Interesting observation on Parker wood quality

[B. Dudley]

I recently got in a Trojan that has a few interesting features in the original wood.

We have seen many V's and G's that have very nice wood on them that makes us wonder if they are original or not. And sometimes we ask ourselves what Parker would have allowed by way of quality.

This Trojan is an example of both.

The back of the forend wood has some very nice curl all the way through it for about the back 2 inches. This is a feature that anyone would love to have on higher grade parkers since most forends do not show too much figure because of being such a small piece of wood.

But... on the buttstock, there is large knott right on the top of the comb about 3/4" in diameter. One would THINK something like this to not be desireable, even on the lowest Parker grade.

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[OH Osthaus]

for the foreend - in grading wood, only a little curl doesn't generally count for much, as in black walnut, it would not have gone on a gun above G unless I am mistaken (as I often am).

i agree the knot is strange to has passed muster, although i have also seen it on Fox Sterlingworths a couple time.

just thoughts, knowing how figure can appear in plain wood and disappear in figured wood as the shaping is done, maybe both of these spots where a surprise discovered after the wood was shaped. I once bought a modestly figured piece of maple for a longrifle, (actually the one I posted pictures of on this board once) when the stock was completely shaped the wood was outstanding, never knew it from the outside.

also - on the knot - drying out through the many years may have made waht seemed like a minor flaw look much worse.

just thoughts

[B. Dudley]

I too have seen knots in stock wood, but most were small and add some natural character to them. But this is the first time seeing one this big.

You are right in saying that you never know what wood will give you once shaped down. Or even planed for that fact. I made a large purchase of black walnut last year of about 40 blanks. All were very rough sawn and filthy from sitting around for a long time. I didn't think that any of it was very nice stuff, just plain jane. But once I started to plane some of it down to thickness, I found some very nice surprises.

Chasing figure can be fun sometimes. If I get to planing down a thick piece and there is very nice figure on one side: guess where all of the excessing is coming off... the other side.

[charlie cleveland]

brian that forearm on that trogan was unusal to be on a trogan...and that big knot on the stock musta been slipped by the inspector on a 5 minutes before the quiting whisle blew on a friday evening... charlie

[Dean Romig]

The forend wood is much like the black walnut used in the Remington era of Parker production. What is the serial number and are there any Remington date codes on the barrel flats?
The stock wood, on the other hand, looks like some other Trojan stocks I have seen.

[B. Dudley]

It is an earlier gun with Trojan top rib extension. S/N 182634.
I will have to double check, but I do not think there is any extra markings on the barrel flats.