While the artistic skill of both the engraver and the enameller are without doubt quite astounding, I believe theses types of decoration are starting to become too much. The gun itself is now secondary to the decoration. IMO a great gun is a fusion of the gun makers skill, the stockist and the engraver. An engraving should complement the gun and the gun should be functional but also provide a canvas for a tasteful engraving. When successfully combined a beautiful gun is something you can look at for a long time without wanting to put it down. It should also instil the desire to go out hunting with that gun, or bring you memories of a great hunt already passed. I absolutely love engraving and study a lot of it and am on engraving forums as well and I have noticed a trend with some of the current gun makers, in particular upmarket Italian ones to treat the engraving as more important than the gun itself. Guns are now often bought because of the person who engraved it rather than the maker of the gun. IMO the Belgians have got, or at least used to have that mix pretty well perfect. If you have a look at some of the Browning (FN) exhibition pieces from the 80's and 90's they are so beautiful that it is hard to stop looking at them. Game scenes with scroll border and just the right amount of gold inlay. Unbeatable. IMHO.

Waidmannsheil.