Lettering and Proof-Mark Restoration
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These are as good as whoever made the stamps or dies. I've seen pretty good ones, and I've seen some awful ones.
The basic problems with these are (a) you have to first remove all traces of the existing lettering before using a stamp or die. There can be a great number of ill-effects from having to do this. For example, let's say the Patent dates and Rampant Colt on the left side of a single-action frame are badly messed up. Some of the later patent dates are deeply stamped, so to remove all remnants of these in order to re-stamp them may mean removing so much metal that you're losing the correct contours of the frame, or breaking thru the trigger-guard's rear screw-hole walls (a single action frame is always polished with the guard and backstrap attached).
Then (b) you would need a die or stamp for everything you did. If you only worked on single-actions, you could probably count on having 100 or so different ones for all the combinations of addresses, patent dates, styles of Rampant Colts, inspector marks, serial numbers, and so on that have been used over the last 130 years. A hundred of these, at a cost of about $25 for a single-letter stamp to $300 or so for an address roll-die... well, you do the math.
Now if you worked on literally hundreds of different make/model combinations, you might multiply 200 make/models times 10 dies needed for each, times an average cost of $150 each. I get about $300,000 for those. And then just try finding the exact one you need when you need it!
Hand-Lettering:
The major advantage to hand-lettering (which is what I do), is that very often lettering that is weak, or even where a few letters are missing entirely, can be touched-up without having to polish off the whole area.
I re-cut lettering using very special engraving tools which I've developed out of necessity over many years. All the work is done under a 40 power stereo microscope, so I can re-do lettering that is as small as it ever gets: lettering that is only .030 in height is no problem.
A distinct advantage in doing hand-lettering, backed up by my extensive collection of ink prints, is that you're not limited by having or not having an exact die. For example, there are certain versions of Colt addresses which have known characteristics of the original die. Certain missing serifs off certain letters; a broken "O" that looks more like a "C" and so on.
I get a whole lot of the same type of problem: Rampant Colt's with missing heads or feet, for example. I don't know how many hundreds of these heads and feet I've put back on. There are well over 50 different Rampant Colt designs thru all the years of Colt Single Actions (about 20 in that line), model 1911's, Woodsman, and on and on, so when you're putting a head back on the horse, it's very nice to know which head it had in the first place! That's where the ink-print collection is worth its weight in gold.
On every re-made die I've ever seen for Colt addresses, the periods are always round. Colt's periods were square. On early
Colt addresses, there was no period between "HARTFORD" and "CT", but virtually all re-made dies have a period there.
It's these little things, that make it right, which can be done with hand-lettering.
Hand-cutting produces a V-groove just like an original die. If it's a really good job, it's almost impossible to tell hand-cutting from original without at least 10x magnification, but because it is done by hand, no 2 jobs are absolutely identical in every minute detail, although the variation is often extremely difficult to detect. The smaller the lettering, the closer I can make it look precisely like the original.
Pricing:
See Lettering Pricing for cost information.
There's a $45 job minimum, plus return shipping, to cover handling/re-packing, etc. This minimum is basically aimed at the "Can you just touch up the 2nd 'B' on the line?" kind of job.
Extra-fancy types of lettering, such as Old English, can run up to $3 per letter.
Logo's, such as the Rampant Colt, average $20. More complex logo's, such as the S&W with trademark lettering, average $40. Most other logo's are somewhere in between (POR).
Proofmarks, such as Crown-M's on Lugers, usually run in the $5-7 range, depending on complexity. A Luger Eagle proof is usually $5, but an Eagle/635 proof is $7. (POR). An American Eagle on the chamber runs about $70.
Certain types of lettering jobs cannot be accepted. These include, but may not be limited to the following. Please ask if you're unsure:
1. Double shotgun barrels.
2. Very long and/or very heavy rifle barrels; e.g., Winchester 76 or 86, Hi-Wall #5.
3. Extremely hard parts. Examples are Series 70 and Delta Elite Colt slides. Most Stainless-Steel parts. Post-Imperial Luger parts (K-dates and later, including all Mauser-Luger parts).
4. Plated parts. When you cut thru plating, it will tend to flake off or chip off. I'll only do plated parts if the plating can be polished off or stripped.
5. Mauser rifles and parts.
6. I will not engrave a person's name or other inscription on any gun or part. Please don't ask. I have to remove enough of these 'custom' things (engraving, stenciling, punch-dot markings, nail-scratching, or whatever) that have already ruined a gun. I won't compound the problem by putting these kinds of things on a gun.
7. I also don't put Colt or other manufacturers lettering on clone parts. Many people ask me to make a brand-x slide, for example, look like a Colt slide. That doesn't happen here. There's a big difference between restoring the lettering that was on a part originally, versus a complete fake or forgery.