Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors engraved Savage book

Looks like I am going to have to write it. I'm going to need a lot of help from the members here. It will include not only engraved rifles but special feature rifles that are not engraved and probably an appendix on Savage advertising. I may even include a chapter on aftermarket customs.
I just sent a proposal to Schiffer Publishing. They published the "Collector's Guide" and on the advice of two attorneys I am stuck with the contract I signed to offer them "first right of refusal" of any books on a "similar subject". It may take them up to 12 weeks to respond.
Any and all input from forum members will be appreciated.

I hope the publisher treats you fairly.. better than last time for sure.

How about some examples (or suspected examples) of "lunchbox specials" as a part of the chapter on customs?

tell the publishing company to hell with the idea, nobody will buy it, (wink, wink)

...then Rory could publish it!

.... or, Gene

...or, Grogel D

...or, Fug could start a Savage publishing business!

That's good news David. Thank you. You can count on me.
Let's focus on recording and documenting what you have mentioned and possibly other previously "unrecorded" historic Savage Arms lore.
I would like to cover the Savage Engraver Biographies.

If you can rough out the content, chapters, etc. at a high level, we can help to fill in the blanks with information, pics, etc.

- standard factory engraving w/examples
- custom factory engraving w/examples (Dodge, Shah, others,..)
- standard factory checking w/examples
- engraved .22's?
- Savage Collector Forum Collections w/examples from Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Kansas, more.

David you are welcome to go through my collection any time. After you go to Fug's and brother loggah's you probably have most of the info you need for your new book. But welcome anytime

David,

I have a rifle that will help you out for this effort. It’s very unique.

Good luck on your efforts.

Great responses. I should have the hot rod on the road tomorrow and then I will rough out what I think should go in the book. The book will be heavily into the factory engraved and special order guns but I'm also looking for off the wall factory things like the lunch box specials. I have also seen photos of some really beautiful after market engraved and stocked 99's that I will likely include. I definitely want all the biographical data on the engravers. A German friend of mine is going to look for data on Gustave Kirchner, the guy we know engraved some of the PE's.

Great news, can’t wait.

More reasons to come to Savage Fest and get pictures! Glad you are forging ahead.

If I could come to Savage Fest I would have to fly there. The problem with that is I have two large plastic boxes of lighting equipment. Not at all airline compatible. I haven't ruled out coming completely. That's an awfully long road trip considering we have to hire someone to house, horse and cat sit, I have to have my CPAP machine and oxygen concentrator and how I stiffen up on long trips.

David, ship the large photo equipment. Carry on the rest. ?? Also make sure there is something to photograph when you get there.

Regarding the Engraving Book, I have;
1) Raw data and can tell good stories for these engravers.
Ulrich, Tue, Gough, Rentzschke, Kirchner.
You can review and wordsmith all you want.

2) Raw data and can tell a story for W.I. King.
King was known to carve Savage stocks.
Tue's nephew William Harry was a checker among other things.
Still looking in this area.

3) I have a contact with FEGA (Firearms Engraving Guild of America) who tentatively would write an "Intro" for you that could cover the origins of engraving, engraving in Europe, engraving in America, engraving families which leads us to Savage Arms engraving. All is open.

Meanwhile I continue on the "the hunt"....

David, just for giggles you might throw in a page on the checkerer's (sp) and the difference in the high grades and the run of the mill. only mention this because I cut diamonds for 50 years, and some of the stuff I have seen on 99's makes me shudder.

Both are very good input. I hadn't thought about checkerers till now. Whoever did the checkering on my "F" engraved 1899B was a real master. It's pictured on the cover of my book but not all of the checkering shows. It will show real well in the next book.

The customs get me exited there are many pure collectors turn from but are works of art.

The Pig Rifle deserves a spot.

Great news David

Hope everything works out for you. I can give you any information you'd like on the engraved rifles I have. I have four model K's, (two 300 Savages, a 30-30, and a 250 Savage), an 1899 model "B" , A B grade 303 Savage in mint condition and a Speigle in 303. Not sure if I ever gave you any data on them or not.

Cheers and good luck

Joe

I am planning the following chapters:
1. Model 1895 engraving, checkering and rifles with special features
2. Model 1999 engraving, checkering, carved stocks and rifles with special features to include the Perris Special (I'll need photos of a Perris special, I've never seen one and hopefully someone here has one or can get photos of one).
3. Model 99K's, combination set with a 99K, Spiegle Specials, Rentzschke engraved 99F's and any special feature 99's made between about 1921 and 1959.
The Shah of Iran rifle where ever it fits in. I'm not sure when it was produced.
4. Post mil specials such as the NRA one million special, 99DE's, 99PE's, 75th and 100th anniversary, RMEF and the highly embellished PE type rifles that were produced probably in the late 1960's. One or two of these were made up for outgoing Savage CEO's.
5. Aftermarket engraved 99's, rifles with other special aftermarket features like fancy stocks.
Appendix A. Some Savage advertising.
I plan to use a piece of Savage advertising showing an engraved rifle for that era at the beginning of each chapter.
I don't know much about other Savage models but might consider a chapter of some of the other engraved models such as the 1903 22.
I am hoping this will be a large format coffee table type book primarily because the larger the photos in the book the better the reader will be able to see the detail of the engraving. But it may be too expensive.
I am wide open for suggestions of what to include in the book as long as it is close to the subject of engraved and special order Savage firearms.
Here are some photos to give you guys and idea of what I need for the book.
99K, closeup of the engraving. I'll need photos of both sides.

top and bottom of the receiver on the higher grades such as this 1899 with "F" engraving and the top of the engraving of 99K's.

angled view to show engraving that is near the bolt such as these photos of the "F" engraved 1899 and 99K


Rentzschke engraved 99F. I haven't posted photos of this rifle on here yet so I will use it to show more examples of photos needed for the book.
right side of receiver

left side of receiver

right side of stock. I will need photos of both sides of the stock and forearm if the rifle has high grade wood.

99F forearm. This does not have enough figure to be in the book but I've enclosed the photo as part of the photos of the engraved 99F

99F lever.

I didn't take a closeup of the checkering on the 1899 with "F" engraving. It is really intricate and I will need closeups of the higher grade checkered and carved stocks. That is separate photos of the grip and forearm. I'll add photos of this later.
David

boswellbuckhunter. I didn't see your post until now. I started the last post last night and finished it this morning due to the intricate steps required here to post pics from an Apple computer. Send me a few preliminary pics and I will tell you which ones I need detailed photos. Thanks, David

Boswellbuckhunter's post reminded me of something. I don't need book quality photos at first. A few photos showing the special features are enough to show me whether or not I want to use photos of the rifle in the book. If I want to use that particular rifle then I will ask for book quality photos. Some of the photos I posted above are not book quality. They are not light enough to show the detail of the wood (#7) or they have reflections that distract from the subject matter (#5). Photos 1 and 6 are acceptable.
I am going to need someone to photo shop the photos. A local lady will do it but will probably be too expensive. If someone here could do for free or reasonable it would be best. Whoever does it will get credit for the photo shoping in the acknowledgements.

David, I'll work with you offline, but I have information and/or pics for the below and some others;
1) 1895's - Stratton rifles. Obviously these are Marlin manuf. and Ulrich engraved.
2) 1899's - Arthur Edward Perris, Philip Jordan Noel, Nathanial Cushing Nash, John Francis Dodge, Horace Elgin Dodge, Shah/Gough. Tue/Gough engraved.
3) 99's - Joseph Falcon/Pres./1967, William O'Connor/V.P./1969
4) -
5) -
6) - .22's - could show grade A,B,C engraving as examples. P.J. Noel had a special engraved .22
7) - pistols - could show grade A,B,C engraving as examples. Reference Brower's book for more.

The ball is rolling and the gears are turning...