The Gunstock Blanks arrive from my IWA, Nuremburg buying trip.

The most agonising thing about buying gunstock blanks is the 2 week wait for their arrival back to the factory when at last you can 'see how you have done'. The process of buying wood is usually quite pressured, you let go of an excellent pair and someone else grabs it. You get distracted, always looking at what other people are picking and thinking their choice is better than yours, you then wait for them to let go and grab it yourself! The wood dealers know this and love it, the more people on the stand the better for them, it becomes a feeding frenzy.

Once you have made your selection the haggling starts, none of the wood is priced and all the wood you pick is always 'the best they have', without fail this is the argument from the Turkish side "you have picked all my very best wood'! The Turkish like to deal and are very good at it. I was taught by my Arabian friends that you needed to be firm, insulted, disgusted, almost always resorting to verbal abuse, despair and whatever else needed to bring the price down. The process can take hours but after awhile agreement is made, hands are shaken and the deal is sealed. Smiles appear all around, you go from mortal enemies to lifelong friends in a split second. The wood is then signed so you know it is yours, taped together, and put in a room out of sight. The next time you see it will be in England back at the factory.

So my wood arrived today and here is a small selection of it, about half of it, the best half of course!

3 Comments

vance daigle on March 19, 2015 at 6:44 pm

Simon Sir,

This humble Ole wood snob is admiring the wood you have selected and have to say JOB WELL DONE!!!!! This certainly makes me want to order a gun just to spend a couple of " WEEKS" in your stock blank room looking at such beauty. Talk about wanting to keep every pup in a litter. One blank is as nice as the next, having to look for wood for a couple of projects I know how tough it can be....Hats Off to you Sir... Great Job!!

In Christ
Vance,

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- Simon Clode on March 19, 2015 at 7:14 pm
  
  Thank you Vance, it did seem to work out well this year. Mind you with this stuff I mustn't speak too soon as it can have holes and cracks appear when you start using it and end up in the trash!
  
  Simon
  
  Reply
neil mcveigh on March 20, 2015 at 5:30 am

Simon from the pictures its looks like you did alright!
some lucky individuals in a few years time will have gunstocks to die for!

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