More PHOTOS at this link Cabelas

It's well done.....however I'm way too much of a traditionalist to want it in my cabinet.

kinda ugly... detracts from the wood

jeffe

Well, if there is enough wood left, it could be sanded down and start over. To bad they ruined a nice piece of walnut.

Hog Killer

That was either very hard to do or a monkey finally typed Shakespear. One way to hide your border overuns, I guess.

Rain gutters for Alaska?

LD

Looks like somebady made a bad slip with the checkering tool, then decided to carry that theme to some sort of conclusion.

AD

I believe some crat-loving misguided liberal tree hugger let a crat use that piece of wood for a scratching post.

Pity nice rifle, boned up. Looks like Elton John goes to Afrcia or something

That could not have been done by someone who actually knows how to checker.

Sounds like freedom of expression is dead on this forum.

Freedom of expression is doing fine, the builder expressed himself, now some potential customers are expressing themselves.

You tell him Jeff . If you decide to be an artist you gotta live with the the fact that everyone's an art critic.

Eeeeeoooooowwwwwwwww!!!!

You should never do majic mushrooms when you are checkering.

Magic mushrooms, BlackJack, Old Grouse, or Bud Lite--but to each his own. My first (worst) attempt never looked that "bad" at least in my eyes.

I think it is a very well done job. I see a lot of guns that are done very professionally and precisely that do not suit my particular tastes. That does not take away from real craftsmanship and it you look at the full size photos on Cabella's site and do not see the results from a craftsman at work, you need to take up collecting stamps.

I don't think anyone doubts the craftsmanship; its just that the pattern isn't particularly popular.

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
I don't think anyone doubts the craftsmanship; its just that the pattern isn't particularly popular.

Exactly.....

Customstox,

This is a pretty rifle except the checkering, would it be possible to salvage the pattern without replacing the stock? It looks pretty deep to me, and I don't think sanding it down is possible. Would it be possible to convert this to a more conventional pattern and salvage that stock?

quote:

Looks like somebady made a bad slip with the checkering tool, then decided to carry that theme to some sort of conclusion.

AD

I'm agree with Allen on this one. That looks like exactly what happened.

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
Looks like somebady made a bad slip with the checkering tool, then decided to carry that theme to some sort of conclusion.

Yeah.....it just don't have that "fresh-outta-the-mold-plastic-clone" look, does it?

It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's well done. Layout, checkering, and stippling.

And it wasn't a mistake.....nor very easy to accomplish.

GV

quote:

Originally posted by GrandView:

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
Looks like somebady made a bad slip with the checkering tool, then decided to carry that theme to some sort of conclusion.

Yeah.....it just don't have that "fresh-outta-the-mold-plastic-clone" look, does it?

It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's well done. Layout, checkering, and stippling.

And it wasn't a mistake.....nor very easy to accomplish.

GV

Grandview

You never before mentioned that you used to checker for Westley Richards

Freedom of expression and opinion is fine. Accusing the artist of being on majik musgrooms and such is sophmoric and profane. JMHO.

I believe that gun was done by Westley Richards. Yikes!!!

quote:

Originally posted by GrandView:

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
Looks like somebady made a bad slip with the checkering tool, then decided to carry that theme to some sort of conclusion.

Yeah.....it just don't have that "fresh-outta-the-mold-plastic-clone" look, does it?

It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's well done. Layout, checkering, and stippling.

And it wasn't a mistake.....nor very easy to accomplish.

GV

That doesn't make it good!! Yuk!!

quote:

Originally posted by GrandView:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by allen day:
..And it wasn't a mistake.....nor very easy to accomplish.

GV

And the citroen and the ford pinto were both by design!!

okay, i like the citroen, even the deux cheval .

jeffe

I find it hard to believe that WR would even let that rifle out of the shop. Not cause it may or my not be ugly, but the checkering has no classic lines to it whatsoever. Considering how much they charge for rifles these days, I am surprised they just didnt toss the stock and make a new one for it. Who knows maybe it was a custom order job and the guy only paid half up front and no more or something like that.

I'm sure if someone cared enough to email that picture to WR they would remember the rifle and the story. Or deny that is the way it left them? Who knows.

I find it difficult to believe that there is such limited understanding or appreciation for something a bit different. Or for the era this particular example was created.

I would guess this gun is at least 2 or 3 decades old......recoil pad, horn grip cap, cheek piece style, safety, etc.... Carving on stocks has gone out of favor a bit, but it was certainly in vogue a number of years ago. It is not a new premise that carvers would try to connect the traditional areas of checkering on the wrist and forearm in some fashion. Full coverage carving on the forearm and wrist would tend to look like a couple of "food plots" if not connected in some fashion.

This WR example is definitely NOT without some artistic merit......personal prejudices aside. The intention was to use the entire stock as a canvas, rather than just the traditional forearm and wrist areas. The slender grasses that originate behind the grip cap sweep up the sides of the stock and fan around to the floorplate and up to the top stock edge. And in complete harmony with the lines of the stock.

The area behind the grip cap, and extending down the toe line of the stock is stippled.....likely to represent earth. If this stock is stood up vertically, resting on the butt, the long grasses are growing out of the butt and spreading up the entire stock....fanning out as they rise. Checkering is merely inserted in the two hand positions within the areas that the slender grasses frame.

Complete coverage carving on stocks is not a new concept......although not used much currently. This example is well done....bravely done if you will. And done well.

It is no more hideous nor out of place than any other examples of full-coverage carving or engraving. It is neither bad in design or execution. In fact, it's superb in both.

GV

That's horrifying.

It also looks like the forend tip fell off. The white line spacer on the pad is a nice touch. Maybe they could add some Dremil tool carving and geometric inlays, maybe some electric pencil "engraving" too?

Has it been confirmed that WR did that?

very skilled workmanship - how the guy dragged this stock behind a truck down a gravel road and got the lines so straight is definately an artform

Too radical a mess for my tastes..... I never warmed up to the red-eyed wildeschweinen with real ivory tusks that the Krauts used to carve on the sides of their amateurishly engraved, annealed Mausers either, even when they were carved well......

GV, I'm glad you find it attractive and I'm sure you're not alone in that regard. It's just that I prefer to see art-deco motifs on Rene Lalique's glassware rather than Westley Richard's rifles.

If rifles ever become chic among serious art collectors (as opposed to serious gun collectors) this piece would bring a premium just for the reasons you state. Until then, it will probably remain the lowest price WR of this quality and condition you are likely to ever see. If I were a high-risk investor I'd consider it for that reason alone.

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
GV, I'm glad you find it attractive.....

Actually, I don't particularly. But then, that's a far cry from denigrating it or implying it's without merit and unfit to be executed on that stock.

I'm not particularly enamored with the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or Van Gogh's sunflowers either....but I can appreciate the artistic elements of each.

I wouldn't personally commission a rifle with full-coverage and gold inlay engraving either. But I've certainly seen masterful execution of the art.

GV

My mistake.

I am not much of a gold and fancy kinda guy to start with, even excessive engraving turns me off. niether do I like the German custom of carving gunstocks. Seems impractical to me, just someplace for dirt and rust to collect.

The above said and understood, I actually like this rifle. I don't care for the checkering and the caliber defiantely doesn't float my boat. But that rifle with a conventional full wrap around checkering chambered in either 300 H&H or 375 H&h is some to drool over. It most probably was a special order from WR. If I liked the caliber I would even consider buying it if I was flush ( need to be a H&H for that), it would sit in my gunrack and be a project I was going to get around to, and that checking I would learn appreciate a little more with time.

It isn't a slouch rifle, and its is actually very nice if you look at the details in all the photo's, definately put together by a pro, probably a special order gun if my guess is right.

The metal work is top drawer and I am not a fan of gold either but this was done just right, of the caliber, not overdone. Still, pity about that checkering pattern.

Well Im with Chic and Grandview on this one. Whoever did that knew what he was doing. I happen to find that pattern interesting and technically challenging. I think it looks quite good although not very practical. My hat is off to the guy who did it. And btw - for those of you who think it is an attempt to cover a mistake or an over run....there are far easier ways. Trust me....

I find the checkering draws more attention to the smooth part of the stock and the very pretty wood therein.

While it ain't my cup of tea, perhaps this gun was a custom order cut to the customer's request?

As for all the critics - let's see your stuff.

One doesn't have to be expert at execution to have an opinion about appearance. If that were true my customers would be fucked (and me too).