WOODENGRAVING
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JOHN REESE ENGRAVING T
he proverb: “Necessity is the mother of invention” came to mind, but with a different twist, when John Reese told me his life story. John didn’t invent something; he re-invented himself when a back injury forced him to leave the construction industry and find a new way to put food on the family table. John was injured while building gas stations in Florida, when he CLAYSHOOTINGUSA
found himself in need of a job. At the urging of his brother, he moved from sunny Florida to Polson, Montana, where local gunstock maker Bob James was looking for a stock checkerer. John, who had been an artist since his youth, jumped at the chance to learn a new skill that might eventually also serve as a creative outlet.
Early Days Bob James showed John a few checkering basics—like laying out the master line. The rest he learned from instruction books. Despite having no prior experience, he learned quickly by checkering scrap wood eight hours a day, sanding it off, and repeating the process until he became proficient.
CUSTOM STOCK CHECKERING, RESTORATION AND CUSTOMIZATION BY DANA FARRELL After just two weeks of intense practice James was ready to use him on some Brownings he was processing for their custom shop. Twenty to 30 Browning Superposed over/unders would arrive for stocking at a time. The checkering needed was “manufacturer grade” and wasn’t expected to be too exacting, according to John. This opportunity turned out to be the
