I was born in South Africa and now living in Slovenia for the past 12 years. I grew up on our family farm of 2000 hectares and from an early age spent most of my free time gun in hand walking and hunting on the farm.
South Africans are less familiar with custom guns; when I had spare money I would upgrade to a better serial gun. My views and beliefs continued during my first years of residence in Slovenia. The first guns that I bought from Ales were Blaser bolt action rifles; I was limiting myself because as humans we are designed to see what we already looking for and believe in. The first custom gun that I bought was a double in 9.3x74R made by Ales. It took that first custom gun to get me “hooked” in the art of fine guns and to be converted for life; I am addicted to Ales’ fine guns.
Not only do I own many of Ales’ fine handmade masterpieces, I have gotten to know Ales as a friend. We have hunted together in South Africa. I am a high-expectation customer, but still Ales resets my expectations in every one of his guns. I find myself saying the gun is perfect and no need to go back to the range while Ales insists to validate until he is 1000% satisfied. I do not know anyone more passionate in his trade and more committed to excellence than Ales, and it shows in every gun that he builds.
Put a Spendal gun in your safe alongside any other gun and see the contrast. It cost me a small fortune to get rid of my serial guns, the result is my car is 7 years old, but it has been worth it. Ales builds his guns to the highest standards of functional excellence, hence he is irritated that I use a serial gun for hunting. Ales’ guns are the art in my life, I have great joy looking at them so I hope I am forgiven for wanting to keep them in the same condition for future generations to marvel at. Ales has shown me his rifles after several years of intense use and they look new, but I am unchanged … they are my babies.
I am introducing Ales’ guns to South Africa through The Powder Keg, a hunting specialist store I own in Johannesburg. The Powder Keg strategy focuses on the best value equipment for the price paid and there is no other custom gun of the same functional quality and elegance than an Ales Spendal hand crafted masterpiece for the price. I forgot to mention, his guns shoot like hell, each of my guns from Ales shoot sub MOA groups at 100m.