I have a strange notion that I would like to get a gun engraved. Does anyone have a recommendation? Does a blued gun need to be re-blued after it is engraved?

Thanks,

Dwight

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Veritas et Humanitas

Yes, a blued gun does need to be reblued after being engraved.

There is a very, very wide difference in price and quality among engravers. Inexpensive is about $500 and expensive runs $10K and up. There is a lot inbetween. Some engravers use only hand tools and others electric. As with any signifcant purchase, you should do your research first. There are a couple of engraving forums, and also an association of engravers website. These are useful to look at pictures, and to learn.

And something you need to accept, going in, is that you are unlikely to recover the cost of the engraving should you decide to sell the gun. For engraving to make sense for you, it needs to be something that you value and that you understand well.

I recommend buy Tom Turpin's Custom Firearms Engraving, which has pictures of the work of various artists, but the best info is probably on the internet.

That said, I only know a little. It is an art form that people spend their lives learning how to do, and in studying how to appreciate it.

This is by Dan Love:

Head on over to Nutmeg Sports to see some engraving.

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You do what you are.

Onomea,

That is a beautiful gun! I suppose that engraving unless it is factory engraving does nothing for the value of a gun, I was thinking of it just for my own enjoyment. I'm afraid it may take a lot of education to tell good from bad from mediocre. But like anything else it pays to do your homework.

Dwight

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Veritas et Humanitas

Few people want to buy an engraved firearm. Even fewer want to pay for the engraved gun price.

Nobody wants to buy a gun that was engraved with someone else's name on it. A friend had his name engraved on a gun for $300. Several years later he wanted to sell a model 29 S&W with his name on it. The best offer he got was $175. He still owns the gun and says he will never have any engraving done on a gun again.

But they are pretty when engraved.

Good engraving will definitely raise the value of any gun, but probably not to the level of what it cost to have the engraving done. At least, not in a short period of time, perhaps in a couple of decades.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Check the website for the engraver's assn., FEGA. Also spend a fair amount of time looking at all the engraving you can find; preferably under magnification. There is a lot of poor work, quite a lot of decent work and some great stuff out there. Learn how to tell the difference. Meeks' book is good and will educate you.

And, yes, it's true--be prepared to appreciate an engraved gun for its own qualities, not alleged resale value. My wife and I each have an engraved 1911 (one 1/4 coverage, one full coverage) and my old work gun has my name on it. I expect they will all just stay in the family.

What about this guy, I found him on the web and his stuff looks pretty nice (uninformed opinion)

About the Artist

He doesn't seem real pricey

Dwight

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Veritas et Humanitas