Checkering

Borderless checkering on a rifle's wrist

Checkering wrapping around the underside of a rifle's forend.

Flat-point, borderless checkering on the wrist of a Rizzini shotgun.

Checkering - A regular pattern of fine grooves cut into the surface of a stock to aid in gripping a gun. Originally done for utility only, checkering has become an art form in itself; craftsmen adorning the borders with ribbons, fleur-de-lys, floral carving, etc. The amount of coverage, the precise regularity, and the number of lines per inch indicate the quality of the work. Too-fine checkering, however, defeats the purpose of the work altogether.

Beyond utility---checkering as an art form in itself.

Or, a German affectation, fish-scale "checkering".

See also: Checkering with Mullered Borders

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