Does anyone still get or buy engraved/carved wood stock for long guns?

[Dante1983]

I used to do some carving and engraving. Been thinking about picking it back up. Thought maybe if I could get back up to par I’d do some shotgun stocks or something and sell them. But I don’t see the beautiful wood with the filigree or fish scales or forests or deer heads anymore. Is anyone still into that stuff or is it all done now?

 

[Leo]

I had a few that I bought that way 40 years ago. I think the 1950's was the peak of that art. Fancy, premium stocks were a lot more common at that point. Some were real works of art. I try to never ding even a cheap rifle stock, but those pretty ones always made me nervous. I spent more time thinking about protecting the stock than I thought about the hunt. Even 40 years ago I did not see people ordering new artful carved rifle stocks.

The Upper crust shotgun community is big on fancy wood. I have seen stock blanks, just a tapered piece of rare exotic wood, sell for $2500 at big shotgun events. Then you spend thousands for a guy to carve it and finish it. A man I knew in Texas is too old and sick to keep working, and the Gentleman in Alabama has died, but I hear that a son is keeping the shop open. One man in Missouri that I never met is Wenig, and he is definitely still in business.

https://wenig.com/product-category/finished-stocks/perazzi/mx10/

 

[PGRChaplain]

This is from Cindy Adendorff Gun stock Art on Facebook. She's very Talented!

 

[Dante1983]

I had a few that I bought that way 40 years ago. I think the 1950's was the peak of that art. Fancy, premium stocks were a lot more common at that point. Some were real works of art. I try to never ding even a cheap rifle stock, but those pretty ones always made me nervous. I spent more time thinking about protecting the stock than I thought about the hunt. Even 40 years ago I did not see people ordering new artful carved rifle stocks.

The Upper crust shotgun community is big on fancy wood. I have seen stock blanks, just a tapered piece of rare exotic wood, sell for $2500 at big shotgun events. Then you spend thousands for a guy to carve it and finish it. A man I knew in Texas is too old and sick to keep working, and the Gentleman in Alabama has died, but I hear that a son is keeping the shop open. One man in Missouri that I never met is Wenig, and he is definitely still in business.

https://wenig.com/product-category/finished-stocks/perazzi/mx10/

That’s some expensive wood. Hmm. So not exactly a great market to get into, unless you’re amazing at it. Guess I’ll have to figure out something else to engrave. Ya can only write live laugh live on so many wooden signs or glass vases. Lol

 

[HCRMPD1]

This is from Cindy Adendorff Gun stock Art on Facebook. She's very Talented!

That's no joke she is talented.....

 

[Twangbanger]

People from my dad's generation used to customize their stocks in this manner, and they swapped parts on their Chevys. Now the situation has kinda reversed. Guys used to have these incredible custom bolt-action rifles made by custom gunsmiths. Then Weatherby came along and made it "factory..."

I see no reason this type of art couldn't make a comeback, other than that the black gun market has crowded out so much of what else was there. People are into buying parts, slapping stuff together, and selling it without shooting it. Carving a stock involves a more ongoing interest in the rifle than what today's AR crowd seems up for. "I sold my AR build to do my Long Range build, now I'm selling that to do my Shotgun build..." Art is (nearly) dead in the gun world. People want to slap parts together and "look what I did." Interchangeable parts took away the need for skill. Skill? "Okay, Boomer."

 

[Mongo59]

I am still a styled guy but I wouldn't know where to start. When a plain Winnie M12 stock costs $300-500 one oops can wipe out your whole business...

 

[Leo]

People from my dad's generation used to customize their stocks in this manner, and they swapped parts on their Chevys. Now the situation has kinda reversed. Guys used to have these incredible custom bolt-action rifles made by custom gunsmiths. Then Weatherby came along and made it "factory..."

I see no reason this type of art couldn't make a comeback, other than that the black gun market has crowded out so much of what else was there. People are into buying parts, slapping stuff together, and selling it without shooting it. Carving a stock involves a more ongoing interest in the rifle than what today's AR crowd seems up for. "I sold my AR build to do my Long Range build, now I'm selling that to do my Shotgun build..." Art is (nearly) dead in the gun world. People want to slap parts together and "look what I did." Interchangeable parts took away the need for skill. Skill? "Okay, Boomer."

I have observed that change of style in gun shops. The fine grade rifles used to be in the best displays of the store. Any military rifles were regulated to a dusty corner. Now the combat and tacticool stuff is front and center. If there are any well crafted firearms, they are off to the side. It was not always that way. Len's gunshop in Glenwood, Illinois used to keep Mausers in a 55 gallon drum like a broom and mop display, with quality stuff on well lit racks behind the counter.

 

[Colt556]

I think there may be a small market for such work if it were simple and inexpensive. Look at what guys do to their pistols in the way of engraving and milling. The main issue I see is that there aren’t very many guns made with wood stocks anymore. May be a niche market to get into, you never know.

 

[BE Mike]

I appreciate this kind of art, but the market for it is extremely limited these days. No offense, but it looks like a good way to slowly starve to death.

 

[Dante1983]

People from my dad's generation used to customize their stocks in this manner, and they swapped parts on their Chevys. Now the situation has kinda reversed. Guys used to have these incredible custom bolt-action rifles made by custom gunsmiths. Then Weatherby came along and made it "factory..."

I see no reason this type of art couldn't make a comeback, other than that the black gun market has crowded out so much of what else was there. People are into buying parts, slapping stuff together, and selling it without shooting it. Carving a stock involves a more ongoing interest in the rifle than what today's AR crowd seems up for. "I sold my AR build to do my Long Range build, now I'm selling that to do my Shotgun build..." Art is (nearly) dead in the gun world. People want to slap parts together and "look what I did." Interchangeable parts took away the need for skill. Skill? "Okay, Boomer."

Thanks for the feedback. Something to think about

 

[Dante1983]

I think there may be a small market for such work if it were simple and inexpensive. Look at what guys do to their pistols in the way of engraving and milling. The main issue I see is that there aren’t very many guns made with wood stocks anymore. May be a niche market to get into, you never know.

I can see that. Not the beautiful entire scene but maybe a marine corps logo or your old army unit or something. Thanks

 

[Dante1983]

I appreciate this kind of art, but the market for it is extremely limited these days. No offense, but it looks like a good way to slowly starve to death.

Eh. It’d be a side thing. Not a full time job

 

[Colt556]

I can see that. Not the beautiful entire scene but maybe a marine corps logo or your old army unit or something. Thanks

You could possibly get some customers wanting pistol grips done as well.

 

[BE Mike]

I've seen some pretty nice looking laser engraving on wood pistol grips.

 

[Dante1983]

You could possibly get some customers wanting pistol grips done as true.

You could possibly get some customers wanting pistol grips done as well.

That’d be cool. Everybody has cnc’s now. Guy I used to know did the wood cnc thing. Said some customers saw his setup and were like oh, you use a computer. Nevermind. Gives me some hope. Wonder if it’d be worth it to just have some made for the more common pistols that actually have wood grips. 1911’s maybe. Hmmm

 

[rrschooter]

I've got a friend who's a gunsmith up in Michigan, and he does a couple of high end custom stocks a year. Not a huge part of his business, but he's makes a good chunk of change on the ones he does. They're typically going on custom big bore rifles that are bringing 15k plus before the stock, and he's selling them to guys who are looking for heirlooms and conversation pieces when they go to elk camps out west. He also does one or two restoration jobs a year that require some really intricate checkering to be period correct.

If it's something you're looking at getting back into, you might check in with a couple shops local to you to see if there would be an interest in adding it to their price list. It's definitely a niche market, especially for the really intricate stuff, but if you had a few shops feeding you work it might keep you busy enough to make it worthwhile.

 

[Dante1983]

I've got a friend who's a gunsmith up in Michigan, and he does a couple of high end custom stocks a year. Not a huge part of his business, but he's makes a good chunk of change on the ones he does. They're typically going on custom big bore rifles that are bringing 15k plus before the stock, and he's selling them to guys who are looking for heirlooms and conversation pieces when they go to elk camps out west. He also does one or two restoration jobs a year that require some really intricate checkering to be period correct.

If it's something you're looking at getting back into, you might check in with a couple shops local to you to see if there would be an interest in adding it to their price list. It's definitely a niche market, especially for the really intricate stuff, but if you had a few shops feeding you work it might keep you busy enough to make it worthwhile.

Thanks! That’s an aspect I hadn’t thought of.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I used to do some carving and engraving. Been thinking about picking it back up. Thought maybe if I could get back up to par I’d do some shotgun stocks or something and sell them. But I don’t see the beautiful wood with the filigree or fish scales or forests or deer heads anymore. Is anyone still into that stuff or is it all done now?

I honestly don’t know. I’ve always admired that stuff (the few times I’ve gotten to seen a fine rifle/shotgun). I am amazed how a few people can find a lucrative niche that I wouldn’t think could buy a cup of coffee. If it’s something you’d like doing, even if it didn’t pay much for a while, why not get started again?

 

[rrschooter]

Thanks! That’s an aspect I hadn’t thought of.

I know there are a couple of shops near me that have a couple of services on their price list that are only available one day a week, or need to be sent out. There's at least one that outsources all their ceracoating to another local company, and they're really upfront with it on their price sheet. It's a way for them to offer services their customers might want without having to invest too heavily in it themselves. They can stick to the stuff they do well, but they don't have to turn away jobs or make the customer figure out how to piece the whole project together. It seems to be a win for everyone involved.