SKETCHWORK:
THE EVOLUTION OF A VISION
Currently the future appears obscured, a time when the Old is breaking up and the New has not yet emerged. Creating sketches, envisioning something that is not there yet, without a definite plan, thus submitting to the process of creating is a central core of our work.
Come accompany us on walk 2 into our World of Top Craftmanship of CREATING without a pre-conceived template.
Let us take a look at our ”GREAT MIGRATION“, a .600NE double barrel rifle, with an additional set of barrels in cal. .470NE, a monumental project, which took us five years to complete, from the decision to start defining the engineering standards, sourcing materials, coordinating craftsmen & creative crew and the finishing job, including testing and proofing. A combined effort in the true sense, down to the smallest detail.
Master engraver Franz Mack loves to work WITHOUT sketches. It drives us crazy at times. He is one of those exceptional talents (trained at the Higher Technical school of gunmaking / Ferlach) who rolls up his sleeves and works with the chisel right into the raw material. He can SEE it, the vision, what others don’t see, and: he only has one attempt. His canvas is not a rough stone, but a mechanical work of art, that a number of worldbest artisans – our gunsmiths, stockmaker, goldsmith, leather maker, fabulous tool & casemaker work on for months, sometimes years, which still has to undergo many stages before completion. Then there is somebody (in this case a ”she“) who conceives and envisions the concept, materials, accessories. A step-by-step process, a joint effort, in the truest sense, all individualists, but with an aspiration to strive for the Best as common ground, and the wish to push the envelope into dimensions beyond what was before.
This process is unique and not repeatable. Being able to bundle these ”tensions“ of the creative process, direct them into the product and keep them there is – TERRIFIC. It takes courage, trust, dedication and a very high level of craftsmanship skill to physically hold the end product in its full uniqueness in ones hands.
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