FWIW:
Years ago furniture restoration had [and still has to a lesser degree]sort of parallel problems to this discussion. Fortunately, there is a lot of finish and woodworker talent out there: an immense amount numerically, compared to the "gun world".
Eventually, when highboys went for 12 million, the science and art of 'preservation and restoration' stared to draw it's guidelines from the world of formal high art conservation. On the whole, having added the ethical mindset, knowledge of material, historical forensic overview [ie 'truth in testing'], and the techniques developed to be suitable for other high dollah goods has been a positive input to the trade.
All that can be a two edged sword, when administered by trust fund babies with power tripping egos, but business is business, and in the end 'preservation' has proven it's market worth. Antique Roadshow, BTW, gave the whole concept of ethical restoration practices huge public exposure. And so, i do think that opening up this idea to the 'general gunsmith trade' will eventually benefit the objects we so wish to preserve.
The preservation/conservation/restoration idea DOES P.O. quite a few of the furniture repair folks to this day. Tho, about any restorer with pretensions to fine work now tacks 'conservation' somewhere in their shop propaganda. There is no real regulation for use of the term, other than having y'r peer certification stamp from the American Institute of Conservation. Mebbe a few hundred people, nationwide, who went thru the hurdles and schooling to nail that?
The reason for this dis-cursion here, is that I just wanted to shed a little light on the difficulty and problems of raising the bar overall in a trade. However, as is obvious in the ranks of "The Woodies", [yes, that's the nickname the AIC Museum Guard used to use for the common tradesmen who once comprised the Wooden Artifacts Group], there is much more awareness among restorers today of at least giving lip service to the idea of preserving and NOT destroying an object, in order 'to save it'.
Not having much time for all this lately, but wish the best to those who are engaged in opening the topic for discussion. One good thing about certain segments of the 'gun folks' collectors, is that condition is the trump card on the factory made Marques such as Colt or Winnie or Parker. Dunno if'n I want to get QUITE that obsessive, but at least keeping scopes off'n pristine iron sighted rifles would be a start.
