Engraving question

[Ray Masciarella]

I noticed that some of my Parkers have the shaded areas further darkened with paint or some type of ink. This must have been done after CCH. Does any one know what was used? Was it applied every where? I can't tell if it is in all the scroll, ie am I seeing paint or case color that is dark?
Depending on what gun I look at, it seems that the paint may have only been applied where there are fine shading lines and not all over. I have one gun where the figures in the fences are shaded with fines lines that look to have paint. Another gun doesn't have the fines lines so no paint was used in this area on the fence but the scroll seems darkened.
Insight anyone? Thanks!

[Dean Romig]

I have often wondered the same thing. I have had guns that I would have liked to rub india ink into the engraving on a gun with no remaining case color - but I didn't . . . but who's to say what some former owner might have done in an attempt to enhance the engraving. I don't know what might have been done originally but the black in some engraving is most certainly a hardened mixture of grime and oil.

[Chris T.]

It could be the remnants of some stock finish, or someting put on to protect the case colors like tru-oil. I once heard the Parker used to put a thin coat of stock finish on the action to help the colors wear, I don't know if it is true or not.

[Ray Masciarella]

I think some of the darkening is grime. But I have an AH in pretty good condition that definitely has some type of black ink/paint applied to the shading lines in the fences and floorplate. Very well done. Looks old. So I thought it was original. I have never seen anything written about the process/possiblity.

[Kevin McCormack]

India ink was routinely rubbed into the engraving, especially on the higher grades, in order to produce engraving "pulls", or reverse images, for recording the work or to provide prospective customers the opportunity to see exactly how much detail could be obtained by the engraver. One of the times I sat with Bob Runge prior to my DGJ article on him, he showed me a 3-ring binder full of plastic-folder pages of engraving pulls from guns he had done. Most impressive, I can assure you.

[Drew Hause]

Ink "pull" of a Ken Hunt engraving courtesy of David Trevallion