After a rigorous selection process, Somerton-based Gunmaker Mr Gareth Rule has been accepted into the Guild of Master Craftsmen, one of the oldest and most established Guilds in the UK.
The Guild of Master Craftsmen continues a great tradition established by the guilds of medieval Europe, and Mr Rule has now been named as one of only three gunmakers in the UK to be bestowed with this recognition and honour. As part of the Guild, Gareth will now be able to ensure his name and skills are seen alongside some of Britain’s best artisans and makers.
Gareth was trained by his father, Mr Anthony Rule, a Master Gunstock Maker with notable London gunmaker James Purdey and Son. He officially joined his father’s business A W Rule and Son Gunmakers Ltd in 1996 and completed his formal apprenticeship with The Worshipful Company of Gun Makers and The Gun Trade Association in 2005.
After the sudden death of his father in 2010, Gareth took over the 60-year-old family business, developing and expanding the company with the introduction of a successful retail department, an independent gun room with new and second hand gun sales, wood room stocked with the finest Turkish Walnut for clients to select and a redesigned in-house workshop to cater for all aspects of gun making.
Whatever their craft, skill or profession, members of The Guild of Master Craftsmen are thoroughly assessed to earn the right to be called master craftsmen. Once accepted, they are required to maintain The Guild’s aims and objectives to retain their membership, upholding skill, integrity and excellence at all times.
Whilst the majority of Guild members are modern day craftsmen drawing from building and allied trades, the Guild also represents traditional craftsmen such as cabinet makers, French polishers, furniture restorers, upholsterers, blacksmiths, thatchers, masons and stoneworkers. The wide Guild family has over 500 different trades.
Director of the Guild of Master Craftsmen, Martin Brown, says, “We are delighted to welcome such a fine gunmaker in Mr Rule to the Guild. This is a process that has roots from over 800 years ago and is an honour bestowed upon only the highest quality craftsmen and women. Gunmaking is an incredibly rare and sacred craft and Mr Rule’s immeasurable experience and knowledge is a credit to the future of the gunmaking industry.”