canvasback:

I guess I should have better stated my tongue in cheek response in that in my mind I was inferring that both Lovena and Tichy more than likely had the same or similar clients and the probability is pretty high that the craftsmen at Lovena and Tichy passed thru the same shops as journeymen. Also both Lovena and Tichy sourced the same, or similar, craftmen for components or longarms in the white. It seems that WWI is a watershed moment for a firearms merchant actually contributing effort toward the end product in that prior to WWI, and it may be a factor of mechanization, shops may have just sourced components while post WWI it appears that they were ordering weapons with their name roll stamped on the tubes. I've seen pre-1900 examples where the craftsmen at the firearm merchant's shop actually overstamped the marks of the craftsmen who actually performed the work. So many times the marks are either overstamp or worked off in an attempt to conceal the master craftsmen.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse