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Posted By: triple_deuce John Spittler Savage Arms - 03/26/23
I was doing some digging on my engraved 1899A and came up with this. Cody says it was sold to John Spittler in 1909. After finding an old thread here on the fire John was the stock making foreman and a master engraver himself. I know my gun has D engraving but it also has a lot more added then what D called for. Maybe he did some himself. Thoughts??

Attached picture A71CC156-BC0E-4E68-9A37-D224873C6DCC.jpeg
Posted By: Loggah Re: John Spittler Savage Arms - 03/26/23
Looks like the bolt body,and the two engraved moose on the receiver bottom were added after the original "D" style engraving was done. I was thinking when it was returned to the factory Gough might have done it !!! Either way it is definately "one of a kind" beautiful rifle. Don
Posted By: wyo1895 Re: John Spittler Savage Arms - 03/26/23
Dave Trauth has a D engraved 1899 with a lot of extra engraving including a moose on the bottom of the receiver. it appears on pages 38 to 43 in the engraving book.
Originally Posted by triple_deuce
I was doing some digging on my engraved 1899A and came up with this. Cody says it was sold to John Spittler in 1909. After finding an old thread here on the fire John was the stock making foreman and a master engraver himself. I know my gun has D engraving but it also has a lot more added then what D called for. Maybe he did some himself. Thoughts??
In 1914 at the Savage Arms company picnic he won the Fat Man's Race... eek
Posted By: Rick99 Re: John Spittler Savage Arms - 03/26/23
Do you know when he worked at Savage?
Originally Posted by Rick99
Do you know when he worked at Savage?
Im not coming up with any further information on him Rick.
Originally Posted by Rick99
Do you know when he worked at Savage?
Transferred to Newton Arms in 1916.
Savage Co. picnic race won on 1914.
Rifle lettered in 1909.
Originally Posted by Southern_WI_Savage
Originally Posted by Rick99
Do you know when he worked at Savage?
Transferred to Newton Arms in 1916.
Savage Co. picnic race won on 1914.
Rifle lettered in 1909.
Was hoping the great history detective would chime in. Lol.
Posted By: Calhoun Re: John Spittler Savage Arms - 03/27/23
So from the other campfire thread... Spittler was in charge of the stock making dept at Newton Arms, and also engraver for however many Newton guns were engraved. When Spittler later returned to Savage somebody else took over engraving at Newton.

If Spittler did engraving for Newton, he had to learn it somewhere? Or possibly self-taught? I'm guessing he might have apprenticed for a while under Tue.

So he might have bought the gun and engraved it on his own time, like Tue did with the Enoch Tue and King guns. Based off the D engraving patterns from Savage.

I think there might be some name confusion also. There was a John Vincent Spitler (one T) who worked for Savage as a toolmaker in 1918, he'd have been 28 years old in 1909.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12960319/o-t-maybe#Post12960319
Originally Posted by oldgunsmith
John Spittler (Savage) was
foreman of the stock making
department. Spittler was also the principal engraver until his return to Savage. At that time Lynn Hakes took over as engraver. Mr. Spittler joined with Newton Arms in February 1916.
Has anyone ever seen a documented factory engraved Newton Rifle?
Thanks Rory.
Posted By: 99guy Re: John Spittler Savage Arms - 03/27/23
Originally Posted by Calhoun
So he might have bought the gun and engraved it on his own time Based off the D engraving patterns from Savage.

That could be a Bingo. If so, in a way, that makes it an even more interesting and unique part of Savage history.

Unbelievable gun and a deserving owner.
Originally Posted by 99guy
Originally Posted by Calhoun
So he might have bought the gun and engraved it on his own time Based off the D engraving patterns from Savage.

That could be a Bingo. If so, in a way, that makes it an even more interesting and unique part of Savage history.

Unbelievable gun and a deserving owner.
Thanks Randy.
Originally Posted by Calhoun
So he might have bought the gun and engraved it on his own time, like Tue did with the Enoch Tue and King guns. Based off the D engraving patterns from Savage.
Since the letter info per Joe includes "t/d, pistol grip, fancy wood", but not engraving I would tend to agree that it was engraved afterwards.
Comparing the engraving against 2 similar engraved rifles in David's book and one can see subtle differences. Particularly in the layout of the E scenes and some detail areas.
Tue was a master of duplication and stylistic differences aside, his layouts were spot on from rifle to rifle.
This rifle has a similar feel to me as does the King rifle which was recorded as shipped to W.I. King. The King rifle too causes debate as to whether or not King engraved it as his family claims or if another(s) were involved.
The moose on this rifle looks eerily similar to the King rifle was was made 2-3 years earlier.
Interesting rifle and as previously said, one of a kind.
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