dehrlich -
Rather than a rope boarder how about something like . . . . barbed wire? A steady hand with a silver paint pen could work perhaps. When I did the Winchester 94 mount for my friend last month I initially thought of a walnut mount too; but a walnut gun stock on a walnut mount sorta blends too much for me. I ended up going with a walnut boarder w/cherry center. The cherry will darken over time somewhat but will still allow the rifle to stand out rather than blend-in. Ash or maple would work well too.
I also have a pending Henry job . . . . for mounting
two Henrys on
one wall mount (how friends can come up with so much work for me). Have an idea for mounting them
vertically as wall room is at a premium; that may allow me to use my magnetic mounting technique which I really like. At first I was thinking of a barrel-to-barrel (in profile) configuration but now considering barrels to the outside with 'HENRY REPEATING ARMS' or some such thing carved between. Takes awhile to flesh things out and many ideas come and go along the way . . . . as we all know! Good luck with the project. Be sure to post pictures when you finish it.