Those guys were gun engravers who worked standing up . I do not think they saw themselves as artists nor did many of the men who built guns be they the "best" or the run of the mill factory production . Gunmen they may have called themselves and yes they had pride in there work , but it was job that they did day in and day out to earn a living .Just as many other men in many other trades did .They did the work as fast as possible to earn as much as possible often to a fixed price .
Different today .
