Sometimes, these old pieces of wood just shrink. I've run across several old Parkers with wood-below-metal in areas that clearly have never been refinished. Sometimes, it's wear, especially on the bottom where the gun is carried. Sometimes it's dry climate. I have a friend who is a professional custom stockmaker and repairman, and he has had limited success with re-humidifying and "swelling" the wood back in a damp cabinet in some cases (after a complete stripping so that moisture can re-enter the wood).
Jim
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