Ron Smith
GMP Instructor 2005
Biography
Ron Smith began his engraving career after a tour in the United States Army. His first job stateside was with a jewelry manufacturer where he learned how to size rings, set diamonds and engrave. The proprietor of the shop gave him a bench to use for engraving in his spare time, along with a palm graver and copper plates to practice. Something clicked together in his mind when he first held the palm graver, and as Ron stated years later, “I knew I would make this my life.”
Six years later, Ron started his own jewelry business and quickly discovered the key to survival was diversity. He studied scrimshaw, wood & ivory carving and print making. At the same time, he began to meet other engravers at gun shows. This led to the formation of the Firearms Engraver’s Guild of America, of which Smith is a founding member
Smith holds numerous awards and certificates from his many years of engraving. Two certificates he highly values are his Master Engraver Certificate from the Society of American Engravers and his Professional Engraver Certificate from FEGA.
Smith’s awards include:
- The Beretta Award of Distinction
- The Beretta Award of Engraving Excellence
- The Smith & Wesson Artistry in Arms Award
- The Smith & Wesson Renaissance Award
- The Firearms Marketing Group Award of Excellence (Two-time winner)
- The GRS Award
- The Barrett Smythe Award (Four-time winner)
In addition to teaching at Lassen College and at GRS in 2005, Ron has written two books on scroll design and application: Drawing and Understanding Scroll Designs and Advanced Drawing of Scrolls.
