Another Weird Cartouche, well to me anyway

[duke133]

Way late but thought I'd chime in. I have an original Rock-Ola carbine that has what you described on the comb. It is a raised RA bur very small. You can feel it with a fingernail as I noted in my data sheet back when. I knew I'd seen something like that before but can't recall if I ever posted anything on the carbine forum or not after I discovered it, and that was long after I acquired it.

[Bodyman]

The wood was sanded after the cartouche was applied. It then was exposed to something to raise the grain back to the original level. But when it came back up to its original level, because some of that original level had been removed it ended up proud or above it.

Think about it - it can only ever get back to the level at which it was made. If it ends up above it, it can only mean that some of that original level had been removed while it was down.