Nameplates...To engrave or not to engrave?

[Bill Holcombe]

Just curious about the opinions of those of you who have guns with unengraved name plates. I have a DH with a blank name plate.

Hadn't really thought about it until recently when seeing some pictures of some of the fine Ds on this board that have been engraved.

Don't know that I would or where I would send it, but the idea is just curious to me now if anyone engraves a nameplate(oval) on a parker they really like shooting that is blank.

[Dean Romig]

It's your gun - why not personalize it if you plan to keep it?

I had the oval on Kathy's Repro DHE 28 engraved with her initials. I brought it to a friend who owns a very upscale jewelry store in Salem, Ma. and asked if his engraver would do it. He admitted that mine was the most unusual request he had ever been asked to do but he said he'd have it done exactly the way I wanted it. The job came out very nicely and he only charged me $25.

[Bill Holcombe]

I agree Dean, i just had no idea of who you would take it to.

[Brian Dudley]

i would wager than more Parkers left the factory with un-engraved plates on them than engraved ones. Especially on the lower grade guns.

If you want to personalize the gun, do it. But it may be a negative on resale.

[greg conomos]

It's like buying a rare book - let's say a Gutenberg Bible - that's had the inside inscribed with 'To Joe, from his good friend Larry'. Better to leave no trace.

[John Campbell]

It's like buying a rare book - ... Better to leave no trace.

This is good advice. An old Parker is a snapshot in time. A moment in history. You only own it for short time. But the gun will likely outlast you. Leave it alone. The future will thank you.

And your ego should survive.

[Dean Romig]

I don't know of a single gun with a personalized plate or shield, even with the initials of a complete 'unknown', where the gun is devalued because of it.
Sometime in the future, many, many decades from now, somebody will either buy or inherit your gun and will either wonder just who "W.H." might have been... or will cherish it because it was a favorite gun of Great, great, great Grandpa Bill's - favorite enough that he put his "seal" on it.

[greg conomos]

It would be best, then, to inscribe your SSN on all metal surfaces. That way no one will ever have to wonder who you was.

[Bill Murphy]

Imagine the surprise of the Parker collector who, years from now, discovers Woody Harrelson's Parker at a gun show.

[John Campbell]

That does it. I can't wait to find Brian Williams' Parker!

[Harold Lee Pickens]

My DHE 16 O frame has "Jos. Gray, Atlanta, Ga." on the oval and the the letter has it going to Anderson's harware store in Atlanta. Personally, I think that is great, and it lets me dream that it was someones plantation quail gun back in simpler times.

[Bill Murphy]

I would be trying to identify Jos. Gray, but that's just me.

[greg conomos]

It might better not to know....you'd be disappointed plenty if you found that Mr. Gray was a wingnut salesman who is 36 years old.....

[Harold Lee Pickens]

tried that, but didn't get anywhere