Trail Talk - Spotlight on Renowned Engraver Sam Cherry

Trail Talk with Bobbi Jeen is proud to showcase Sam Cherry, an accomplished artist and engraver from Greensboro, NC. A fourth-generation contributor to her family’s firearm legacy, Sam combines artistry and tradition in her work. Her passion for art began early, earning her a BFA in Design from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2013. She advanced her craft through specialized training, including a six-month apprenticeship in Italy at the prestigious Bottega Incisioni Di Cesare Giovanelli, where she worked under master engravers like Mauro Turrini and Dario Cortini. Sam’s expertise spans techniques such as bulino, gold inlay, and Arabesque scrolls, which she applies to firearms, jewelry, and custom items. As the Secretary of the Firearms Engraving Guild of America (FEGA) and an engraving instructor at Montgomery Community College, Sam actively shares her skills and inspires countless others to pursue their passions.

Bobbi Jeen: Sam, thank you for joining us today for Trail Talk and for your new membership with the National Bit, Spur & Saddle Collectors Association. How long have you been engraving?

Sam: This year marks 10 years. I took my first class with Mike Dubber in the spring of 2014 and went to Italy in the fall of 2014 for an apprenticeship.

Bobbi Jeen: Now can we call you a Master Engraver?

Sam: No. I do not have my master’s certificate from FEGA (Firearms Engravers Guild of America). My scroll work is master-level scroll work, but my gold work is advanced-level gold work. You can say my scroll work is master-level scroll work, but I can’t be called a master until I apply and get my certificate.

Bobbi Jeen: How long does it take to become a Master Engraver, and when do you plan on getting your certificate?

Sam: I’m going to apply in 2026. It depends on the person, really. Sometimes it takes people 20 years to be good enough to earn their master’s certificate. Sometimes people can get it in 10 years. A group of other master engravers will judge the piece you submit and decide if you are good enough to be a master.

Bobbi Jeen: This is so fascinating, and I believe it will help encourage others to go after their goals and dreams just as you have been doing! You have been sharing your knowledge with others and helping to encourage them to go after their goals and dreams as you are striving to achieve yours. What inspired you to do that?

Sam: Well, lots of people say engraving is a dying art, but it doesn’t have to be a dying art. If we teach people what we know and encourage them to pursue engraving, then the art of engraving will live on! I want hand engraving to live on and the knowledge to be passed down to other generations.

Bobbi Jeen: Who is one of your favorite engravers of all time, and why?

Sam: Mike Dubber! He’s a phenomenal artist and engraver and a wonderful instructor. He’s generous with his knowledge and tools. He’s extremely patient and kind but pushes his students to do the best they can do. He’s a FEGA Master Engraver and one of the founding members of FEGA.

Bobbi Jeen: Tell us about your show-stopping expert-engraved Colt Single Action Army Revolver that raised over $20,000 for the Elizabeth Colt Legacy Foundation (ECLF).

Sam: Yes, we raised just over $22,000. For this gun, I took two months to research and design it. I looked through all of the Rampant Colt and FEGA magazines to get an idea of the kind of engraving they were looking for. I wanted to blow everyone away with the design. I made sure to make the design follow the rules of Classic Colt designs, but I added my own flair to it. My engraving is reminiscent of Colt factory engravers of the past with influences of Italian engraving, which comes from my studies in Italy when I first started engraving. I’m not fond of the appearance of the dot-punch background that’s common with Colt, so instead, I carved out the background and chose to matte it to give more depth to the engraving. I used several different kinds of gravers. I used a 120-degree graver and a 105-degree graver for the backbone of the scroll, then I used a flat graver to carve out the background. I used a single-point stippling tool to matte the background and finally the 105 and 90-degree gravers to add details to the leaves of the scroll.

Bobbi Jeen: Wasn’t it record-breaking for the amount raised?

Sam: YES! Their record was $20,000 in the very early years of the ECLF.

Bobbi Jeen: That just goes to show everyone recognized the quality, time, and pride that went into what you created.

Bobbi Jeen: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

Sam: Hmmmm, that is a very difficult question to answer. I would have to say my apprenticeship in Italy. I was scared senseless to be so far away from home, to live in a country where English isn’t the first language, and to be speaking a second language I hadn’t mastered. Courage isn’t an absence of fear; it’s being scared senseless and pushing through in spite of that fear.

Bobbi Jeen: What has been your hardest thing to overcome in this business?

Sam: How honest do you want me to be here?

The truly open and honest answer: My own self-doubt. That little voice that tells me the art I’ve created isn’t good enough. The little critic in me that is always nitpicking the final project is meaner than anyone else could be. If someone else is mean or a harsh critic about it, that becomes a challenge to prove them wrong, but that little critic in me is hard to overcome. 

The honest but more palatable (less vulnerable) answer would be: The first few years of starting an engraving business or any business are very difficult, and it takes statistically five years to see a profit. The first few years you’re trying to get your name out there and get business coming in. You’re working longer hours than you would at a conventional job with much less pay. It’s easy to give up during those times. If you don’t give up, you’ll end up with something amazing. I’ve never been one to take the easy roads, so here I am.

Bobbi Jeen: How could we get more individuals involved in engraving?

Sam: More affordable education in more locations. I find for most of my students, classes that are $1500, $2000, $2500, or apprenticeships like I did are unattainable. Students are getting educations and still working part- or full-time. Taking the time off of the job that pays their bills in order to attend a class that’s a large percentage or all of their monthly paycheck is simply out of the question. If you have a class that’s $2000, you have to consider the student could be paying for airfare (which can be $1000) if they live out of town/state. They have to pay for a hotel or Airbnb if they’re out of state, which can be anywhere from $500-$1000, and food for the week, which is around $150. The class that was $2000 is now anywhere from $2650 up to $4150 without any surprises. If we had more people teaching in more areas around the US, classes for engraving could be more attainable for many people.

Bobbi Jeen: Now that you are a member of the NBSSCA, do you have any fascinating ideas about engraving a bit or pair of spurs?

Sam: 100% yes!!! I did some Conchos for a western saddle six or seven years ago and have had so many ideas since then. I’ve just never had the opportunity to get into saddle engraving and engraving on bits and spurs! I have ridden horses since I was nine and have seen all of the beautiful artwork that has been done. I’ve always wanted to engrave bits, spurs, halter plates, barn door name plates, and western saddle parts! I’ll engrave anything that’s metal, but if it’s horse-related, I’m going all out.

Sam, thank you for sharing your inspiring story and encouraging others to go after their goals and dreams. Keep up the great work. God has BIG plans for you, my beautiful and talented friend. If you would like to learn more about Sam Cherry or visit with her go to cherrysengraving.com