How Parkers were manufactured
 

Hi, Just wondering if any one has the knowledge as to how Parkers were manufactured, and the desire to share it here.
I am thinking details. How metal and wood arrived.
Example: A 6 inch block of metal came in, went to the drop forge, then hand shaped into a reciever, then it went off to the engravers table and... While this was going on a stock blank was machined or hand inlet.........
Well thats a lot to ask and my expectation is not that high. Thought someone might like to. I think most would like to read it.

The Parker Story will answer most all your questions. It's the bible of Parkerdom.

Edgar Spencer can probably answer some of the questions that TPS does not answer. His family has been in similar forging manufacture for generations.

I was curious as to when electricity was available? If it wasn't from the beginning, how did they power their machines?

Steam.

Electricity? You guys have electricity?? Wow.... I didn't have it until not that many years ago...

Richard,
I bet your stress level is pretty low ! Someday I may see that country !

Machines of the time ran on steam engines and a common drive shaft in the ceiling that would have belts dropped down to the various pieces of equipment. Don't think anyone heard of O.S.H.A. in those years.

Fred Devine Accident
 

Probably the most famous shaft drive and belt accident was the death of master bamboo rod maker Fred Devine.

http://www.oldrods.com/fddivine.htm

During fly fishing trips in the late 1970s and early 1980s I occasionally stayed in a still functional water powered roller flour mill that had the loading dock/office area converted to a B&B. I know people in 1900 were on average smaller in stature and girth than today, but looking at the maze of all those "open" shafts, pulleys and belts turning at the same time, I marveled at how anyone could move through such tight quarters without loss of limbs or worse.