I picked up this 1899B and Have thought about getting some checkering put on it.



I would like to go with a a factory offered pattern just like this





I have never had anything like this done. Can any of you tell me if Im looking at a 100 or 1000 dollar project. How about recommendations as to who does this?

Just thinking about dressing up a gun that will be hunted with.

Thanks.

Your range of prices is about right (VBG). You can't get anything like that done properly for $100 but $1000 would be highway robbery IMO; however if some folks out in AZ can get $15,000 for a run-of-the-mill 'custom' rifle with laminated stock, then I guess other folks might get away with charging $1000 for such a checkering job. Not a lot of coverage but both panels are wraparound with border, slightly more complicated. There's a fellow down the road from me who makes a living doing some very nice journeyman-level (meaning aesthetically attractive & no flaws visible to the owner) checkering at a reasonable price, you can email him at classicchecker aht bellsouth daht neht. His name is Tim Smith-Lyon and he's a nice guy, I myself have some of his work and like it, will soon have some more of it.

And, in this case at least, you may mention my name (Joe Harz) without any qualms. Apparently he hasn't heard yet...
Regards, Joe

Contact Clint Meier.(cymeier@att.net) beautiful work and reasonably priced. Retiredreb

John Reese Phone: (406) 883-1465
Email: customdiamonds@yahoo.com
Mailing Address:
502 4th Ave. E
Polson, Montana 59860

This guy is a true artist, reasonably priced, and goes the extra mile. He recut the checkering on a Griffin and Howe Sporter for me for $175 and shipping. Tell him Jerry Lee from Shawmut Montana referred you.

I've seen a couple of Tim's checkering jobs and can affirm that he does pretty good work at reasonable rates.

Tim Smith lyon has done 2 rifles for me i prepared the stock and sent them to him with cash. They came back beautiful in a timely manner. Call him and talk with him. U will be more than happy. I am
Tom

One thing to consider is the checkering done on the gun you show is what's known as "flat top" checkering and as was discussed here a few weeks ago, is a specialty all it's own. It may be hard to find someone to reproduce that.

If, however, you are happy to have the more common pointed checkering you should have no problem having that done at a reasonable price.

Rob, it's my impression that the checkering is worn or sanded flat rather than being cut that way in the beginning, but like Lacey J (Dalton) says in the song, "I've Been Wrong Before"!

And BTW my earlier assessment of Tim's checkering as being journeyman-level should be considered a compliment and definitely NOT a left-handed one! I personally know of very few checkerers whom I consider worthy of the term master or expert, very few indeed. No checkering is flawless, I repeat none. There are flaws in all jobs, the only question is how visible are they?

One key to an expert's work is that he or she can execute a complicated and otherwise difficult pattern in a beautiful design with a minimum of flaws, and then hide all the flaws without seeming obvious and actually end up having them seem invisible to most observers. Tim does this on the rather simple patterns I've seen him do, but I've not yet seen any of his more complicated work such as multi-panel fleurs & ribbons or full wraparound top and bottom of the grip or similar.

I do know that on the examples of his jobs that I've seen, when you look across the tops of his diamonds at an angle you see that all the points are pointed and they all appear to lie in straight rows with no waver. This is one of the simplest telltale marks of an expert but it's an important one, and Tim passes that test a lot better than I can. What else can I say?
Regards, Joe

Joe
Ive gone back and looked at the work Tim did for me and the forearms are wrap around pattern The M/S looks better than pictures of what came from the factory. I decided what I could pay, Sent him the stocks with cash, And they returned better than I thought possible.His website does not do him justice. My stocks look better than what he has pictured. He did say I sent him a prety good piece of wood to work on. The man enjoys his work. I'm trying to figure what I can get him to do next. I spend a lot of time marveling at his work like u would a fine engraving.
Tom

J D, I cannot speak for the checkering on rifles, but on older double barrel shotguns in general, it appears the checkering was done originally with a flat top. Some more than others. The sharp pointed diamonds are actually a bit tough on the hands if one carries a shotgun checkered that way.

Marlin checkering (on old Marlins) had the peaks rounded from the factory. I've been fortunate enough to own a few that were in very nice condition, and the checkering was rounded even on minty stocks.

Has anyone ever tried sherry abraham. Looks like nice work.

http://www.checkering.com/


Brad

I've used Sherry quite a bit. Nice work usually has a backlog.

The rifle's checkering pictured looks worn and/or sanded more than anything.

True 'flat top' checkering is done with tools that do not cut diamonds at all, but instead straight incised lines. Very difficult to do and get a perfect job of it. There's no going back over the work to straighten up the line or move it slightly as can be done with diamonds. The first cut is also the final appearance other than depth.

The flat top diamonds commonly seen on American SxS's and some rifles is just common diamond style checkering not taked to full depth.
Part of the reason is that the checkering is usually of very wide spacing,,sometimes 12 or 14 lpi. To point those up means cutting very deep and then the diamonds end up looking huge and somewhat out of place. Plus it's faster to the end result to leave the work 'flat topped'(less $$) and more comfortable to the shooter as Mr Hallquist points out.

FWIW
I knew a husband and wife team of freelanse checkerers that did work for Winchester, Marlin, Colt, and just about any other firearms company in the CT area from before WW2 till the late 60's. Harold & Mildred Arthur.
Their checkering was never razor sharp pointed IIRC. Perhaps a result of the tools they used and the speed and production style work they were doing.
They used for the most part a carbide tool that was about 1" square but gently curved front to back. Machined to the appropriate lpi and equipted w/ a wooden handle to allow both hands to be used to work it, they would checker stocks at an amazing speed.
The tools were originally supplied to them by Winchester I was told, but later they found an outside source to make up some more when Winchester refused to make any more or supply the drawings for them. Even carbide wears out after a while.
Harold had originally worked at Winchester in the wood room before WW2 and that's where the connections to the work began.

It was factory quality and patterns of course, but that was their work. Everything from 21s,12s 42s to H/Standard and Colt grips, Marlins stocks,,,anything from anyone that needed checkering.
She was quite capable of 'one-of' custom work too and did do some of that. But it was the production type of work that kept them busy and making money.
Interesting folks. They never owned a house,,always rented,,had 9 kids IIRC. When the urge struck them and work slacked off a bit, they would take a vacation in Havana (till that was off limits!). I knew them from Pedersen Custom Gun Co in the early 70's.