I think I'm going to throw up!!

[Bruce Day]

Yes, beautiful wood but the grain should have been better ( straighter ) through the wrist. I think it needs to be reinforced by a strong pin, not merely glued, so it won't happen again.

[Kevin McCormack]

Brian, now that you have been docented through all the drama and "what ifs?", contact Dave Wolf in Waco, TX. He has performed some truly miraculous stock repairs, including a spectacular DHE of mine that cracked just like yours did, only from recoil, not being dropped. The 100+ year old Circassian was as dry as a matchstick and fractured on an oblique angle running just behind the grip cap up to and through the aft of the top tang. The repair is undetectable. Be patient and have it done right the first time; this can be fixed.

[Hammer]

J. David Yale in Yellow Jacket CO has done some nice work for me in the past.

[Dean Romig]

Oh, by the way, one thing we've all neglected to say is "caveat emptor" of course.

But well worth restoring--I'm not sure who Eric (brother Michigander) was mentioning, but I recommend along with the other top drawer master gunsmiths previously listed- Brad Bachelder in Grand Rapids- If this "insight" helps, read the "project Parker" article I submitted to Austin Hogan- Brad found a later VH-GH No 2 frame size stock to fit the "project' GHE I own-- it has a crack at the wrist- but as it was a pg stock and had my dims. almost to a T-- I had Brad repair it and fit it- The GHE is still "in the rough" a bit- BUT you can't even see the surface scrack in the yet unrecut grip checking-

I'll let Brad speak for himself as to his techniques, but I am right now having him repair a previously repaired (by amateur) grip stress crack in my son-in-law's 20 some year old Browning medallion BA in .270Win. It is a LH actioned rifle, so replacement stocks for Southpaws are a tad harder to come by- Brad has done many similar repairs on BA rifles in harsh recoil calibres (.300 W/B Mag, .338 Win Mag- .375Mag etc) and never had one come back afterwards-

I am not an expert on stocking or woods and grains and the stresses and aging moisture/dryness factors during storage, but I keep Humid-Packs in the sound holes in my vintage Martin guitars during the winters- in the cases- I have seen other fine guitars with the tops buckled due to dryness-

Any fine Parker is well worth restoring/repairing- and as you have the scarce CHE grade-I would never tell another person how to spend their $- but if I were fortunate to have such a fine grade Parker- I would sent it to Brad--

Brad Bachelder- Grand Rapids MI- phone 616-459-3636 email at bachelder firearm@aol.com Hours are Tuesdays-Fridays 10:00 to 5:00, Brad's wife Lori is the manager- she can get you taken care of--

I think Maker's mark is fine bourbon- along with George Dickel and Old Cabin Still-a fine cure for snakebite or a woodchuck attack on CRP lands too!!

[Richard Flanders]

Dickel! Yes. thank you Francis. I've got two vintage Martins; My '70 D-35 finally split the bookmatch seam behind the bridge after 25yrs of the dryness up here. In summer you can't see it. My '68 Brazilian D-28 is still holding but I fear it with every passing year...

[Dean Romig]

Rich, sell them before they get any worse and invest the proceeds in fine old Parkers.

[VH20]

A gun of that Grade and value deserves the very best craftsman available. There's no doubt in my mind that the culprit is that beautifully figured wood. Always a trade-off between beauty and utility in that department. It definitely needs reinforcement during the repair. Either a very hard wood dowel, or pins. I really like the use of 4130 chrome-moly aircraft tubing for that. MAKE SURE YOU SAVE EVERY LITTLE SLIVER AND SPLINTER FOR THE REPAIRMAN. If you think you missed any, go back to the scene of the crime (I know - if you can find it again) and look for them. Even those little pieces that seem inconsequential will make the repair job much easier. The easier it is, the better it will look!

Richard Flanders - Holy Cow man! Are you not keeping a hygrometer and case humidifier in the case with those Martins up there in that arid deep freeze you call a state?? A Braz D-28 is Holy Grail stuff. Get with the program, son! (But DON'T use the Planet Waves humidifier that comes in the squishy bags that fit into a cloth sleeve. When they dry out they crystallize, rupture open and leak all over the guitar and case lining. They nearly ruined a high-end Taylor of mine. I think/hope they've been taken off the market).

Edit: I forgot to say how jealous I am. This thing started out about a Grade 4 Parker and now we've added vintage Martins to the mix. Just how much is a guy expected to endure in one thread?

[Brian Dillard]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Of course, that grain across the wrist doesn't help at all in the strength department. Highly figured wood like yours is a very good example of why Parker Bros installed the hickory reinforcing rod from the butt right up through the wrist of the stock.

Dean, I'm confused a bit. When did Parker begin to install a "hickory reinforcing rod from the butt thru the wrist"? This gun is a 1928 CHE and has no such rod in it. Was this an addition that Remington added to the fold when they took over? I certainly understand the application and obvious need for such a rod, wish mine had had one from the factory.

[Brian Dillard]

Originally Posted by David Hamming

J. David Yale in Yellow Jacket CO has done some nice work for me in the past.

David Yale has two of my DH guns at this moment...funny enough that's why I was hunting with the CHE. He's repairing one that began doubleing and doing a full clean on the other. I spoke to him this morning and asked if I could have one back ASAP so I don't have to go and shoot my LC Smith.