Hello from London

[Miss Ruth]

Hello all,
I'm an engraver working in London. I trained as a jewellery trade engraver and have now hoping to move into guns thanks to a study grant that I was awarded earlier in the year.

Any feedback on my work would be greatly appreciated - mind you they are not my own designs, but a copy of a Japanese print (on silver).

Is there anyone out there who still sharpens by hand? I still do and it is giving me grief as a graver for steel is sharpened differently than for silver. I am reluctant to buy a sharpening systems as I feel I should be able to do it by hand. Should I give up and get one or persist in my stubborn ways? It feels too much like cheating to me!

Japanese print.jpg

[Miss Ruth]

and here is one of my steel practice plates

scroll pattern.JPG


Ruth

[Daniel Houwer]

Hi Ruth,

Welcome to this forum.
Nice engravings you've got there!
I am a goldsmith and I sharpen my push engravers by hand but for the Lindsay Airgraver I heavily rely on Steve's sharpening system.
So I guess it depends on how you engrave.

Greetings,

Daniel

[rbaptiste]

Hi Ruth,
Welcome ;-)
Your works look well.
For the sharepening, it is necessary to have a good one.
Before I sharpen all tools by hand but it is much regular with the sharpening system.
In jewellery the point are polished and you have a bright cut. With steel and on gun you must have a black cut, you musn't do polish and the angle must be short +- 90°
;-)

[Miss Ruth]

Thanks guys, I guess I will start saving up for a sharpening hone. Until then I have the chance to perfect sharpening by hand!

BTW I only use push graver at the moment. Have started learning hammer and chisel and also saving up for a pneumatic (Having had a go with on someone elses I DEFINITELY want one of those). Lets hope the work comes rolling in to aid the funding of future machinery purchases!

Ruth

[Simon]

Hi Ruth,

I've recently started to use Steve's Palm control tool & his sharpening system after years of hand sharpening & hand engraving, Steve's palm control & sharpening system wins hands down. I'm based in Hemel Hempstead, so if you need any help, contact me.

Simon.

[JamieTimothy]

Hey Ruth, the practice plates youve done look great (not that i have a particularly discerning eye as i have only just started!).

Im based in london too and i am practicing to hopefully in a couple of years time get into gun engraving. Congrats on the grant too, there arent many initiatives to help maintain the london gun trade, im assuming the grant is in association with one of the big london gun companies? If not i would recommend going to see a few of the companies, it would probably be invaluable.