American Art: Firearm Engraving by Samantha Cherry

By Major Van Harl

Wisconsin –-(Ammoland.com)- Nobody in the Cherry family remembers any art work on the refrigerator. It probably was not until Samantha Cherry was in high school that a profound understanding about just how artistically talented Samantha was, manifested itself.

A high school art project, a self-portrait done in chalk was being shown, when family, friends, teachers, and Samantha all came to the understanding there was real skill on display.

Miss Cherry’s art medium of choice is charcoal. She truly loves to draw in charcoal. She took these talents and earned an undergraduate degree in graphic design.

While in college it was suggested by her father that she explore the art of engraving on metal. Her father, Kevin Cherry, was in the fine gun business and understood the increased valued of a firearm that had been professionally engraved (www.cherrys.com).

Firearms Engraver Sam Cherry

Miss Cherry continued to hone her metal engraving craft by attending Michael Dubber’s Engraving Studio (engravingclasses.com) and learning from one of “the” engraving masters in the US firearms world. This quality early training has propelled Samantha Cherry into producing excellent art work on firearms, but then there was Italy.

Miss Cherry believed she needed to go to Italy and learn from the old world engraving masters in order to further refine her success in the new world. So she started learning Italian and spent three months in Italy studying engraving and improving her Italian. She returned to the US to practice her skills on real firearm engraving commissions. She then went back to Italy for another three months of increased and expanded proficiency training in firearms engraving.

Samantha Marie Cherry returned to the US to start her own engraving business, Engraving by Sam (https://engravingbysam.webs.com). Since Miss Cherry is known professionally as Engraving by Sam, she requested I call her Sam. If you look at her above website or go to her facebook page (www.facebook.com/engravingbysam) you will observe some of her latest engraving work.

This young woman has rare talent that like a great Italian wine, is only going to get better with age.

Sam explained her strongest art talent is her drawing abilities in charcoal. She is an exceptional artist first and then an engraver. In doing my research for this column I find there are many very talented engravers who do wonderful scroll and line engraving but have difficulties in producing fine featured art work. It would appear Sam excels with her work in bulino engraving.

Sam advised me if I want an image of my daughter engraved on a Henry rifle that is not her strongest area of engraving expertise. If I want an exceptionally well defined buffalo or elk with trees and mountains popping with intensity in the back ground, then Sam Cherry is the engraver you need to commission for that project. It is her keen artist eye for drawing and including fine details that she can project on a firearm action with her bulino engraving skills that stand out and engraving consumers are taking notice.

Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gun Works (www.facebook.com/tylergunworks), discovered Sam Cherry’s engraving skills almost by accident at a gun show in Denver. Sam had a table at the show to display her engraving work and Mr. Tyler was just about to embark on a new limited edition project of custom color case Ruger Vaqueros.

About Major Van Harl USAF Ret.:Major Van E. Harl USAF Ret., a career Police Officer in the U.S. Air Force was born in Burlington, Iowa, USA, in 1955. He was the Deputy Chief of police at two Air Force Bases and the Commander of Law Enforcement Operations at another. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry School.  A retired Colorado Ranger and currently is an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Cudahy PD in Milwaukee County, WI.  His efforts now are directed at church campus safely and security training.  He believes “evil hates organization.”  [email protected]