Another case color question

[Ray Masciarella]

This question must have been asked 100 times so forgive me. I searched old threads but couldn't find the exact answer.

I have six Parkers all made between 1890-1900. Most have some original CCH to some degree. Sadly, one of them has no trace of CCH whatsoever and my guess is that it was cleaned at one time. Not polished but someone probably took some steel wool to it to clean it up. It now has a uniform dull white color. I don't want to restore the gun but just have the frame recolored because it looks funny to me.

On my unmolested guns, the colors are blue, pinkish and some straw. All are faded. The blue has darken. The pinkish probably has lightened and is very translucent. Blue is the dominate color but there is quite of bit of pinkish. I have not seen any recoloring, including Turnbull, that seems to get the pinkish color right. The pink probably was redder when new.

Who does the best job of getting the blue/pink combo to look most like a Parker of the era of my guns?

Thx, Ray

[Bruce Day]

Both Doug Turnbull and Brad Bachelder are highly regarded among Parker collectors for being closer than anybody else. Some re color jobs turn out better than others, and they have both refined their colors over the years.

However, I am aware they they cannot absolutely predict the precise result, and you seem to have a precise acceptable result in mind, so you may never get exactly what you want. Both Bachelder and Turnbull have websites, and show their re case color jobs. If you don't see something acceptable there, I don't think you would be satisfied with either.

Both Brad Bachelder and Doug Turnbull are PGCA members, both have been friends and supporters to the organization and have attended PGCA meetings. Brad is frequently on this forum. I am aware that some very particular and discerning Parker collectors have chosen either Bachelder or Turnbull to do re case jobs, and I am aware that at a Julia's auction a couple years ago, experts believed that several Parkers had original case colors until Doug Turnbull advised that he had redone them. I personally do not have any re case colored guns and live with what I have.

[Ray Masciarella]

Thx, Bruce. I understand. Was just wondering if there was anyone out there whose CCH had more red/pink and less straw.

[Bruce Day]

Those two are the best that I have heard of. Call them and discuss. Brad told me he was aware that different colors could be produced. Whether that could be done reliably is another story. There are Parker experts who say that nobody yet has exactly reproduced Meriden colors, but Turnbull and Bachelder are close. Others say they are dead on.

But this kind of detail and sublety would be difficult to reproduce. Yes, I need to straighten the screws.....they all work loose after a while.

My personal view may not matter, but I see a transluscence in original colors that I don't see in re case color jobs. Its even more pronounced on physical inspection in natural light.

[ed good]

there is no simple answer to your question. particularly when you consider that parker case colors differ from period to period. generally, 19th century made guns have brighter colors than do 20th century made guns. and then there are the remington colors which are all together different than any of the earlier meridan made guns...

[Ray Masciarella]

This is the best example I have. Gun is circa 1898. I'm in the process of having a friend of mind (who knows how to take photos worth looking at) take photos of other guns I have and hope to post them one day. If you saw this gun in person, the colors would be blue/pink/purple. The photo Bruce posted is very similar to my guns but his has more color. I agee with Bruce that the original color was more transluscent then what I've seen in the recolors today.

Since I'm not "restoring" anything it probably makes no difference but just wondered if anybody out there can do the blue/purple/red/pink transluscent colors.

ray

[Bruce Day]

Ray, yours is a fine A grade, possibly a B, but its hard to get a finely engraved gun to hold and show case colors well. The best photos are taken outside on a cloudy day or early in the morning or late afternoon, no direct sun, no flash. The best show of case colors really comes from a V grade.

Obviously its your decision about what to do, but there is some value in collector community consensus, and maybe post photos of the gun you are considering having re case colored?

I had somewhat of this same conversation with Brad Bachelder, and you might see what he says to you.

[John Campbell]

Ray:
It's your gun, so do what you wish. But... nothing good can come of re-casing the frame. And it may even warp it. Today, the best 'smiths of double guns actively discourage new case. I agree. And re-case is an especially bad idea if you send your gun to anyone in upstate New York.

Why not simply darken the engraving and buff down with Scotch Brite to the level of the gun you show in the photo? To me, new case on an old gun is the classic example of tarting things up.
But Americans love flash. So go for it if you wish.

Best, Kensal

[Ray Masciarella]

Yes, it is an A grade and all of my A grades that have color are hard to see because the engraving is so fine and tight. Even harder to photograph. Easier to see in person. I don't have a good photo of the gun I'd like to recolor. Not yet anyway. Thx again. Ray

[Ray Masciarella]

Kensal

How do you darken the engraving and buff down to colors shown in my photo? I can't create color. I agree with you that new CCH on old gun looks silly at times but better then shinny white I think. I'm interested in what procedure you think would work. Can you tell me how you would do it. Thx, ray

[Ed Blake]

To me the engraving stands out much better on guns with worn case colors. Plus, I would think the prep polishing would mute the distiinctive engraving of an A-grade. No way would I recase a gun like that.

[Bruce Day]

Ed, Brad Bachelder will pick up the engraving on guns before case coloring, so loss of engraving definition from buffing is not an issue with that technique.

But I don't mind the silver frame on this old 1889 gun.

[Ray Masciarella]

Wow, now that is a nice looking gun right there. I wish mine looked just like it!

If any of you got the impression that I'm recoloring the gun I posted in the photo, don't worry because I would never mess with that one! It is a great old A grade with very little use.

Ray

[John Campbell]

Ray:
With the assumption that your engraving is still fairly crisp, and hasn't been buffed, the approach I mention is fairly easy to do. However, if you are only a "basement gunsmith" in experience level, I think you'd be more satisfied if you called Bachelder, told him what you wanted to achieve WITHOUT a re-case, he'd be able to do it for you in fine order. And without much expense. Then you'd have a professional job that will look much like the gun above.

Best, Kensal

PS: The process used at Hollands involves some stuff called Roto Ink.

[Bruce Day]

Some people like these case colors.