Alvin A White - engraver

[Doc44]

This is probably my favorite set of carved/inlaid stocks by Alvin White. Done in the mid-1950s and made of birds eye maple, these stocks show his artistry in wood.

Bill

 

[handejector]

Bill,
those are beautiful, but maple just doesn't do much for me. I much prefer the darker woods, like the pair on the Tiger Gun.

 

[RKmesa]

This is probably my favorite set of carved/inlaid stocks by Alvin White. Done in the mid-1950s and made of birds eye maple, these stocks show his artistry in wood.

Bill

Bill:

I love those carved Birdseye Maple grips. But I do have a question that I cannot recall if we discussed in the past, are there any marks on the grips identifying them as AAW's work? I know that I have a couple of sets of similarly carved grips that have always been attributed to AAW, but I could find no marks on them identifying the carver... These are the grips:

 

[Souffaloufagous]

Love it! Thanks for sharing with us. We LOVE pics around here, S&W or not. Please feel free to share any more pics you have in this thread!

Thank you! I've been so excited to connect with people about this- since my mother passed there hasn't been much in the way of learning more about his history, so I'm really enjoying seeing his impact! I have a small piece on its way home now that I will definitely update with pics here.

 

[Souffaloufagous]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE these. I've not seen enough of his wood stocks to be able to get a vibe, but love the intricacies of the background behind the scroll work... I can't even handwrite a paragraph without my hand cramping up, I cannot imagine the stamina and precision to do all those little circles...

 

[Doc44]

This 44 Magnum was engraved by Alvin White for Smith & Wesson in May 1958 and I think it is one of his best works. The eagle in flight is multicolored and in high relief. The rosewood stocks, carved with ivory inlays, are a work of art in their own right. The condition of the revolver is near 100%. Click on the photo for a better look.

Bill

 

[margethatcher]

I don't think I could afford a display case worthy of that art.

 

[2152hq]

Alvin White was noted for his high relief precious metal inlays. What made his stand out from most other engravers is the fact that he often used lesser karat golds (less than 24k 'pure gold) in the inlays.

That makes for artistic color differences as the lower karat golds have different % gold content alloyed with other metals.
Even slight shades of Rose color and Green are produced.

The lesser karat golds are 'harder' and will wear much better for raised inlay. Their engraved detail won't disappear easily with handling as it will when done on 24k (soft) gold.
Most jewelry is 18, 14 or 10k for that reason,,it takes wear and handling much better.

24k gold was not off limits of course and was used generously.
But the use of the lesser karat golds you just don't see much for one particular reason... That is they are very tough to work with in the Inlay process.

24k is soft and punches down into the dovetails cut into the steel to accept them very easily. Small sharp 'teeth' pushed up on the steel surface are also used to impale the soft gold upon.
24k does not work harden much if at all.

But when you step down to 20k, and then 18k and lower like 14 and then 10k,,you can be in for a fight if you are not ready for the change needed to work with the material.
It can be annealed though it won't be as soft as 24k. The real problem is that it work hardens very fast as you start to punch it down into it's recess on the surface.
The other edges want to raise and extend outward.
A difficult process made worse with a difficult metal to work with.

He made it appear easy and you won't find a lot of engravers using 18k, 14k, 10k for inlays much at all. Even during his time of work or now.


He used those as well as Platinum, Silver, perhaps Palladium as well as another silver colored metal. Copper looks like it may have been worked in a little as well.
Copper is an easy metal to inlay and pure copper wire is often used when teaching someone to inlay wire into steel.

He generally always signed his work. Grips included.
Some of the wood carved grips that are sometimes attributed to him may be from Germany after WW2 and purchased through places like Pachmyers and the like.
I know I have seen the patterns in a couple of those Dealers/Gunsmithing shops catalogs from the period with the carved grips available for numerous different handguns.

If AAW did them, I would think he certainly would want credit and would sign/mark them.
If they were done during the AA White Engraver, Inc. period with Larry Wilson in control,,they certainly would be marked as such.
Nothing escaped his claws.

 

[Souffaloufagous]

Alvin White was noted for his high relief precious metal inlays. What made his stand out from most other engravers is the fact that he often used lesser karat golds (less than 24k 'pure gold) in the inlays.

That makes for artistic color differences as the lower karat golds have different % gold content alloyed with other metals.
Even slight shades of Rose color and Green are produced.

The lesser karat golds are 'harder' and will wear much better for raised inlay. Their engraved detail won't disappear easily with handling as it will when done on 24k (soft) gold.
Most jewelry is 18, 14 or 10k for that reason,,it takes wear and handling much better.

24k gold was not off limits of course and was used generously.
But the use of the lesser karat golds you just don't see much for one particular reason... That is they are very tough to work with in the Inlay process.

24k is soft and punches down into the dovetails cut into the steel to accept them very easily. Small sharp 'teeth' pushed up on the steel surface are also used to impale the soft gold upon.
24k does not work harden much if at all.

But when you step down to 20k, and then 18k and lower like 14 and then 10k,,you can be in for a fight if you are not ready for the change needed to work with the material.
It can be annealed though it won't be as soft as 24k. The real problem is that it work hardens very fast as you start to punch it down into it's recess on the surface.
The other edges want to raise and extend outward.
A difficult process made worse with a difficult metal to work with.

He made it appear easy and you won't find a lot of engravers using 18k, 14k, 10k for inlays much at all. Even during his time of work or now.


He used those as well as Platinum, Silver, perhaps Palladium as well as another silver colored metal. Copper looks like it may have been worked in a little as well.
Copper is an easy metal to inlay and pure copper wire is often used when teaching someone to inlay wire into steel.

He generally always signed his work. Grips included.
Some of the wood carved grips that are sometimes attributed to him may be from Germany after WW2 and purchased through places like Pachmyers and the like.
I know I have seen the patterns in a couple of those Dealers/Gunsmithing shops catalogs from the period with the carved grips available for numerous different handguns.

If AAW did them, I would think he certainly would want credit and would sign/mark them.
If they were done during the AA White Engraver, Inc. period with Larry Wilson in control,,they certainly would be marked as such.
Nothing escaped his claws.

Thank you for sharing this - i knew he used different metals but had no idea it was so challenging. really interesting to know and totally makes sense given how he really liked to put detail into his animal engravings/inlays.

Also LOL at your comment about larry wilson and his claws...too true. Needless to say, no one in the family is a fan of that one.

 

[IrishFritz]

I spent the decade of the 1970's as a "picker" of antique guns at a time when most of the dealers in antique guns used Al for high end repairs and restoration. I had him repair the frame of a Wolf engraved 1851 Colt navy that had a nasty rust spot on the cylinder and recoil shield on the left side. The repair was perfect and could not be told from the patina on the original surfaces. He was superb at re-creating the classic engraving styles of the flint, percussion and cartridge eras before WW2. A very gifted man. IrishFritz

 

[Souffaloufagous]

I spent the decade of the 1970's as a "picker" of antique guns at a time when most of the dealers in antique guns used Al for high end repairs and restoration. I had him repair the frame of a Wolf engraved 1851 Colt navy that had a nasty rust spot on the cylinder and recoil shield on the left side. The repair was perfect and could not be told from the patina on the original surfaces. He was superb at re-creating the classic engraving styles of the flint, percussion and cartridge eras before WW2. A very gifted man. IrishFritz

omg it's funny you say this - he LOVED making art repros from different time periods. He liked to think of it as a prank because he'd try to convince people he had the genuine article!

 

[Doc44]

Sterling silver buckle engraved by Alvin White and awarded to the Best Engraved Gun at the Ninth Antique Arms Show in Hartford, CT in 1975. The award was presented to S&W for its display of a New Model Number 3 engraved and inlaid with gold by Gustave Young. This revolver is arguably the finest engraved revolver ever completed in the United States.

Bill

 

[Pauldg]

Here's mine…

Here are a set of what I believe are a set of Mr. White's carved stocks.

They are on a pre-27 that dates to 1953.

Paul G

 

[Doc44]

Paul G...Very nice stocks by AAW.

Bill

 

[dobegrant]

welcome from Arizona, hope you are successful in your quest, your grandfathers work was legendary.

 

[boykinlp]

Here are a set of what I believe are a set of Mr. White's carved stocks.

They are on a pre-27 that dates to 1953.

Paul G

Paul, those are superb! I am curious, did you get them when you acquired the revolver or separately?

I have another question for you Alvin White carved stock owners. Any idea how many of these he actually did? I mean did he offer carved stocks for sale as a "regular" item?
Larry

 

[Souffaloufagous]

I have a very humble, but very happy, share! A piece came up at local auction... this percussion rifle was one of the first, if not the first, gun my grandpa ever made when he was a teenager. He had gifted it to a friend once upon a time, and it came up at auction a few weeks ago. I was able to bring it back into the family, and am constantly marveling at how it hasn't been in my family's hands for 30-40 years, and how he once held this up to his face... I had heard my mom and aunt talk about this gun, I'm thrilled to bring it back into the family.

 

[Truckman]

Wow!...What an outstanding find to welcome back into the family...I still hold out for finding a rifle built by one of the Bean family of gunmakers in Tennessee...I'm a direct descendant of William Bean who first walked into what became Tennessee with Daniel Boone, then stayed to found a gunmaking dynasty...Your rifle is a great find...Congratulations!......Ben

 

[725734]

AAW

I have a pre 29 with grips that I have been told were carved by White.