Joe Loy, Engraver Extraordinaire

[Dean Romig]

I had made this post on another member's thread where I perhaps should not have....

I'll present this more as a question because I really want to learn, rather than be argumentative...

Regarding any engraving on a Parker of any grade being "attributed to Loy" or Joseph Loy or Joe Loy, my question is this...

In all the time I have spent in researching engravers who embellished Parker guns with their art, I have never once seen or read anywhere, including The Parker Story or anywhere on the Internet, be it in archives of factory engravers or contract engravers or on the various BBS forums where known experts have made statements to the point.....
That Joe Loy ever did contract engraving for Parker Bros. It is a known fact that he did wonderful work for Ithaca and Remington and there is even the possibility that he may have contracted to engrave a very few Parkers under Remington ownership - but never in the Meriden days, that I have ever heard of or read of.

So, my question is this (for the education of myself as well as all of the readers of this forum), can anyone provide bona fide documentation of a single Parker shotgun engraved by Joe Loy..... or proof that he ever contracted with either Parker Bros. or Remington Arms Co. to engrave a Parker shotgun?






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[James J. Roberts]

Dean,Joseph Loy is mentioned in Charles Semmer's book Remington Double Shotguns page 162 Loy did engrave for Parker & Ithaca.There was a article in the Double Gun Journal on Joseph Loy's hammer & chisel that some lucky person found at a gun show in Connecticut. J.J.

[Dean Romig]

J.J.,

Do we know when Loy engraved for Parker? Was it in the Remington days? I would think the authors of The Parker Story would have included even a tiny mention of that... yet there is none.

I've studied Loy's engraving style, especially his wonderful dogs, and have never seen a Parker with his dogs... They are, in my opinion, unmistakable.
Can ANYONE show pictures of a Parker with engraving not "attributable" to Loy, but KNOWN to be Loy's work or proven to be Loy's work?

I know this is a tall order to fill, and could even be impossible to do, and once again I apologize to appear argumentative.

Best, Dean






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[James J. Roberts]

Dean,Maybe Joseph Loy did some engraving for Parker as an out side contractor not working at he Parker engraving factory,I also studied Loy's beautifully engraved sporting dog's Loy like to put his initials in between the his English scrolls. J.J.

[Will Gurton]

I have not seen an example of a Parker that I thought resembled Loy's work.

However, it may well have been like the Winchester Engraving as in "When in Rome, ..."

Parker may have dictated certain styles not to be strayed from.

[Dean Romig]

That, my friend, is a very fine example of Joe Loy's work. Thanks for sharing!

It is said that "once you know what to look for, it is easy to recognize his signature." but I still don't 'know what to look for' but I do know his 'trademark' style.



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[James J. Roberts]

Will,That some really beautiful engraving on the A-5 Browning thanks for sharing. J.J.

[Will Gurton]

Thanks James it's actually an early Remington.

[Kevin McCormack]

Here's another one...Will, we should get together sometime and have a "Loy-Off"!

[Phillip Carr]

I really like his woodcock. DEO Remington

http://parkerguns.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=54005&stc=1&d=1492012504

[Bill Anderson]

I love everything he did. He is why Remington 1894s are my favorite SxS to collect.

http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y480/TommyGunsNo1/0e352c0f-e02e-4d58-a8bb-6220b3d0bba3_zpsxdfpb1lq.jpg (http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/TommyGunsNo1/media/0e352c0f-e02e-4d58-a8bb-6220b3d0bba3_zpsxdfpb1lq.jpg.html)

Bill

[Will Gurton]

Here's another one...Will, we should get together sometime and have a "Loy-Off"!

Kevin,

Let me know when you are heading back to Beaverdam.

I had a chance to visit with Don and Russ on one of their excursions.

Will

[Brian Dudley]

Bruce Day is a student of C grade guns. I wonder what his thoughts are on a Loy connection to Rondel motif guns. ??

[Dean Romig]

If Mr. Day chooses to respond, I would hope that he would answer the question I asked in my initial post at the start of this thread.





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[Will Gurton]

Like Dean I have seen various theories on hidden signatures, initials, and tell tale hallmarks of Joseph Loy, since as with Remington tradition engravers in the early 1900's rarely signed their work.

This photo from Jim Atkins shows what the late Charles Semmer, author of "Remington Doubles", felt were the engravers initials J and L worked into the border of an engraving pattern on a Parker. I call them "Bookends" and have seen them on many different manufacturer's guns, over a broad timeframe, and what appear to be many different "Hands" that engraved them.

Sincerely, Will

[Will Gurton]

And again with Brush Buster.

[bob weeman]

Those early high grade Remington 11's are some of my favorite guns. I have a beat up D grade only though. Still searching for an F I can afford. Cabelas sold a F for 999.99! Way below what it was worth in my opinion. Wish I had seen that one! Still on the web if anyone cares to view it....

[Alfred Greeson]

A customer who would go for that Remington is none other than Tom Selleck, if it was ever for sale.

[Alfred Greeson]

A customer who would go for that Remington is none other than Tom Selleck, if it was ever for sale. Of course, there are many who would love to own a Remington like that. Thanks for sharing.

[John Dallas]

A friend of mine has developed a nodding acquaintance with Selleck at gun shows. This same friend used to run with Jim Leyland, the retired Tiger's manager, and had him personalize a special Detroit Tiger's hat "From Jim Leyland to Tom Selleck". I understand it is now Tom's go-to gun show hat