Gentlemen, This reply addresses an eailier post today and Fred's responce. You'll need to back up a few frames to get to the shared discussion between Fred and myself.
Fred did in fact conduct a curtious and professional approch to my comments. But if you read what I wrote you will find it basically refers to 'Barrel Signatures' and signature forgeries. And the ease of taking a digital rendition as opposed to a hand drawn example and getting it right on an old gun to enhance its value. This is all based on 'old timers' fear of fake barrel signatures because it truly was an epidemic, of sorts, 60-70 years ago. There are stories that will scare the pants off the new or intermidiate collector of today especially in the high dollar market.
Patch boxes are of no concern to me unless one has been added to an old gun, which never had one, to enhance its market appeal. I have seen 3 examples.
As Fred pointed out it is an 'Education, Education, Education' experiance. My caution is not a 'today' issue. It is a 80 years from now problem and a continuation of old time fakes and the lose of their historical significance. Say for instance a Mark Wheland rendition Bonewitz rifle hits the market in 2095. The patinia is there, the crafstmanship is equal to if not better than the original and all reference to Wheland has been removed. Somebody [Dr. Sirkin comes to mind] is going to put out big buck
to buy a 300 year old original. Folks, I have been looking at Bonewitz rifles for 50 years and was totally blown away just a few months ago when handed a modern interpretation of an Faux finished example of John Bonewitz was presented to me for comment. I was ready to sell my wifes car to buy the gun when I noticed a very small issue Jack Brooks had incorporated in the carving. However, I spent an hour or more believing this gun was for real and offered the owner a sizable sum to purchase the gun. Granted the lighting was bad but the rendition was as good as I have ever seen. It was only after seeing Jack's signature on the barrel I realized my 50 years of experiance was worth dog @#$%/!!!!!. 80 years from now the gun, after the removable of Jack's signature, and this is my guess, the gun will sell for 6 figures!!! It is that good!!
So, really what has happened. Barrel signatures have been forged for over 60 years. Carving styles have been duplicated with the advantage of digital photography and patch box designs are an after maket advantage to those not willing to file out the details like the original makers. The final finishes are starting to match the 200 year old patina and brass aging has become a second grade conversation.
How does one protect there investment? Education, Education, Education and Education.
I do not wish to discourage entries to Fred's valuable commitment to the young collector but I would rather see 'Fakes Identifide' as a portion of the field input. And I would also renew my oberservation that very few collectors will answer the call for 'Barrel Signature' examples; it simply goes way back in the history of the custiodial aspect of the collector.
Fred's on to something pretty neat here but the dangerous issues are addresed. The reader and contiributor make the final, final, final input. With respect, HIB
