F.N. Browning designs.

[John B.]

Frank P. and Scott,

I see your interest in some of the original F.N. Browning designs.
Here is one of a pistol dated 24/9/71.
Thought some others might be interested in the way they originated their scrolls and how they treated the large, extended space with a segmented leaf design rather than resorting to a smaller more detailed scroll.
Please remember that this was good, clean work done quickly. It was not intended to be a Master quality presentation but very good user quality.

I have quite a collection of these prints and could post some from time to time if anyone is interested.
They are quite an education in practical engraving in themselves.

Best.

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

John, very interesting, I have a browning pistol model 10 from my grandfather and it is not engraved.
So perhaps once when I’m ready for it I will, and an original design would be great.

arnaud

[Roger Bleile]

John,

The smoke print is super! Thanks for showing it. I would love to see all of them.

You have made a very good point about the type of work. In this case it is what Browning called "Renaissance grade." While it may not be as minutely detailed as some of the things we see here from the top artists, these guns are treasured by their owners. The artists who designed the Browning patterns were not only good designers they were also practicing engravers who could assess how to create an attractive design which could be engraved efficiently. In the US today most engravers do not do much pattern work so the approach to the design and its cutting efficiency are often not taken into consideration as each gun is mostly engraved one of a kind. I think we could learn alot from the Belgian masters as to design and its relation to engraving speed and efficiency.

Roger

[lesholmes]

Please post all you heave.

Les

[rhenrichs]

I own a couple of factory engraved high grade Browning's and have done some restoration work on a couple of high grade Brownings. The actual cutting on Browning engraving is pretty rough but the excellent designs cover a lot of the roughness.

John..I like Browning engraving and collect all the photo's that are any good I can..Post some more...nice and big.

Roger

[Andrew Biggs]

Great stuff thanks John

Yes...........more please

Cheers
Andrew

[fegarex]

Thanks John,
And I agree with you and Roger. If you look at the designs on simpler Brownings this is more evident. Instead of actual scrolls they use a diamond type elipse. This allows them to make quick straight cuts fast instead of turning the work. Yet the design is pleasant.
I tend to look at designs like this and have to admire how they were designed for both beauty and speed.
Rex

[Bunic]

John,

This kind of thing is excellent for us newbies. When I download them, I study and analyze what was going on. They are realy helpful. Tnx!

Mike

[Ron Smith]

Speaking of speed and beauty..........a little history.

It was the very first of the beginning of FEGA and I was at our Tulsa show when a couple members, I think Sam W. and Bob Evans came over to my table and told me there was a Kornbrath on exibition. I had only seen pictures of his work previously, so I was very excited and went quickly over to where it was. The first impression shocked me down to my toes.

The photos had shown perfection in technique and design, but looking at it first hand, I could tell Kornbrath was really moving along. There was a 32th of an inch between hammer strokes and it looked pretty rough under magnification. But it was intended to be enjoyed at arms length without magnification, and it looked perfect.

Speed was essential in those days, and firearms engraving as art, beyond tradition, was encouraged by our generation with the formation of FEGA. Competition got fierce, and we began pushing boundaries. We took it beyond those traditional practices, mainly because we had to learn without help I guess, which shows the value of our get togethers and brotherhood.

But I always wished that I could have studied under that olser generation of engravers because of their speed and accuracy, a definate necessity in those days, and a spring board for us fledglings. I think the really good ones were from Europe at that time or recent immigrants. Kornbrath was one of my heros. I believe the freedom of America allowed Kornbrath to get out from under the common traditional approach of Europe, and express himself more as a free-lance artist. Freedom and competition encourages excellence.

The Browning engravings were beautiful and well done in every regard and it is hard to believe that they were the lesser or at least faster works, but it was all in a day's work to them, and there is a lot to learn from those pulls.

Even today, Europeans have a very strict apprentice program that gives them a very good start in the engraving world. I can truly see the value of good teachers in the works of our engravers today. Pretty exciting to say the least. Now it is going to be fun to watch to see what level the younger guys are going to take this art to. You keep wondering how it can get better than this, but it does.

Thanks, good stuff.

Ron S

[John B.]

A couple of scans of FN/Browning control patterns.
Sorry for the delay, computer confusion.