Over the last 25 years I've had guns done by
Adams, Alaimo/Harper, Thirion, Downing, Schowe, J. C. Randell. Some of my newest projects are being done by Darrick Smalley in Seattle.
Seen many more over the years. Some are better than others as investments. And to me an engraved gun is an investment (none of them are cheap) even though I shoot all of them.
Roscoe's advice bares repeating IMO:
"Good engraving can raise the value of a gun...but bad or even middling engraving can seriously devalue a gun. I sometimes have to bite my tongue when shown the awful work that passes for engraving on many cowboy guns. It is very sad to see a quality gun ruined by bad engraving."
When I want something really special done, top to bottom, and the least amount of fret on my part I go with Jim Alaimo. I like to pinch a penny and Jim seems high $ wise by my standards when you first start looking. Till you realize he gets it all done at a very high level and to date for me..always under his stated, up front, time line. At some point I decided he was rather a bargain with all things considered. Nice ivory as well
Taken some time for me but I'm a loyal customer now.
"I looking around for Colt SAA/3rd Gen. engravers. A person who will strip it to the white or have it done, engrave it, and reblue or renickel it."
With that kind of project...the recommendation is easy for me, having done it a few times now. But and it is a mighty BIG BUTT. I'd look around a LOT and figure out what you want for a pattern. I like classic Colt stuff from the late 19th Century or turn of the Century. Which in my mind means Cuno Helfricht (1871 to 1921 for Colt) although there are other Colt engravers that over lap on either side. He did both 1911s and the SAA in that time frame. So it is a good mix for me with short SAAs and the 1911.
If it were a 7 1/2 gun I'd go with an earlier/older Nimschke style.
Point is, there are lots of choices and styles to choose from.
A good investment prior to engraving is a copy of R.L. Wilson's "Colt Engraving". You can find them cheaper than retail, used, via Amazon.
More than half the fun is just deciding on how you want your gun done up (where Jim and his engravers excel IMO) and the other half is shooting when your project is finally done
Darrick Smalley Henry..