Sig Master Engravers

[3lsmc7]

Don't know where to post, figured it belong in General Discussion but maybe Off Topic? Any ways check out these Sigs, pretty damn awesome!

Also did a quick search didn't really come up with anything with the keywords I used.

Original: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...eus-alexander/

More here: http://www.guns.com/2013/06/28/the-a...ravers-photos/

King Tut:


Zeus:


Alexander the Great:


and last but not least, The Barracuda:

[postal]

Nice!!!! I wonder who the engraver was... Very skilled.

[3lsmc7]

Nice!!!! I wonder who the engraver was... Very skilled.

The engravers are listed on the original site. Not sure if they are factory Sig Sauer engravers or just some guys but they list them as being done in Sig Sauer Germany.

[postal]

Didnt look at the origional site.... but frequently when it comes to specialized skilled craft, things are 'outsourced' to individuals that are known of high quality, reliability, and delivering product on time.

I worked at fender guitars factory in corona for a couple years. Most "CUSTOM" work is outsourced. Custom airbrush, custom carving, custom leather work, engraving on metal pickguards, and even inlayed designs are all farmed out to people that specialize in those areas, and none of them are fender employees. They have a guy at fender whose full time job it is to keep track of all the stuff outsourced for work and handle shipping/status/return of these outsourced jobs...

Back in the day, Colt had enough demand for engraved handguns they had their own engravers on staff, but nowdays, I find it unlikely that most companies have these people as employees besides beretta for their shotguns and probably Holland and Holland as well. There may be others, but as a generally low demand service, few companies can justify these kinds of people on their full time payroll.

Not saying that's actually the case, but that's what's likely.

Really good work in any case....

BTW, if you want custom work done on a guitar, I know who fender uses, and can 'hook ya up' with them...

[3lsmc7]

Yeah, I don't doubt they are outsourced for stuff like engraving. But I'm sure they would keep at least one in their custom shop? Maybe wrong, not arguing with you or anything. But may be cheaper for a company to keep a gunsmith pulling double duty as an engraver as well.

[postal]

Perhaps, but things like highly skilled craftsmanship like that is something that takes natural skill, training and experience to develop- It becomes so specialized for the gifted that master their craft, that it becomes their primary focus.

You dont go from minimum wage on the regular factory assembly line at fender and decide "I want to be an airbrush graphic artist... Lets get started!"

However, as you say, it's also possible someone is a master gunsmith that is also a skilled engraver as well.

It would really depend on the companies demand for that service, and the odds of them finding a full time employee with the skill and desire to work for them full time. There is one guy that does guitars full time, and does fenders, but anyone can send him a guitar to be painted. The others do mostly cars and motorcycles... The hotrod magazines, mini truck magazines, chopper magazines are full of stuff those guys paint at their day job.

In fenders case, the airbrush artists they use, make the bulk of their income doing custom cars and motorcycles. They do the fender guitars as a 'side job' to their usual business. They dont get enough work from fender to do it full time.

There are a lot of different ways this could actually play out.... Who knows what the real answer is in any particular company- a lot of factors.

[sl0re10]

also has something to do with demand. Do you have enough work to pay the person to work for you full time? No; well better for both parties for them to freelance / do outsourced work. That way they can work for others to get up to full time. This was pre obamacare... When I worked in radio; busy radio stations might have full time voice talent to make commercials... because they had enough work to make it worthwile. Smaller ones outsourced it.