Engravers have all to often found themselves lacking support and guidance when it's needed most and due to this situation they have had to stumble their way through the learning curve.   Although this is not entirely a bad thing at times when considering just how many new and innovative engraving techniques have been spawned from these circumstances.
Under ideal conditions engravers would find a local master engraving artist willing to tutor or take them under their wing as an apprentice engraver.   Sadly things could not be further from that scenario as the reality for most engravers is a completely different story altogether.   No matter how modernized we become and how much technology is at our finger tips it simply never replaces the teacher / student relationship and the hands on experience gained when a more knowledgeable artist is right there next to you.   It travels far deeper than just simple information.

This one on one relationship almost becomes a bond between teacher and student as certain emotions are translated which may inspire a student to achieve far more at a faster rate simply because he or she senses the support of the teacher.   That certain empty feeling of doing it alone, that fear that engraving students may experience when they question their actions "Am I doing it right?" "What if I mess it up?"   I can't imagine a single engraver that has not crossed this road.   Some are fortunate and have a natural ability to grasp things faster than others and can overcome many fears by finding their way around most situations given a little time to work it out.   But lets face it, we are not all great at the same things and we all learn at different rates as well as under different conditions.   And for this reason there is no substitute for a student / teacher environment with direct contact on a regular basis. Students will learn faster and better with this type of support.

Short engraving courses can be perfect for some people.   But what about those who learn at a slower rate?   Does this mean they will never become good engravers?   No it does not!   This leaves me asking one question, is a short course the right thing for every individual?   I believe it is not.
So how does the new engraver decide what to do, should he / she jump in and let passion steal them away and hope for the best?   Seems like a poor gamble of ones time and money.   If on the other hand time and money are not an issue, then an engraving course be it short or long, group or individual will surely enhance ones natural skills and we cannot consider this a loss even if expensive quality tooling has been purchased.

However for most, engraving begins as an interesting perspective hobby and money is not in abundance.   I feel that the best place for the aspiring engraver to begin is by purchasing the bare minimum of tooling, such as as single 3/32" square graver, a small light weight hammer, preferably under ten ounces, a small inexpensive swivel vice.   Even the hammer and vice are not essential components in the earliest stages.
A simple graver with a wooden handle, a small sandbag to rest the work onto, literature to instruct you how to shape and sharpen the engraving tool and guide you through the very basics. (check your local libraries for literature before spending unnecessarily). This should be sufficient in testing ones initial skills and rate of improvement.

The graver used will have to be pushed by hand pressure ( push graver technique).   This is perhaps the hardest method for any engraver to master as it requires a very sharp graver with fairly accurate tool angles in order to achieve sufficient control without skidding across the metal surface perhaps damaging other engraved areas.
Make no mistake, the push graver technique is a very powerful accent to add to your arsenal of skills.   In my opinion, once engravers feel comfortable despite the initial difficulties encountered or have roughly determined their adaptability, perspective growth rate or simply feel ready to move forward, then this background will serve as a strong foundation for any engraver who wrestles to make the wisest decision in choosing the next appropriate step.   Now is a good time to consider an engraving course, even a short one.

These days engravers are very fortunate.   Computers greatly aid our communications and we now have the ability to learn far more at our own rate of growth as well as shedding light onto a subject that all to often has appeared shrouded in a cloak of secrecy by many traditionally schooled artisans.
Today engraving courses are a good business like any other and therefore information is readily made available.   Regardless of this engravers still find it difficult to not only locate the proper information but also to collate it all once they have found it.

The most logical place to look would be online bookstores such Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.  However these are not your only resources, utilizing search engines for book searches relating to engraving in firearms, knives or jewelry, should yield some positive results. This site contains a few engraving book titles, check the below links and navigate to the EngravingArts bookstores. If you do not see titles that meet your needs then use the search box provided and seek engraving as a general topic. Also throughout these glossary pages there are several book titles pertaining to the subject and these have been selected as good literature that will assist beginning and intermediate engravers immensely. Also it is wise to search for engraving schools as well as engravers message boards / forums. Several are scattered across the web. Due to periodic address changes of these boards, I have omitted address links. Current boards should be easy to locate under search terms such as - engraving message boards, engraving forums, or engraving schools....
I hope you find forums a good experience and gain that little extra edge that books alone simply cannot offer.
Adone T. Pozzobon EngravingArts