I don’t “need” to know anything about what was done and not done to this gun unless I am considering buying it.
It’s a lovely looking gun. If folks want to open a new topic on the current rules of restoration, please do. Today’s rules are not the rules of the 1920s, or 1960s, or even the year 2000. What was Gospel then is heresy now, and who knows what the future holds.
My “rules” are that if the gun has an important history or is rare and valuable (>$3000) AS IS then advice can be helpful for the purpose of keeping value. If it’s worth $50,000+ AS IS then it probably has value to our history and heritage and “art”; in other words some cultural value and greater care should be taken.
If it’s a tweener, say a $6000 gun, once advice solicited is given, I’m not sure why anyone would get into a huff over what the owner does. What would it cost to have the gun built today if someone wants a shooter that looks just like this one? $6000 minimum is my guess for this gun. Its collector value may be less than that to some here because of the work done but the current owner likes it. Bully for him!
An example: I found a trade axe head at a garage sale in 1978. It was from 1690-1720 based on where it was plowed up. Then somebody used it as a splitting wedge. “Oh that’s a valuable piece of history, don’t touch it!” Not really. All the local museums have several like it. It wouldn’t sell for $100. So I forged the eye back open, hafted it, sharpened it, and it’s my regular throwing tomahawk ever since. When I die it will be scrap metal because, “restored” or not, who really needs it for history or posterity or whatever?
If it was a pipe tomahawk owned by a famous person in history or passed around at this or that big meeting, or an outstanding example of a craftsman’s work, different deal.
Perspective. Context. These things matter.
