The Art Of Chequering

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Try as I might, I cannot find any confirmation of the spelling of a word I use on an almost hourly basis! Checkering, or chequering? As far as I can make out, ‘chequering’ is the correct British spelling, although various sources seem to dispute this in favour of ‘checkering’. I prefer the ‘qu’ spelling; it spells out and reads with a much higher level of satisfaction than the ‘ck’ option.

Despite the spelling, the fact remains the same – chequering is the formation of little square diamonds (or more increasingly, any shape that gives you some grip) on the parts of a gun to which your hands connect.

‘Proper’ chequering

By ‘proper’ I mean the truest type of chequering, which is little diamonds cut into wood by hand. This is an art form in itself, and in its purest, most exquisite format can make a gun truly spectacular.

The concept is simple: