Tony-
Good thoughts. Thanks for sharing. I enjoy many of the same aspects of old guns and it's good to see these feelings put into words.
One thing: I have a problem with the idea of "restoring" a double. Personally, I think this is a very misleading word. I believe "refinishing" is a more accurate.
Restoring implies that a gun had been returned to its original condition. When a gun is original, the bbls have been blacked once, the action has been colored once, the checkering has been cut once, the locks have barely been fired, etc.
Unless a gun is returned to this condition, I believe it is refinished, not restored.
From what I've seen in the gun-buying world, the market agrees with this. That's why original condition always commands top dollars.
BTW: I don't mean to disparage your work or skills by bringing this up. I only mean to raise this issue for discussion. As good guns get scarcer, more dealers are telling buyers that restored/refinished guns are just as good as original ones. This troubles me.
Thanks again,
OWD
Last edited by obsessed-with-doubles; 11/06/11 04:14 PM.
