"I didn't know I was working on a donation for the US Secretary of State," revealed Luhachovian David Kranz

less than 30k. But when you

read

t

I

how much time I

have

spent

with

it

you

will

see,

when

I

d

e d

what goes

in

the

brigade

I

it

to

give

the

ice cream

in

the

c. All that technology is worth it

if

you

do

it

except

you

engrave

it

and

you

make

the

cassette

you

have

to

devise

specific

tn

procedures. The actual

e

engraving

i

lv

the

key

takes

about fifteen hours. According to the engraved original, you cast it, then d

ě

l

á

again according to the t

ě

contours. And

l

e you have to follow

any

errors in the casting.

So in the end it's more of a prestige thing.

How did you get into metal engraving in the first place?

I

have

a

lead

in

a

business

major

with

a

high school

in

mechanics

, where he now teaches

m. Back then it was

high school

at

ch

or

š

t

me

.

School

has been connected with the

C

C

Esche Arms Factory in

Uhersk

e

Brod

where I then also joined the

y

production. I managed to get out of there for a two-year st

age

to America with the

Colt

company, known

as

the

m

e

m

maker

of

historic

pa

l

guns

.

This is where I got my first attempts at engraving, but more into wood.

After a n

a

return for m

I

in the

y

gun

there was no m

í

place, so I

C

Z a.S. d

e

was n

e

for some time normova

when

e. Sni

who

have but states and m

who

was addressed by m

of

j n

who

the

master of

the

school, If I didn't go to

which

to

it, because

I

had

a high school diploma and good practice.

Did you need any other qualifications?

Although I m

experienced

both in metalsmithing and in manufacturing in the gun industry, I had to get a

h

n

letter. As a blacksmith I was self-taught, for

e

I

knew at t

e

st

age

in America. So

then

I

did

also

work

in

a

letter

as a metal

engraver

and

a

p

p

engraver

,

taking additional teaching studies

so that I could

have

it. Well

I

have

been

19 years

in high school-COPt Uherský Brod majoring in Technician Rifleman

and

majoring in Um

e

lecko

arts

processing

and

metals

. We also have the option of distance learning at the school for the Toolmaker-Metal Engraver and Gunsmith courses that I teach. Because of the specialization and uniqueness of the fields, students from all parts of our country really attend our school and we have a few students from abroad. The field of engraving

has a perspective even today and I hope that the

craftsmanship will be maintained even in the age of modern technology

What is the application if a person is not directly an engraver?

He may even switch to jewellery making, goldsmithing or restoration. However, rather than goldsmithing, our graduates go on to study to become metal restorers in Turnov. Or one very clever student went on to become a dental technician. She didn't have so much of that artistic imagination, but she learned the technique perfectly, so she was awarded as the best lab technician in the history of that school and she put all those who went there from high school in her pocket.

What if one wants to make a living in engraving?

It takes patience and constant work and creative commitment. It takes a long time to establish oneself and get to a level where one can make a living out of this craft. It depends on the amount of time one is willing to devote to the craft. The craft is not just about the engraving itself, it is about creating designs, knowing many different technologies and last but not least dealing with the customer.

PHOTO: Copperplate / decorated revolver / knife in progress with engraving

How long does it take to beautifully engrave something?

I've been working on the knife I'm splitting right now for about 160 hours and it's not finished yet. It always comes down to the size of the engraved area and the engraving technique chosen. With a firearm, you can engrave something small on the bottom of the magazine box, or maybe decorate the whole gun. There is a constant interest in engraving weapons, but I mainly make and engrave knives in cooperation with Mr. Ladislav Mikulka and his son David Mikulka, who is also my former pupil.

What tools do you use for decorating?

You engrave with chisels

.

These are tool steel tools, I personally use HSS Co5. Of course

it's all about

what material

you are cutting into. But d

do

e

also d

make

micro

fr

e

a question.

You work on knives yourself, as you said. Do you also do anything else, perhaps directly for a local or for a building in Luhačovice?

For one of the locals I d

did

make a decorated

n

knife

. Te

d

d

e

l

a

m as horse

ch

ek i m

e

dirity The most

a

m

e

j

the

ch

of

the

ovick

of

the

buildings. I

h

had the chapel

h

by the columns

a

dy, as the oldest building of the baths grounds. I would like to

issue a limited edition

e

of

prints

and

offer them for sale. I don't

have

a

fin

a

ln

i

version yet, but the first

i

prints at

have

we

have

examined

and they don't

look

i

wrong

. I think people might be interested in this, especially

e

r

u

z

e

sb

e

r

or architecture enthusiasts of the luhačovice buildings.

Source of images for the article: N. Synek, Czech Senate, D. Kranz archive

Categories: Company, Luhačovice, Photo gallery, Interview