Gameness is either there or not, you can add wind....how about ability?

[Officially Retired]

How honest a dog is IMO, is a constant. In other words a dogs gameness is absolute. It must manifest though and of course the handler plays a roll in that. Different variables and intensity of those variables will show you the cur. Some folks are better at avoiding or nullifying those variables.
As for the physical attributes. Everything can be refined but the more you refine something the increments become exponentially smaller. Like previously mentioned, some folks whet the blade better than others.
Something must be seen in order for it to manifest. At the same time other things need to stay unseen. It's always interesting to see one mans dogs in another good mans hands. Everyone has a different gauntlet with different variables and intensities.

Totally disagree with you and believe your opinion to be the great blunder in thinking of most dogmen: the game/cur mentality (as if there aren't degrees of gameness).

Gameness = the will to win. And the will to win does vary within the individual and *is* influenced by many factors (age, condition, health, level/style of opponent, etc.).

Anyone who thinks that a dog is either "dead game" or "a rank cur" ... and that there aren't an infinite degrees of gameness (desires to win) inbetween these two extremes ... again suffers from the greatest mental block and lack of understanding in these dogs.

Jack