Art at work here. Especially easy to embrace. The stopping on the sight base where it is, gives reason to the front sight.

With the layout, the cutting and the background punching, and based on discussions with engravers that I have met, I would guess one to two weeks (maybe a little longer) for each gun. Remember, factory engravers were part of the factory machine and speed mattered. I have often thought that perhaps that was part of the reason that Rentzschke only worked at the factory for a short time - he could not produce a quickly engraved gun... it just was not in his DNA. Although his work was outstanding, it did not bring a premium to lesser quality "class A" work produced by other factory engravers at a much faster pace... It was a matter of economics... which led him to his second career as an economics professor.

I do not know for sure the exact answer to that question. However, Roy Jinks in Historical Letters, often refers to engraved guns as "special engraved variation" or "special engraved edition" which makes me think that they were ordered by dealers in the specific configuration (e.g. barrel length, engraved, finish, grips...). There were certain dealers that specialized in unusual S&Ws (e.g. Rex Firearms in NY, HH Harris in Chicago, and Oshmans in Houston). I would expect that these three stores in particular had standing or regular orders for unusual guns such as the ones photo'd above. Obviously, the 6" one was specially ordered, as it has the name of the person ordering it engraved on the side...

Another clue, in the letter for S186811, Don Mundell (Asst. Historian) notes that the gun was ordered Aug 23, 1959 and shipped November 18, 1959, which further supports a belief that they were specifically ordered in a specific configuration, then engraved and finished to fill a specific order...

Hope that helps,

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

I am completely in awe of anyone that has the talent do this quality of engraving. I have tried to duplicate some of the designs with a pen on paper and it is incredible how difficult it is to duplicate even with those simple tools.

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Semper Fi brothers, '59-'65

Those are some beautiful revolvers. When you get the case that shows all three be sure to show us. Thanks for showing these.

Richard,

It was amazing to see these three 3.5" Siegfried Rentzschke engraved revolvers all together at the SWCA Symposium last week. That beautiful case you had made to display them was done so perfectly; like you showed me, when the case is closed, it's made to look like a book.

As I've said before, you have taken owning and studying engraved S&W revolvers to an entirely new level. Thanks for bringing them to the Symposium and for posting pictures of them here on the Forum for everyone to enjoy.

Tom

In the near future, I need to take some good photos, but in the meantime here are a few quick ones of the Glenn Dean case I had commissioned for these three guns:









Like 230grfmj (a good friend and local collector) noted above, I displayed these guns (and 10 other engraved guns) at the SWCA Symposium this last week in Glendale. It was a great show with some AMAZING displays. So fun to be there. I can hardly wait until next year when it is in Tulsa again. The shows are one of the great benefits of SWCA membership. For any of you who are interested in S&Ws, I would encourage you to join! Here is a link to where you can learn more (including the membership application): Join Us – Smith & Wesson Collectors Association

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

It was really special to have the opportunity to see those in person last week. Truly a one of a kind collection of three and that new case for them is superb. The other seven engraved beauties you had with them were spectacular as well. And I'll second your recommendation to join the SWCA; every collector (and accumulators like me too) of S&Ws should be members.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Outstanding

Great display Richard as always. Thanks for introducing that case maker! He does outstanding work! Your talk/presentation on Engraving was one of the best I have experienced at the Symposium! (Of course I am a bit prejudiced!)

Bob

Richard, et al

Sorry to have missed this latest annual meeting, and having a chance to see your Rentzsche revolvers.

There is a curious post in this thread, taken from the Southern Illinois University Alumnus newspaper, in Carbondale Ill. It notes that Rentzschke is Economics Department Chairman at Springfield Technical Community College in Wilbraham Mo.

Probably, the MO (for Missouri) is a typo, as Wilbraham is a suburb of Springfield, MA. That this story shows up in the SIU Alumnus paper suggests that maybe he went there for his MA degree, but that would be a curiosity. Why SIU for an East German immigrant?! SIU is deep in the heart of Illinois coal mining country - my wife and her family were from that area!

Regards, Mike Priwer

Mike:

I hope that you can make Tulsa next year and display some of your amazing collection.

I agree that MO is a typo. He lived in Southampton, MA (a suburb of Springfield, MA) when he died several years ago.

I wish he was still around so that we could discuss and document more about his history and the guns he engraved.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Absolutely stark raving beautiful!

What can I say? That engraving is absolutely breathtaking.

RKmesa owns THE most rare & handsome gun collection I have EVER seen!
Thank you for sharing!
Kind regards,
Say When!

Thanks to a link on another forum I have found this thread.

The revolvers are spectacular. And, I am one that thinks that most handgun engraving misses the mark. Not in this case.

Thank you for posting the wonderful photos and their story.I wonder how they were commissioned? Oshman's was a prominent sporting goods retailer in Texas with a headquarters in Houston. These revolvers would have been perfect BBQ revolvers for the monied oil set there.

Thanks again! Marvelous photos-kudos!

Here are a few additional photos of the guns with their case...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

I just found a copy of Mr. Rentzschke's 2014 response to a fellow collector's correspondence. Mr. Rentzschke wrote: "Most of my work was done on 357 Magnum revolvers for specific customers who asked for me to do the work..."

So it seems that much of Mr. Rentzschke's factory engraving was done at the request of specific customers, who specifically asked for him to engrave guns for them. That makes a lot of sense to me - if I could have asked for a specific engraver to do my factory work, I too would have asked for "Ziggy" to cut the gun.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

WOW! These are so far out of my league it's pathetic, but they are certainly beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

There is no doubt your collection is outstanding but I have to know, how many sets of N Frame non-relieved presentation stocks do you have?

I was always led to believe they were rare but you are making me think otherwise!

Richard's goodies will make anybody think otherwise----sooner or later----and more than once!! The answer is an unending devotion to his task-------------no matter what!!

Ralph Tremaine

Most of the factory engraved N-Frame 357 Magnums that shipped in the 1950s, and many of the other special order S&Ws of that same period, shipped with smooth presentation target stocks of Rosewood or Goncalo Alves. And from my experience, most of those smooth presentation target stocks through 1958 or 1959 were not relieved with the cutout.

I own a bunch of factory engraved 357 Magnums from that era, and most of them have the stocks they left the factory with. As such, I do have a lot of guns with non-relieved smooth presentation stocks on them. I would not call them rare or even uncommon (particularly on engraved and special order guns), but they are very nice, and like the oversized target grips ("cokes") that shipped on the 44 Magnums, they look "just right" on the guns that they shipped with.

NOTE that without the cutout, smooth non-relieved presentation stocks are prone to getting nicked and marked, when shooting guns wearing them - there is a reason that the factory began relieving, and eventually even removed the area so that extracted rounds would not come in contact with the grips.

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

This goes WAY back-----the later 1950's, but as a short time employee of a carriage trade gun store in St. Louis, I came to be acquainted with Herbie Harris (Chicago based S&W distributor---with a retail operation to boot). All this was by phone, until I made one visit to him in Chicago in 1959.

His retail operation was the candy store to end ALL!! Each and every gun on display (whether engraved or not---and he had A BUNCH of those) was fitted with presentation grade grips. I reckon if they were rare/uncommon, he had all of them!

Ralph Tremaine

Can't believe that at age 83 I can still feel the beast of jealousy!