This website has been designed, and is maintained, by Les Schowe.
Copyright © 2012 Les Schowe, all rights reserved.
Images on this website may not be used without written permission of the artist.
I finally retired after spending 34 years working as a design engineer in the electronics industry as a degreed Electrical Engineer. My engineering career had been quite successful. I was granted 9 US Patents, and I worked the last 20 years in Colorado designing integrated circuits for the computer and disk drive industry.
Moving on in life after retirement, I did not take long before I made the about-face from being a highly technical person to becoming an artist/craftsman. I entered this arena when I built my first 18th century flintlock rifle in 2001. I then went on to build 7 more flint lock rifles and a few pistols and pipe tomahawks along the way.
My rifle building interests naturally evolved from the actual building of the rifles to learning the art of carving the wooden stocks and then on to the art of engraving the rifles metal components in the style and spirit of the 18th century rifle builders.
I soon found that my real passion was to be in engraving, and I became very excited about the prospect of learning as much about the art and the craft of engraving as I possibly could. I went on to take several engraving classes, and most recently I studied under Master Engraver Mike Dubber to study firearms engraving, and more specifically the engraving of Colt Single Action Army Revolvers.
My engraving interests over the last 7 years has taken me through engraving replica 18th Century Flint Lock Rifles, to Western Bright Cut engraving, to Knife engraving and finally to firearms engraving.
At this point, while I am still actively engraving and producing engraving work, I have decided to share my knowledge and experience with other potential engravers. I have started a small engraving school in my studio to teach engraving to students on an individual basis. I am very interested in the teaching of any students who have the desire and interest to learn engraving. I am especially interested in teaching people who have retired from successful careers and are now looking for a meaningful new life experience in a new area.
I am an ardent student of the art of engraving and I am a member of the Firearms Engraving Guild of America (FEGA). I am also a member of the Mountain Plains Border Collie Association, Colorado Gun Collectors Association, Texas Gun Collectors Association, the Colt Collectors Association, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the Boulder Rifle Club.
My Engraving Studio
A little Dual Sport Action in Colorado
My Best Friend, My Border Collie, Shane
