This is a very interesting post. I guess it boils down to what makes you happy. A well worn but honest Parker has been used for what it was intended for or a restored version of that gun that may or may not simulate what it looked like coming out of the factory. When I first got into buying and shooting Parker's I thought the latter. I was lucky to find and purchase, at a very reasonable price, fairly rare 16 gauge ejector gun, one of 24 such guns made in its configuration. The gun showed plenty of "honest" wear but functioned perfectly. I immediately sent it off to one of the top restoration shops that we all recognize for a total, authentic restoration. The wait for the return of my prize was almost unbearable. The day it arrived I could not wait to open the box and see what a "new" Parker actually looked like. To say my reaction was total disappointment would be an understatement. Yes, the wood looked perfect, the rust bluing on the barrels was beautiful and the case colors bright and colorful. To bright and colorful. The gun looked "perfect" and yet I was totally disappointed with it. The restorer had done nothing wrong or imperfect. Not his fault. I sold that gun within a month of getting it back restored. I now like original Parker's that have mellowed with time. After all, we all have.
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Daniel Webster once said ""Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoemakers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but in the mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men."
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