Anyone know much about how to learn the art?
Or what it cost to have it done?

There's some good youtube videos on it that did a good job of discouraging me from ever trying.

There is a book by a man named Monty Kennedy I think. It has everything you’d ever want to know about the art of checkering gunstocks. It is a tedious process.

It's easier to recut than to lay out a pattern and checker from scratch. This guy is great and I've sent him a bunch of work. He's not that expensive and turnaround is good. http://www.casecustomgunstocks.com/

Sometimes it's easier to get it done than try to learn.

If you want to learn, get books on the subject and good tools. I like the carbide tools that Brownells sells. They're not cheap, but work well.

DF

That right there could be the perfect summation of most of my efforts at being handy.

I don't know what it would run today but when Sterling Davenport did the checkering on my stock it was IIRC $250 give or take. I think that stock was one of the last ones he did before retiring.
Paul B.

This is my latest, recutting a pre-64 that had been sorta recut, but filled with way too much finish. I used the Brownells carbide tools. Now, this took a good while, probably several hours per panel. A real pro can turn out the work much faster.

I have a magnifying visor that I wear, have a light that I place at an angle to see the grooves better. It is sorta tedious and I send out work, mostly. This gun had already been "bubba'ed", so I wasn't too worried about messing it up. If so, I'd have sent it out. I was working on an old pre war Superposed with orange peeled finish. When I found out who owned it, I immediately took it to a pro to restore the wood and recut the checkering. Here's that link. Pretty long, but an interesting read. http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=124719 No way would I attempt to work on a gun with that provenance.

Here's the link to the pre-64 project.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/15163238/5 Scroll down to find the picture with only one coat of Tru-Oil, brushed out with a tooth brush so as to not fill up the grooves.

DF

The Final Touch by Joel Schafer.
A must have in your library. .

Best to have two copies in case one gets loaned out and not returned.

For sure, two copies...

Checkering may be a bigger undertaking than one would think. How many really have the time to invest to learn it.

Reading books by the masters is key, then buying good tools, etc. LOTS of practice and time invested. The masters didn't get there overnight..

But, if that's your goal, go for it. Those guys first had to have the goal, the passion to become what they ultimately became.

DF

Having done it both from scratch and recut, I've decided I can hold onto a stock just fine without it...

the quality of the wood and the finish have to be there, and the former is quite expensive. Lesser woods chip out, no matter what you do. If you're not ready to spend $500 on the wood, forget it.

I started many years ago with some discarded stocks and a Brownells basic checkering tool kit. Then progressed to recutting some already checkered stocks and upgraded tools. I read every thing I could find on checkering and stock making and gradually worked my way into both.

A person needs manual dexterity, good lighting, and a lot of patience. Some say you need a checkering cradle. I don't have one, and I sure never had $500 piece of wood. All of mine were from American black walnut my brother cut and aged about 20 years.

It is not rocket science and I am not a professional, but think I can hold my own. Sadly arthritis has stopped me from doing much.

Here are an old, Ithaca SXS 1936 era, and a Fox Sterlingworth of the same vintage. I made the butt stocks and fore ends, finished, and checkered them .

I never had a checkering cradle, either. Good lighting and something like an Optivisor. Google that one. It magnifies the work, makes it easier to see what you’re doing. The light source at an angle helps. Sorta makes shadows in the grooves, highlights the diamonds.

DF

Yea,I forgot the Optivisor,

I would never have patience for that. Time would be a problem too

I had a 12 gauge Fox XE with a straight grip stock recut and lengthened. There were all kinds of issues.

The original stock was 13 inches. I'm 6' 3" so the length was no good. It also had a lot of oil soaked into the head that needed to be removed. The checkering was just about gone, with barely enough to use as a guide. I had it redone, with length added and the checkering recut. I don't regret it. But as a rule, I would have left it alone if it fit better.

I made sure the guy that did it was qualified to make it look as close to how it was originally as he could. Here it is with another unrestored 16 gauge Fox XE POW grip for comparison that I won't touch.

It's tedious and time consuming but not hard to learn. Takes a bit of patience, manual dexterity and hand eye coordination is all. Only way to learn and get good is by doing. Get a set of checkering tools, some pattern templates from Brownells and an old stock and go to town.

A couple of good reasons to sent it out.

I don't do patterns any more, do recut from time to time.

DF

When James Flynn restored the wood on the Charles Askins, Sr. 1933 Superposed, checkering wasn't pointed but was flat topped. To me, that's a lot harder to do, one reason why I took that gun to him when I found who had owned it.

I had traded for it around 10 yrs ago with Collectors Firearms in Houston. I just liked the way it looked. Traded it even for a Citori Sporting Clays that I wasn't using. Only later found out it had been ordered from Browning by Major Charles Askins, Sr., Col. Charlie Askiin's Dad. The Major had been the highest paid gun writer in his day, was an expert on shotguns and shooting. The Col. said his Dad hardly ever missed a flying target...

The other is Winchester 21 checkering on a 20 ga. Skeet gun. That kinda work and the Askins Browning restoration checkering, is for the pros.

DF

Some years ago, I picked up a Gr 5 BAR, metal was 100%, wood showed a good bit of wear. I refinished the stock, sent it to Errol Case in MO to repair the high grade checkering and carving. He did a great job and it wasn't that expensive.

The value of the BAR doubled. I traded it for an Ed Brown Damara ,300 Win Mag with Hendershot's Sporting, so it served a good purpose. Didn't need a Gr 5 BAR, still have the Damara...

Another checkering job for the pros....

DF

I think there was a Holland & Holland video that showed someone doing it. F’n amazing.

Wow! Those are great!

Lenard Brownell, Champlin and Haskins 7RM. He did both the metal and wood, including the QD rings. A true master. This gun showed some wear when I got it, Just adds character, IMO.

DF

those are some nice rigs Dirtfarmer! you did a nice job on that Fwt too.

Have a set of checkering tools if anyone is interested. Will ask for shipping costs only. Pic available on request via PM.

I'm more convince than ever, I will not try.

PM sent re: checkering tool offer.

My sense is that one who is good at checkering has more than average artistic talents.
If I were to attempt checkering it would be a guaranteed exercise in futility.

DF,
Those Fleurs look familiar.

I have done some checkering but not enough to be very good at it. To me, it is very tedious. You have to set aside large blocks of time and throw away the clock. I think engraving would be very much the same. And I agree that you need a certain amount of natural artistic talent to get very good. Lots of attention to detail.

And patience.

Appreciate those kind remarks.

I posted these to separate the men from the boys, the pros from the wannabees (like me)...

Pocono, those fleurs are trademarks, signature stuff, for sure....

The old man had it, doing metal and wood work with equal perfection. Not many back then or now can claim both, especially performed at that level.

I handle those guns with awe and admiration, knowing some of what it takes to turn out that quality of work...

DF

Yes, perfectly proportioned fleur-de-lis.

To futher illustrate, you see I cut a rather deep border, which helps hide overruns. Just cut it a bit deeper when that happens.

Now, check out the border Lenard Brownell needed (or didn't need), or the border the Winchester craftsman needed....

Big difference. Borders can be made to look OK. Borderless is perfection, no room for error, none....

Did I mention sorting out, men from boys...

DF

And as someone with a much more experienced eye than mine once pointed out, “Lenard Brownell’s stocks tend to have a little less wood on them with a more comfortable cross section in the forend than others.”
It’s much more obvious when your holding one of Brownell’s guns though.

Can rifles, or shotgun's be so pretty, you can't use them hunting?

Yeah, he was a master of ergonomics, as well as aesthetics. Bill Ruger evidently agreed, hired him to design the M-77 and #1 stocks. He even moved him to NH, put him in charge of the shop for a period of time.

Everyone of his guns I have handled feels right. This one is no exception. Balances great, not too heavy, etc.

Whomever had it before I got it, obviously hunted it a good bit. It was used, never abused.

I've not hunted it that much, too many other projects. I really likes lighter weight bullets, may have to do with twist, which I've never measured. It's rumored that Mr. Brownell used Douglas barrels, but I don't know for sure. This one looks good thru the Hawkeye and shoots MOA with loads it likes. The trigger is a Canjar, which C&H used at that time. Sorta dates it.

DF

Marlin did mine back in 2001

Nope.
Im a collectors best friend, because I will and have shot previously unfired collector grade guns.

"Can't", no.

"Shouldn't", maybe.

I've had guns so valuable, that I eventually sold them rather than use them. They brought big bucks and I wasn't comfortable taking them hunting. One was a Beretta SO-5, three barrel set, cased. Another was a high grade Piotti double. I doubled my money on both, let them go. No regrets on the way to the bank....

That's personal preference.

DF

I was always told that flat diamonds were the mark of a man who lacked the patience and skill needed to bring them to a point without having the wood "chip out" Youll never see flat diamonds on a newly minted Purdey gun

Really good references and info in this thread, and also really nice work shown in photos. Thanks. Early on in making stocks I did some checkering and eventually it was fairly good - but the time and tedium were not worth it - other interests were much more important. Have not checkered anything for about 30 years.

I will checker, mostly to refresh or on a slippery-sam hunk of wood. But I keep it simple, and don't do it all at once, and ONLY when I just can't stand the old checkering any more. No fleurs, nothing fancy, just to get a good feel or de-uglify.

Not true at all about flat tops.

Just because Purdy might not point them does not make them the definitive voice.

That would not be the case with James Flynn.

He’s a master.

DF