Cut by hand. Never repeated.
The work of Lee Griffiths — master engraver — presented through Status Symbol for private commission.
In collaboration with Lee Griffiths Engraving, Emporia, Kansas
A living master of the American tradition.
Lee Griffiths is among the most accomplished hand engravers working today. His work spans the full range of the discipline — shotguns, rifles, handguns, Bowie knives, pocket watches, jewellery, and presentation pieces — each executed with the burin alone, without the aid of machines or pantographs.
His commissions have been acquired by private collectors, sporting estates, and institutions across the United States and Europe. Through Status Symbol, his work is available to clients for whom the object itself is not enough — who require that every surface speak.
No subject is beyond the graver.
Lee Griffiths' journey into engraving began unexpectedly in 1997, when two neighbouring farmers asked whether he could embellish a pair of knives they were making. At the time, Lee was a full-time farmer with no formal engraving experience, few tools and even less spare time. What he did have was a lifelong interest in art, a willingness to experiment and the determination to learn.
After watching a local engraver work with a hammer and burin, Lee returned home and began teaching himself. His first tools were handmade from materials found around the farm: a hammer fashioned from scrap steel, a carriage bolt adapted into a handpiece and a bag of rice used as a makeshift vise. The equipment was crude, but the fascination was immediate. Much of Lee's early work was completed late at night or before sunrise, fitted around the demands of farming.
A defining moment came when Lee attended the annual exhibition of the Firearms Engravers Guild of America. He arrived intending to decide whether engraving had enough promise to justify continuing. Within 15 minutes, the decision was made. The skill, generosity and camaraderie of the guild's members convinced him that engraving could become more than a hobby. The guild became both a source of knowledge and a community that would shape his career.
In 2002, Lee began teaching engraving classes for Glendo and GRS. Although he had never attended a formal engraving class himself, teaching became an important part of his development. He continues to believe that every student brings new ideas and that the learning process works in both directions. Lee later had the privilege of attending Grand Master courses with some of the most respected names in engraving, including Ron Smith, Winston Churchill, Ken Hunt and Martin Strolz. He now also offers private instruction from his own workshop.
In 2007, the family farm was sold and Lee's long-held ambition of becoming a full-time engraver became a reality. Since then, his work has been shaped by discipline, curiosity and deep respect for the traditions of the craft. His clients often become friends, while fellow engravers, collectors and patrons continue to play an important role in his artistic life.
Lee remains grateful to those who have worked to preserve engraving and pass its knowledge from one generation to the next. His story is a reminder that mastery does not always begin with perfect tools or formal training. Sometimes it begins with scrap steel, a bag of rice and the willingness to keep learning.
"Engraving is a great way to make a living and a terrible way to make money."
Lee GriffithsEvery surface. One hand.
Firearms
Shotguns, rifles, handguns
Side-by-side and over-under shotguns, bolt-action and lever-action rifles, single-action revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. Receiver panels, trigger guards, floor plates, barrel flats. Scroll, floral, game scenes, portraiture — to the client's brief.
Knives
Bowie, hunting, presentation
Blade flats, bolsters, guards, and pommels. Bowie knives, hunting knives, and presentation daggers. Damascus and high-carbon steel. Handle materials sourced to complement the engraving — stag, ivory, stabilised wood.
Horology
Pocket watches, wristwatches
Case backs, bezels, and movement bridges. Pocket watches and wristwatches of any calibre. Engraving that works with the movement's geometry rather than against it — a discipline requiring both artistic and horological understanding.
Jewellery
Rings, bracelets, lockets
Gold and platinum settings, signet rings, lockets, cufflinks, and bracelets. Monograms, armorial devices, and freehand ornament. Work scaled to the millimetre, executed with the same authority as a full rifle commission.
Presentation pieces
Commemorative & ceremonial
Commemorative plaques, trophy furniture, ceremonial swords, and bespoke gift objects. Pieces made to mark occasions that deserve permanence — retirements, inheritances, milestones that warrant an object rather than a gesture.
Stock carving
Wood relief & inlay
Relief carving and chequering on rifle and shotgun stocks. Walnut, maple, and exhibition-grade blanks. Carved panels that extend the engraved metalwork into the wood — a unified object rather than a decorated one.
From brief to object.
Consultation
We arrange a private consultation — in person or by correspondence — to establish the object, the subject matter, the style, and the depth of coverage. Lee Griffiths is involved from the first conversation.
Design
A detailed design is prepared and presented for approval before any steel is touched. Revisions are made until the design is exactly right. Nothing proceeds without the client's written confirmation.
Execution
The engraving is cut entirely by hand with the burin. Lead times vary by scope — a single knife bolster may take two weeks; a fully engraved side-by-side shotgun, twelve months or more. The work is not rushed.
Provenance
The finished piece is accompanied by a signed provenance document: the commission brief, the design drawings, Lee Griffiths' signature, and the date of completion. The object and its record are delivered together.
Commission an engraving, or discuss a piece already in your possession.
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