Drew, your "'zipper' weld" loses me...
Is your term "zipper" used simply to describe the appearance? Certainly the segments weren't made to 'interlock' as the term might imply - they were simply the outer edges of the D3 or 3-iron ribands welded together.... right?

Steve Culver 'splains it much better than I could here Dean
https://docs.google.com/a/damascuskn...Ns5L2XVfc/edit

About ten years ago, I requested of Ron Kirby a Letter on a Parker I had recently purchased. Ron called me and told me the customer had requested "a blued, not browned" finish on the barrels and could I tell him what the barrels looked like now. I said they looked like any old D2 barrels I had seen. Pics below.

So, Drew... the "star" is the center of the bundle of alternating iron and steel "leaves"?

The size and shape of the 'star' between scrolls is a function of how tightly the rod is twisted, the angle and depth to which the tube in ground, and likely a bunch of other forging stuff that I don't understand :)

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../405342040.jpg

An AHE with 4 Iron Turkish "Star" pattern. Note the alternating black (steel) and white (iron) stars

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../356753700.jpg

Thanks Drew. I'll study the drawings and wrap my head around it.... Pun intended. :vconfused:

Wow! I thought that picture & barrels looked very familiar.
So what pattern are my barrels?
Has this picture been put into a picture file with other barrels I can check out?

It's Parker D3 3 Iron 'Turkish' Mike
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/19025099