Once again, I made my usual mistake of equating skill with integrity -- and paid for the error.
I felt that my position obliged me to help those craftsmen whose ability exceeded their reputation, so I commissioned a bunch of custom rifles for this purpose (mostly because I could). Usually, I'd have only one rifle built by each 'smith, but "Silver" (not his name) insisted on doing several -- and I put each rifle that he finished on a cover (one went onto two covers) in addition to several references to his beautiful work. I also traveled to several big shows to help him display his work (including the rifles that he'd built for me) and once made a long trip with him to help him select special high-dollar stock blanks for his shop. When he learned of my plans for a matched pair of super-fine rifles with extra-special features, he campaigned heavily for the job. So I took both barreled actions, etc, to him -- several thousand dollars' worth in raw materials alone.
He dawdled around for several years without finishing them. After twelve years or so with no work on them, I asked repeatedly for the return of the makings. After a couple of years of promises but no return, I finally got 'em back.
Mostly. Not totally.
After several more years (over twenty, altogether), I've had to give-up all hope of getting back my
� two custom-made four-leaf safari sights, each worth several hundred dollars
� a custom-made magnum-Mauser-style deep-box magazine and floor plate, worth $350-$500
� a custom-made trigger assembly
� the "innards" of one FN Mauser bolt
-- not to mention my custom-made (to my design) barrel vise and sight-mounting jig
And I later found that a friend of mine, coowner of a custom riflery in England, who'd sent this crook half a dozen orders on the basis of my recommendation, had also been ripped-off to the tune of several thousand dollars' worth of one-of-a-kind custom parts.
Believe me, I've learned to appreciate integrity as well as skill in the rifle-maker's art.
