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Add another vote for blank two

The second blank for me if it is to be used on a side lock and the first for a box lock. Though opinions from photographs can be very wrong indeed, holding them and casting your eyes over each is the only true way really though both stocks look very good!

2nd blank

The only proper way to select wood is with wood in hand. Pictures do not give that much information other than what the face looks like.

First thing I check is wood grain flow from all six sides. Make sure the grain flow is straight on all four sides of the wrist. Use your thumb nail to see if the blank is dense and is dense all over. Some blanks go from hard as nails to semi spongy when the grain gets fancy. Look at both ends. If one is quarter sawn and the other is face or slab sawn you have a 90 degree twist in grain flow front to back. Twisted blanks can be a bear. If the twist is in the wrist run away from that blank. It will only break your heart when it cracks later.

Some blanks look great oversized but become very plain as you work them down to final size. I have a French Walnut 4 or 5 A blank I bought when Fagen went out of business that will be lucky to be 2 or 3 A when done unless it is some type of O/U with a club for a butt stock. The faces look great but all the figure is on the surface. The center, when view from both ends is very plain. Was a decent buy at a hundred but not at a grand they had on it.

If you are having someone stock your gun it is best to have them look at the blanks. A trained eye will see more things in a minute than most will see in an hour. Have both blanks shipped to them for selection. Both of these look good to us but to a stocker one will be better than the other. Don't let your love of eyecandy cause you to pick on looks alone. Pick for long term value and durability. A great blank will make a good lamp if it breaks and can not be repaired.

Ky Jon summed it up pretty well. But just going by the photos provided, I would take the second blank.

Assuming all is equal, I'd also go with the second blank. Even if nothing chips or breaks, I don't like the look of short grain running off the edge of a stock. I also prefer the look of checkering over straighter grain because it can clash to my eye with heavy figuring because of the direction changes.

That knot would be a big red flag for me. I just went thru this with a blank that had a very similar flaw. The upside was that it was going on a 20ga that will be shooting 3/4 oz light loads.

Thank you all a lot for your opinions and advice.
My father and I are both ordering a sidelock from Williams Evans, made by Grulla Armas in Spain, these were the blanks the factory suggested. The gunroom manager in London advised us to go for it because he thinks that these pieces are beautiful and a higher grade then the standard. I myself really like both of them, especially the figure on the first piece, but I too had some concerns about the wrist... Do you guys suggest we ask for another blank in place of the first one?

I shouldn't think the gun maker would bother with knotted blanks - that's not how to build a reputation. Could be a knot, might just be part of the figure.

It was suggested that the proper way to judge a blank is in hand. Right on. Again, I would presume the maker has done some of this work for you.

I like the first. Really do.

Even the second blank looks like it has some wood filler in it. Tougher now, knowing that they are looking for answers from you.