Parker VH 28 bore restoration

One thing needs to be mentioned... I have always performed all of the work myself but out of necessity I've had to seek help from time to time...but this has never really worked out, mostly because my vision of the end result is always quite different from someone else's....and entrusting one of my finished stocks to someone else after countless hours of meticulous inletting and finishing is frankly quite nerve wrecking, but a few years ago I was introduced to someone who I can now call my friend....and I know he doesn't want me to say anything (he's quite humble) but one must give credit when credit is due, because to find a craftsman who not only can lend a hand but also compliment your work is quite difficult.

Chris Dawe has been checkering my stocks for a few years now, his checkering work is as good as it gets...and I've seen a lot of it over the years, so I know.

All you have to do is look at the perfect execution on this Parker...it speaks for itself.

Thanks Chris!!

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Thank you Claudio for posting this thread. These are my absolute favourite threads and I am fascinated at the methods used and the progress as it goes along. The end result is amazing. My deepest respect and compliments to you Claudio and I agree that Mr Dawe did an amazing job on that checkering.
 
claudio o said:
One thing that needs to be mentioned... I have always performed all of the work myself but out of necessity I've had to seek help from time to time...but this has never really worked out, mostly because my vision of the end result is always quite different from someone else's....and entrusting one of my finished stocks to someone else after countless hours of meticulous inletting and finishing is frankly quite nerve wrecking, but a few years ago I was introduced to someone who I can now call my friend....and I know he doesn't want me to say anything (he's quite humble) but one must give credit when credit is due, because to find a craftsman who not only can lend a hand but also compliment your work is quite difficult.

Chris Dawe has been checkering my stocks for a few years now, his checkering work is a good as it gets...and I've seen a lot of it over the years, so I know.

All you have to do is look at the perfect execution on this Parker...it speaks for itself.

Thanks Chris!!

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Hard to believe Chris can do that fine work with those meat hooks he calls hands! :ROFLMAO:

Seriously though, I have come to find that when having Chris do any chequering, I get a better result if I just say "Do what you think it needs". Both the quality and the design are always perfect. Much better than if I try to tell him what it should look like.
 
canvasback said:
Hard to believe Chris can do that fine work with those meat hooks he calls hands! :ROFLMAO:

Seriously though, I have come to find that when having Chris do any chequering, I get a better result if I just say "Do what you think it needs". Both the quality and the design are always perfect. Much better than if I try to tell him what it should look like.
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Good thing you clarified that…he’s bigger than both of us😁
 
canvasback said:
Hard to believe Chris can do that fine work with those meat hooks he calls hands! :ROFLMAO:

Seriously though, I have come to find that when having Chris do any chequering, I get a better result if I just say "Do what you think it needs". Both the quality and the design are always perfect. Much better than if I try to tell him what it should look like.
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100%...I did the same when he made a new forend on a Perazzi trap gun for me. I said "you checker it how you feel is best suited". The results and the quality of workmanship was like nothing else I have ever seen or held in my hands. Perazzi's own in-house checkering does not even come close and you pay alot more for their workmanship than Chris'!
 
The level of finishing and attention to the finest (often unseen) details on a gun that Claudio can achieve is hard to describe in writing. Without seeing his passion and the fire in his eyes when he speaks about how he does his work you cant truly appreciate what goes into his projects.

He understands the mechanisms, processes, history, design, and intricacies. He learns. He researches.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know him, hunting with him and spending time in his shop. I have been lucky enough to see and handle some very beautiful best quality guns alongside guns Claudio has worked on and or restored.

When a gun has been restored by Claudio it is better than the best craftsmanship in the world. It is mechanical art that I would compare sometimes to a concours level OEM Ferrari restoration and sometimes more custom like Singer Porsches.

I know he is working on a few other projects that might be ready in the next year or so that will absolutely blow minds. Hopefully he can share them with those of us who love seeing the 'resurrections' ;):p:cool:

p.s. Chris Dawe's chequering is so perfect on this Parker. Wow. Another passionate world class artisan that we are so lucky to have in this country.
 
claudio o said:
As the metal work slowly comes together so does the wood finish and checkering.

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At some point the wood and metal go carefully back together….metal “in the white”…the last of the screws get fitted and dressed down, trigger guard polished and engraving recut, now the metal is ready for hardening!

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I thought only Spanish guns were marked on the left where as American and English were marked on the right. Was it common for Parker to mark the left screws? Maybe I'm totally mistaken.
 
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