Thread: Stock carving?

Hi Team,

Just after some general information regarding having a stock decoratively carved.
Who does it, how much does it typically cost, and what would be the lead/wait time on it?

Thanks in advance for answers and information!

Cheers Team!

The moment you touch it the rifles value will drop. The more so if it’s personal.
I can understand wanting to, but that’s the downside.
Doesn’t answer your question but it’s worth considering.

Thanks @Tahr. Luckily the particular stock I have in mind is an old one that's not mounted on a rifle.
It will purely be a decorative item for hanging on the wall, so no worries about losing value on a rifle

It's a sin, I haven't seen a good one yet , don't do it.

no carved stock is complete without paua inlay

Originally Posted by viper

It's a sin, I haven't seen a good one yet , don't do it.

How about this?

Originally Posted by Waldo Peens

Hi Team,

Just after some general information regarding having a stock decoratively carved.
Who does it, how much does it typically cost, and what would be the lead/wait time on it?

Thanks in advance for answers and information!

Cheers Team!

I got a couple of riflestocks laser engraved. I'll see if I can dig out the photos. The people I got it done with took forever, but the result was good. I would recommend that you find someone local though as you need to explain exactly what you want in person.

Something like that?
Unfortunately the carver is retired.

Wolf Nader, a long retired gunsmith (he trained in Germany) used to do this sort of carving. Done right it can be very nice, I once had one of his replica Ferguson breech loading flintlocks with just a tiny amount of carving on the pistol grip and fore-end, it avoided the cuckoo clock effect that so many of these projects get too.

More can be less, and great care is required in developing the commission. I have one of @FRST 's laser engraved rifles and its extremely well done, practical and tasteful.

For what its worth, I consider some of the rifles carved by Maori artists in their style to be wonderful examples of heavy or deep relief carving, with better execution and design than most european efforts.

Originally Posted by FRST

How about this?
Attachment 196997

100% definitely.... NOT.
It's like Tahr said " it's personal thing" , to me it ruins the lines of a stock , I am not bagging the skilled craftmanship but I think it's ugly.

No.

just no.

Go for it. Carve away.


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if its a stray stock why not
probably firewood if not this so get into it,
paying someone to do it might be crazy money as its a lot of hours work which at 65+/hour quickly adds up

Bull skulls also come up pretty sweet

I've always admired the old carved Māori muskets and shotguns. Context and quality is a good rule of thumb.

Firearms are a pretty personal thing and alot of us don't buy them with resale in mind. My Sako that went to Africa is a family rifle now and I had it laser engraved with the names of the places I hunted. Firearms with provenance are more interesting to me, but I'm a history buff. They Boer Mauser rifle above maybe ugly to some but its a far more interesting rifle than the blank ones. Those who want a tool to re-sell will have a different viewpoint -no doubt.