And, unfortunately, I went about this in the usual "beginner fasion" and bought first then ask questions second. I have not received it yet but have already sent a certified check and then discovered what a value this forum can be. Looks like my first one is going to be a "lesson learned"...the hard way. I'll practice patience and do better next time!

Curious though, if it's not worth much, would I really be hurting the value by restoring? I have extensive experience in woodworking and gun stock making so I'm pretty handy with wood. This is well within my skill set. About the most I would do is inlay some patches to replace the missing pieces in the handle. OR, should I leave it as is?

What are the opinions on restoring items that are probably not of much value as a collectable?

Thanks in advance for input!

Bob