Tom - I just read where Holland's sidelocks start at 55,000 - pounds. About 90k without engraving.

I would bet that an engraving job like that easily adds another 50k+. The job shown looks like it would double the price of the double. That has to be several hundred hours of work.

Gargoyles on a double? Where does one go to get one on a license?

Just Lovely!

( ... worth saying again ... )

Just Lovely!

That's fantastic. Note that the 'L' on the second lock has been knocked out of place by the griffin.

From what I know about engravers, Grifnee and Ken Hunt are two of the best in the business. As of earlier this year, a commissioned engraving job by Ken Hunt had a waiting period of five years!

These guys are NOT cheap and I think Manion is close with his estimate that an engraving job like this one EASILY costs about $50,000.

The normal engraving job done on most H&H is a style with big, bold scroll, whereas the Purdey guns use a much smaller English scroll and rose pattern with areas that are not engraved on the locks. Christopher Austyn's book "Gun Engraving" is one of the best I have seen that talks about the various styles.

This rifle, however, is a commissioned job I would venture. And a stunning one at that!

And yes, it is chambered for .375 H&H and was recently sold at Drakes.net

quote:

Originally posted by Aussie Dave:
That's fantastic. Note that the 'L' on the second lock has been knocked out of place by the griffin.

And the "A" on the first lock.

I gotta start stopping by the Roosevelt&Drake shop in Murray, Kentucky more often to kick tires. They sold that one right out the door before I had a chance at it.

I look at such a rifle and really, I get a little sad. A big bore DR is for hunting DG.

These super artistic ones are so costly from H&H and the like that I just don't go for it.

A big waste of money. Instead, spend 50K on a rifle and take some teenager on a buff or non trophy

elephant hunt providing him/her with a Heym or a Searcy DR. I think a rich guy would get more satisfaction/joy

in his heart doing that, than to have a "prestigious" rifle with fancy ornamentation. It really is

better to give than receive. I took my very under paid Pastor and his 2 sons on a visit to the Intepid

Aircraft Carrier Museum once with my young son. I paid for every thing. I only told him that was the deal

when we got up to the ticket window. You can't describe his facial expression. The $150 or so that I spent that

day was really no big deal, but to him who makes 15 - 20% of what I make in a year, it was HUGE!!!!! Seeing his

sons and mine having a great day and seeing this great guy with NO stress on his face because he was

NOT paying for something that he really could NOT afford, was a blessing to me, more than it was for him.

quote:

A big bore DR is for hunting DG.

What makes you think this one hasn't been/won't be used for that?

quote:

These super artistic ones are so costly from H&H and the like that I just don't go for it.

That's fine; chances are H&H and Purdey and other makers are not marketing their guns to you or me or the billion other working slobs out there.

quote:

A big waste of money.

Not if you see and appreciate the time and effort it takes to make a gun. If you can afford one, I bet you will apprecaite it as much as people appreciate their Winchesters, Mausers or Remington.

quote:

Instead, spend 50K on a rifle and take some teenager on a buff or non trophy elephant hunt providing him/her with a Heym or a Searcy DR.

People who buy these guns probably won't have problems paying for high dollar safaris, inviting whomever they want to accompany them on their adventure.

quote:

I think a rich guy would get more satisfaction/joy in his heart doing that, than to have a "prestigious" rifle with fancy ornamentation.

I think a wealthy person can have his/her cake and eat it too, and ask for seconds.

quote:

577NitroExpress: H&H and Purdey and other makers are not marketing their guns to you or me or the billion other working slobs out there.

The guys at the Purdey booth told me only about 20% of the doubles they make are the "standard" variety, those with the basic scroll and rosette engraving in "standard" calibers. Most of their demand is for art rifles like the ones pictured. They said there is no lack of demand for those costing over $200K which may take 3 years to complete. At the time (2 years ago) they said about 30% of their customers were Americans. I believe they told me their backlog typically runs between about 40-100 rifles, strong currently. I did not place an order but they were nice just the same, I suspect they have learned not to judge a book by its cover.

Wealthy I am not. But looking at such pictures retire I may not. Even though such a rifle is far out of my budget I am glad they are produced and engraved like this. I could look at these photos all day.

as much as I hate to admit it, this is finally a full engraved rifle *I* like... looks like someone blended jubulli/viking knot animals and the dragon fantastic...

without a doubt, a 50k job on the engraving, at least

jeffe

The good book tells us "Thou shalt not covet"

Holland has a new standard "Royal" in .500/.465 on their site for $170,000. This rifle is engraved with their standard "Royal" scroll. My guess is that a new "Royal" would have a basic price of $150,000 or so, plus engraving. I imagine that the rifle in the photo would cost $200,000 or so to build today, and Holland is building more guns today than they have in 100 years. Amazing.
--------------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Fabulous. I'm not usually a big fan of engraving but that is simply fantastic. I love the griffins and gargoyles. Just stunning.

Absolutely gorgeous. Leave it to Lewis to find and sell another unique and special gun. But are you a fan of modern engravers or older style engraving?

quote:

Originally posted by Aussie Dave:
That's fantastic. Note that the 'L' on the second lock has been knocked out of place by the griffin.

.........And the A on the other side!

I still have two of Philips engraved rifles. I can assure you that his bill for that Holland would have been substantially more than a Entry level Double Rifle, even with engraving.

You get what you pay for with engravers, that's for sure.

Actually Galiazzi and Fricassi are just as good if not better.

quote:

Originally posted by 577NitroExpress:
From what I know about engravers, Grifnee and Ken Hunt are two of the best in the business. As of earlier this year, a commissioned engraving job by Ken Hunt had a waiting period of five years!

These guys are NOT cheap and I think Manion is close with his estimate that an engraving job like this one EASILY costs about $50,000.

The normal engraving job done on most H&H is a style with big, bold scroll, whereas the Purdey guns use a much smaller English scroll and rose pattern with areas that are not engraved on the locks. Christopher Austyn's book "Gun Engraving" is one of the best I have seen that talks about the various styles.

This rifle, however, is a commissioned job I would venture. And a stunning one at that!

And yes, it is chambered for .375 H&H and was recently sold at Drakes.net

quote:

Originally posted by rolexfan:
Actually Galiazzi and Fricassi are just as good if not better.

quote:

Originally posted by 577NitroExpress:
From what I know about engravers, Grifnee and Ken Hunt are two of the best in the business. As of earlier this year, a commissioned engraving job by Ken Hunt had a waiting period of five years!

These guys are NOT cheap and I think Manion is close with his estimate that an engraving job like this one EASILY costs about $50,000.

The normal engraving job done on most H&H is a style with big, bold scroll, whereas the Purdey guns use a much smaller English scroll and rose pattern with areas that are not engraved on the locks. Christopher Austyn's book "Gun Engraving" is one of the best I have seen that talks about the various styles.

This rifle, however, is a commissioned job I would venture. And a stunning one at that!

And yes, it is chambered for .375 H&H and was recently sold at Drakes.net

If that is the case, than let's not forget:

Keith Thomas
Winston Churchill
Paul Brown
Alan Brown
Marcus Hunt
Hyppolite Corombelle
Malcolm Appleby
Simon Coggan
Philip Coggan
Geoffrey Casbard

With my thinking that the Brown Brothers doing some of the finest engraving across numerous techniques (Bulino and Rococo Styles to name two).

Also Mauricio Torcoli.Tate's BRITISH GUN ENGRAVING has a good historical review of British gun engraving styles.H&H Modele de Luxe guns were classically done w gargoyles worked into their scroll.contemporary continental engravers have "kicked it up a notch" or two.