A10ACN

Until the end of the eighties the engravers followed the gunsmith trade and the majority worked at home for the various gunmakers of the period, mostly on double guns, delivering from the poorest standard grade to the highest superb job. Saint-Etienne was the main place…and where you got what you paid.
Among an array of engravers who spend their life to adorn standard grade side by side Anson boxlocks, they where some superb artists like the late Christian FREYCON, a true master who delivered some exceptional pieces.
The Parisians gun trade used the talents of Belgian engravers, as Liege is nearer from the capital than Saint-Etienne.
The nineties seen the preeminence of the Italian artists and could be named the "bulino" years…
American engravers have always fascinated me and I remember the time I spent dreaming on the works from the hands of Arnold GRIEBEL or John WARREN on the black and white photos on my treasured Gun Digest books (I have a near complete collection of the John T. AMBER era…)
Now, depending on customer requirements, we can work with the engraver of our choice.
We have been lucky to have for many years the excellent Michel COURANT as "in house engraver" even if although having his workshop in our premises he also worked for other professionals.
Currently we use the talents of several specialists who are generally young and promising. Hubert DAMPERAT and Florent VIALE are in charge of the ornamentation while for the treatment of animal subjects and bulino we work with Silke ULRICH or Diego BONSI.
For the letters another specialist does the markings for us.
Of course when the client requires we entrust engraving to the artist he chooses with which we cooperate on the project.
Now in France we have a lot of talented young people among which Elizabeth DA JUSTA, Geoffrey LIGNON, Christine LELIEVRE ...an many others.

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com

Some samples in the white