doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Checkering style, sharp diamond or flat top?

Doug,
That Fraser's checkering is outstanding work! The very long aspect diamonds and the perfectly executed mullered border are truly a thing of beauty. Can we see a photo or two of the whole gun? Thanks.
JR

I can't help thinking that a stock without checkering is not finished. Good checkering doesn't hide the wood's beauty; it offers a different view of it. That Fraser stock s a good example. It would look forlorn without checkering. On the other hand, anyone who'd rather own a stock without can do so with some financial savings.

That style is similar to a Kolar SC gun I had. i.e. the uncheckered ribbon between the panels.��.very nice!

There were a lot of Plain Finish/Standard Grade Winchester Model 12s & 97s, Remington Model 11, 10 & 17 A "Standard" Grades, etc. giving good service for decades without any checkering.

And a bazillian of the pressed checkerd jobs that sort of feel like flat top checkering does. Not every old gun has had the checkering recut when worn either, so just perhaps the actual function of checkering is a tad overstated.

I like checkering. I like the way it looks, and some, even most, guns would indeed look unfinished without.

One of the best stocks I've ever had the chance to use belongs to a friend of mine who fitted it to a Beretta auto. I believe it's from Wenig. He allowed me to try it before he checkered it. It has a big meaty grip area and handles very well. The owner thinks it's just fine as is and has yet to checker it.

As far as the wuss factor goes, I may be one but I don't wear gloves. I can't even shoot with gloves in cold weather. Some guys do wear gloves, even in the summer. I don't understand how that can help except to buffer the abrasive effect of the sharp checkering.

Thanks for posting the pics Doug. Your work is so nice that I always enjoy seeing it.

One question .......... is it not unusual to see a checkering pattern that uses the beautiful mullered borders on one side (front) and no borders at all on the other (rear), like your Fraser? Not questioning your decision to do that, it's stunning, just don't recall ever seeing that before.

Best, SRH

Thanks Stan for the kind comments.

To answer your question, I guess it's a matter of style for me. I do mullered borders on the front of point patterns because I like the look. I'm a firm believer that borders are decorative and should not be used to cover up errors. I don't do mullered borders on a fill-in pattern unless the original gun i.e. Parker was done that way. At least you know what your going to get from me :-)

Please bear with me for a moment but that Fraser is, IMO, a spectacular rifle and WAY above my pay grade. However it does give me much pleasure to look at when the sun comes up in the deer woods.