UNKNOWN ENGRAVER ? can you help?

[buckstix]

I reciently acquired a custom rifle that was built in 1956. It has some very nice engraving and gold inlays. It looks much better than my pictures. (My lighting is poor) This rifle was built in Wisconsin but the engraver is not known. There are very deep Oak Leaves and Vines with dozens of Acorns. Some midwest names that have been suggested were Bruehl, Grieble, Kornbrath, etc. Anyone care to take a guess? One distinctive feature is the many Acorns that show only "empty" cups. Thanks for your help.

[Roger Bleile]

buckstix,

We frequently receive "Who done it" requests here, often with no images at all. Fortunately, your images are excellent for studying the work.

The work on your rifle is very high quality engraving with the oak leaves done in a sculpted relief style. The whole thing is very Gremanic. Without a signature or initials we may never know who did it. It could have been done by Griebel or Kornbrath though they often signed their work.

At the time that your gun was engraved it was common for custom gunmakers and gun owners to send their guns to Germany and Austria for engraving. That was due to post WWII economics that made it cheaper to send the gun to Europe for engraving than to wait and pay an equally qualified American engraver to do it. In later years Kornbrath also sent some of his work to Austria for that reason.

You didn't say who the gunmaker was. Sometimes a gunmaker worked with a particular engraver.

In any case you have a beautifully engraved rifle. Enjoy it.

Roger Bleile

[buckstix]

Thank you Roger.

The Gunsmith(s) were Leonard Mews (stock & checkering) from Appleton, WI., and Norbert "Nubs" Fashingbauer (metal work) from Lac Du Flambau, WI.

It was common for Leonard to send guns to Nubs for the custom metal work (tang safety - sights - magazine modifications, etc.) as well as other gunsmiths around the US., i.e., PO Ackley, McFarland, PJ Oheara, etc.

It is my opinion that the engraving was likely done in the US because I am not aware of Leonard or Nubs sending any of their projects outside the US. I have many examples of them sending actions, barrels, etc. to other gunsmiths around the country, coast-to-coast, as the smiths seemed to network with each other during the 50's and 60's.

I have scanned the work thoroughly with a magnifying glass looking for some obscure initials or "style" that might be unique to a specific engraver but have fallen short of a definite answer.

I am going to guess Max E. Bruehl of Chicago. (see page 20 Gun Engraving Review by E. C. Prudhomme)

I reference the series of "Fat E's" on the front of the trigger-guard (the floor-plate release) on some of Max Bruehl's work, albeit I have not seen very many examples of his work. [see below] The Oak Leaves on the referenced work by Max Bruehl are also similar.

I would ask that if others have examples of this specific feature at this location, please chime in.

Any other suggestions on where I might look for a signature or other distinctive features would be appreciated.

Thanks

[TonyLeeFrost]

Was looking at this post and thought I'd throw this in here. While I don't think this piece is done by him (doesn't look like his work) not a lot of people know that Leonard was an extremely accomplished and versatile engraver himself though, for some reason, he didn't like to sign or be known for his metal work! He did a few custom pieces for Weatherby/Customers over his years with them.

[JRon]

I agree with Buckstix, I have seen many engravings of both Kornbrath and Grieblel and I
noted several things regarding the vine work, RK used a more flowing style of vinework and the more sculpted look does not resemble Griebels. I've only seen a few of Max Brueh
pieces and this looks more like his work to me._JRl

[Sam Welch]

Bruehl would be a good guess. Kornbrath had a stroke in the late 30s and if I remember right died about 1947. Don't remember when Griebel departed but Bruehl seems right to me.

[JJ Roberts]

I remember seeing Max Bruehl's gun engraving in my old Gun Digests and that floor plate with oak leaves & egg corns look like the engraving of Max,think Sam & JRon are right on.J.J.