No answer to me was needed. I only thought an answer was courteously due those whose work was criticized and who requested an explanation. You are entitled to your opinion regardless of who may differ with you.

My qualifications regarding engraving are as an "unsophisticated consumer". I look at it and if I like it then it looks good. If I really like it then it looks really good. If it strikes me with a sense of awe then it looks amazing (I bet you thought I was going to say awful). When it comes to visual appeal, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me a flaw is a variation from an intended level of mechanical perfection. It doesn't apply to art and I consider the kind of engraving I have seen posted as a form of art. In art, variations from mechanical perfection often enhance the work, give it character, and are what make it individual. I would not take a magnifying glass to the smile of the Mona Lisa and look for flaws. I know I would find them but it would only ruin the experience.

I like the work Bailey and Roland posted. I also like several of the styles posted. I like the fine scroll, the Germanic deep relief, and even the old style with the cartoon animals on the traditional American firearms. Again, it is a matter of individual taste. For example, if you put the cartoon animals in a Germanic relief you get something a lot of German gun owners like but I do not.

You were lucky to have had training under a fine engraver. Thank you for your explanation.