As our "knowledge" continues to be refined, I thought I'd post a summary of what we "know"
at this point
1. Parker produced Laminated Steel c. 1877-1880 which may have a 'P' on the barrel flats. Austin's Grade 3 SN14056
2. Laminated Steel ? of British or Belgian origin in the same time period
Albert Zinn's late 1870s 16g Lifter labeled 'Twist' but clearly laminated steel.
c. 1890s Belgian Laminated Steel in THREE variants
3. Belgian "Pointille" Laminated Steel
1890 12g Grade 1 courtesy of Milt Fitterman
4. Dean's 1892 Grade 0 clearly a different pattern
5. 1893 10g Quality O courtesy of Bob Brown with Parker "Fine Laminated"
The 1899 Catalog lists "Fine English Twist" on Quality T, S, R, P & N (and later as an option on VH guns), "Fine Laminated Steel" on Quality I & H, and "Fine Damascus" on Quality G, F, E, & D. The Parker "Fine Laminated" offered on Quality I and H hammer guns in the 1899 catalog is a grade below the "Fine Damascus" used on Quality G guns. The 1888 Colt Patent Firearms catalog also has a quality gradation from Twist to "Laminated" to Damascus, and Hunter Arms used "Laminated Steel" on Quality No. 1 L.C. Smith guns 1892-1898.
Whatever the later Parker 'Laminated Steel' is, it's
not the very high grade (expensive) British Three Rod Laminated Steel used on c. 1870s-1880s British Best guns prior to the introduction of Sir Joseph Whitworth fluid compressed steel (the earliest Purdey documented with Whitworth was made in 1880) and which was declared the winner of the 1893 Birmingham Proof House Test.
Parker Laminated Steel
Threaded Mode