TC
I don't consider myself an expert at detecting fakes and refinishes, but I know enough about finishes, markings, variations, history etc. to mostly keep myself out of trouble. Sometimes I depend on my more expert friends. In most cases it doesn't take a Kenyon or a Still to detect a fake.
Over the years I have gotten too many calls from closet Luger collectors that have discovered their rare-mint gems are fakes or reblues. Often the damage is not detected until they attempt to sell their prizes and find that honest dealers who know what they are looking at won't buy them. If the real world is ignored, beginning collectors are easy victims of dishonest dealers and the problem keeps accumulating in their collections.
Jan C. Still
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