Did Parker Bros. use stain on their stocks?

[Austin W Hogan]

I did a study of this several years ago. I used 2 x 8 inch walnut blocks, finished with a variety of shellacs and varnishes. I found pre EPA Man o War spar varnish closely approximated furniture finished by my cabinet maker great grandfather. Zinsser Bulls Eye Orange Shellac, applied with a rag french polish style, most closely matches Parker stocks. This is supported by both Johnson's book, and a Parker shop order in the PGCA archive.
Note that modern linseed oil does not contain sugar of lead; it may host fungus or mildew in humid places.

best, Austin