Am I the only one who doesn’t really care for carving on a rifle stock?

Coot · Oct 8, 2024

Depends. On modern guns, no carving; if carried in the field, plain wood, if used at the range, fancy wood is fine. For flintlocks, the amount of carving should be typical for the period & type of gun.

ronaldrothb49 · Oct 8, 2024

It depends on what I am building. I am currently working on a Henry Trade Rifle which will be plain, no carving or engraving. In my opinion the carving on the Woodsrunner is just way too busy. The one that Jim Kibler did where he changed that carving to a relief carving was a much more attractive rifle. If I carve or engrave a rifle it will be a simpler design. I like the Baroque style carving. The same can be said for rifles like the Bedfords with a dozen or more inlays. It just gets too busy for me.

Loyalist Dave · Oct 8, 2024

nkbj said:
Some rifles look great with the additional embellishments and some don't...
All a matter of the eye of the beholder.

The Crisco Kid said:
It's always been my thought that plain work done well looks much better than fancy work done poorly.

Agreed! Unfortunately, I've seen too many "carved" stocks on rifles for sale for a pretty penny where the lock wasn't inlet in a correct manner because in my opinion the builder was in a hurry to get to the carving and rushed the basics. I've also seen carving that appeared to be in my opinion done by a kid with a mallet and a flat bladed screw driver YET the guy doing the work wants an extra $1000.00 over the cost of just building a plain rifle. That's fine, I choose to buy or not, and it's a "not!"

LD

rp77469 · Oct 8, 2024

I like some carving, usually incised, on plain wood, including the sliding wood patchbox. The fancier the wood, the less carving. I don't like gaudy.

Less is more.

Thingamajiggy · Oct 8, 2024

I can definitely appreciate the time and effort that goes into carving and it's cool that in the case of Kibler, that both options are offered. For me though, I'm an iron and plain wood kinda guy, not a fan of brass or patchboxes.

N.Y. Yankee · Oct 8, 2024

No, you're not the only one. Everyone's tastes are different.

2 shots · Oct 8, 2024

on the Kiblers i like it on the fowler, but dont care for it on the woodsrunner.

brushblind · Oct 8, 2024

Some people like Rolex's and some like Timex. It's more about dollars than "sense" maybe.

Terry Lightle · Oct 8, 2024

No carving for me,they all look beautiful laying across a dead animal

Mike in FL · Oct 8, 2024

Not just carving, but ANY decoration on a muzzleloader is functionless and has vanity as its motive. I don't like it. Just like engravings on an unmentionable, it merely adds to the cost. Not only that, but if the owner uses a gun with a carved stock, it will gather dings and scratches, and how awful does a fancy stock look when beat up? Way worse than a beat up plain gun.

rchas · Oct 8, 2024

I think a well-designed and executed stock has a grace and beauty of it's own. That beauty can be enhanced by good carving, but the carving alone doesn't carry the day.

You can put perfectly done carving on a stock that looks like a club, and it will still look like a club... a fancy club, but a club none the less.

French Colonial · Oct 8, 2024

I have never read so much hogwash justifying a plain jane tasteless gun.

From the John Schreit rifle (and before that in Europe) until the later part of the percussion era a QUALITY rifle had some carving and usually some engraving, yes, a cheaply made barn gun can have good lines but any maker of that era that had any talent decorated their rifles. And some of the surviving examples are still beautiful even with all the use, wear and tear.
Look them up.

springfield art · Oct 8, 2024

Buff1958 said:
I put together a Woodsrunner kit a few months back. I ordered it with a carved cherry stock.
I have 7 muzzle loaders and it is the only one with carving on it.
I expected to be really thrilled with it but I just seem to like the plain stocks better.

Thanks to Bree at Kibler’s for finding me a Cherry stock with burl in it and it is on the way.

I

I like both; but a few weeks back a guy had the plainest, most basic un-adorned gun on here, I don't recall his name, but it was so plain, sleek, and simple in it's design that it was a true work of art. Fancy woods, engraving, carving, are all part of the muzzle loading arts, but a basic, "just the works, m'am!" gun is classic in it's own way.

LonestarShootR · Oct 8, 2024

Bucolic Buffalo said:
I also like the look of wood. Sometimes carving can take away from what would be outstanding grain or curl.

However, having dabbled in carving, I know how extremely difficult good carving is to do. What the CNC incising does for us is give some people enough that they are looking for to enhance their gunstock. I kind of see it as an opportunity to carefully use my chisels and scrapers. The lines are defined. Perfect C's and S's. Straight lines. Some "doodads". A bit of careful work and I can make it look less like a machine did it. At least, that is the hope. And so if I make my typical error, I will learn how to make it more appealing.

I tend to agree with liking natural wood and carving can add or subtract to it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and is fluid as it can change from person to person and item to item. Just look at clothing some people choose to be subtle while others have to be noticed with a bit of flair.

On another note having the stocks/files already made on a CNC by the hundreds, machine incise carving is a way to make a desirable option that's simple, fast and makes huge profits for the time it takes.
I would think it's only a matter of time before full 3D relief carving is an option on some stocks. Depending on the tooling, very very intricate carving can be done. It wouldn't be as profitable as it takes longer machining times over incise carving.

reddogge · Oct 8, 2024

That's why I've always built Southern Mountain style rifles, no carving, patch boxes, or engraving. I did build a J.J. Henry trade rifle for my son that had a patch box and engraving but no carving. If I ordered a Woodsrunner I'd probably do just a simple line on the toe area, cheekpiece, and forestock. But I have too many guns now so that will not happen.

rkg1 · Oct 8, 2024

Buff1958 said:
I put together a Woodsrunner kit a few months back. I ordered it with a carved cherry stock.
I have 7 muzzle loaders and it is the only one with carving on it.
I expected to be really thrilled with it but I just seem to like the plain stocks better.

Thanks to Bree at Kibler’s for finding me a Cherry stock with burl in it and it is on the way.

I

A plain to very little carving is my prefered rifle. A working man's gun.

springfield art · Oct 8, 2024

reddogge said:
That's why I've always built Southern Mountain style rifles, no carving, patch boxes, or engraving. I did build a J.J. Henry trade rifle for my son that had a patch box and engraving but no carving. If I ordered a Woodsrunner I'd probably do just a simple line on the toe area, cheekpiece, and forestock. But I have too many guns now so that will not happen.

I bet that Henry was nice! I have a mid-70's Tenn. Mt. rifle by Jack Garner; those type guns are quintessentially American! A lot of focus is on TN/NC now due to the storms, hopefully something good will come out of all this mess.

PEARL DRUMS · Oct 8, 2024

None for me. I don't like shiny stocks or barrels either. I like bland, plain, dark stocked rifles. Just my thing. I build a ton of boring self bows too

Codger Craig Wilcox · Oct 8, 2024

I enjoy carving from time to time. A nicely roasted turkey or goose, a delicious pot roast. Even a good boiled cow tongue carved into slender wafers for a sammich.
Wood - I did carve a squirrel on a gunstock for a fellow's squirrel gun...

Mallenby58 · Oct 8, 2024

Carving on stocks looks ok. When I get around to doing mine, one of these days, I think I might try to inlay some silver and or copper on the stock. I have done some wood turning in the past and have a little experience with inlaying metals. If we all have the same gun then that would be boring.

Am I the only one who doesn’t really care for carving on a rifle stock?

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