Soul is not entirely in the mind of the beholder. It comes from different places.
A brand new Parker in 1911 might have lacked 'experience', and might have lacked an owner as it sat on a gun store shelf. But it still had plenty of soul. The character it would gain over the coming years of use would round out its soul - but the care and thought that went into its making ensured it had soul from day one.
Similarly, I don't believe any amount of beholding will ever imbue a Winchester 24 with soul.
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