Jim Blair, PO Box 64 59 Mesa Verde Glenrock, Wyo. 82637 307-436-8115 I have been self employed as an engraver for 14 years now. My interest in engraving began around 30 years ago. I had started learning checkering and other gunsmith tasks when I came across an engraver. Upon watching him I knew that this is what I wanted to learn. I am mostly self taught. I have had the opportunity to attend some short NRA sponsored engraving classes in Trinidad, Colorado at the gunsmith school. I have also been able to visit with some very fine engravers that gave me help along the way. This process of learning has allowed me not to follow in the style of one master engraver but in the style of many. I prefer to work on custom made firearms. Many of the firearms have more than 500 hours of engraving into them. I also engrave knives, jewelry and steel plates for limited edition prints. I have my own press so that I am able to print these myself My engraving follows traditional patterns of firearm engraving. The scroll patterns are of traditional old styles but have become modified through my interpretation and those of present day engravers. The scroll patterns that I do are an English scroll, Arabesque, Victorian or Floral, and ornamental type of scroll. The designs of the scroll are custom designed to fit each individual piece. Scrolls can be left flat with or without a background, or the background can be removed. The scroll can also be sculptured. This requires that the background be removed. Precious metal inlays can be either line and ornamental or an animal or bird. The fine lines inlaid can be finer than .12 mm. These fine lines are usually incorporated in an ornamental pattern of thick and thin lines incorporating leaves and scroll. When inlaying fine lines 24K gold is almost always used. For each width of line that is inlaid a different diameter of wire is used. All wire is reduced in my shop. The wire starts in size around .65-.70 mm. The animal or bird that is inlaid can be either flush or raised and sculptured. Game scenes can be done in a variety of ways. I do a bulino style, which can be very fine and almost like a photo. This style of engraving can incorporate dots or lines or a combination of both. I also will do sculptured animals relieved and raised out of the steel of the gun. Which one is used is normally a choice the client makes. The tools I use depends upon the metal and my frame of mind that day. I learned the hammer and chisel method, and use of the push burin for fine engraving. I still use the hammer and chisel some. I use it almost exclusively for the restoration work that I do. I have found that power assisted engraving tools are great for stainless steels and some of the harder modern gun steels. These tools also can speed up the work. For the majority of the fine and delicate work I still find that I am most comfortable with the push burin. I was born in Lander, Wyoming. I have lived in Wyoming all my life. I moved around the state some but have never had the desire to leave. There is all the hunting that I want right here. For the most part the state has a low population which has always been desirable from my point of view. I have had several different types of jobs before engraving. I have worked on ranches, worked for the U.S. Forrest Service (trail crew), auto body repairman and painter, and a welder in a coal mine. I also taught auto body at a technical school. I have taught engraving at the summer programs in Trinidad, Col. and also at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyo. Engraving has been an enjoyable occupation. I do not have to contend with the weather. When I engrave I feel that is where I belong. I have a client that once told my wife that every time that he would call I sounded grumpy. It took me quite a while to figure this one out because I always enjoyed talking to him. I finally figured out that I get so absorbed in my engraving that the ringing of the phone would scare me. I would jump and my heart rate would take off. I have since tried to calm down a bit before I answer the phone. One of the great accomplishments in life is being able to create something. There is a lot of satisfaction in being able to put together a scroll that flows, has life and is pleasing to the eye. Engraving an animal that looks alive and has character is very rewarding.  All this is even better when the completed rifle is assembled and your work complements the work of the gunmaker and others involved in the project. I am a member of the Firearms Engravers Guild of America. Joining the guild in 1985 and becoming a professional member in 1995. I have been Vice President for the past 7 years. I am a life member of the National Rifle Association and a member of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild. I also belong to Safari Club International and the local chapter. Publications that I have been in are "Modern Custom Guns" and "Custom Firearms Engraving" both by Tom Turpin. Periodicals that have articles are "Trails End" Vol. #4 (cover photo is a Colt revolver that I engraved). Another article was in "Knives Illustrated" Vol. 13, #2. I have had photos in Knives Annual Editions, Knives Digest, and Gun Digest. I am not much of an awards person. I have received the Barrett-Smythe Award for Engraved Game Scene. This award was given in 1996 at the annual Firearms Engravers and Custom Gunmakers Exhibition.