Does Germany not still have a few barristers that use sheepskins to pen deeds as we do here in Alabama?
I do not have any idea on German Law, but I was under the impressions, false or not, that a German Gunshop shall have a resident Master Gunsmith?
Answering the questions:
- In Germany, any legal use of parchment and vellum faded out in the 18th century, and I would not even know whether it was the beginning of the 18th century.
- Only the Roman Curia retained parchment up into the late 19th or even 20th century, and only for special ocassions, like papal bulls or special liturgical purpose.
- Diplomas have, at least since the early 19th century, been calligraphed on paper, not on parchment (and "parchment paper" or "velin paper" have of course nothing to do with any animal skins).
- Parchment is used today for bookbinding and restoration, for some private, non-official craft work (artistic calligraphy), and of course widely among the Jewry worldwide, for ritual purpose.
- Exactly the other way around. A gunsmithing mastership diploma - or, to be very precise and correct, not the diploma itself, but the usually subsequent official entry in the "Roll of Artisans" with the regional Chamber of Artisans and Craftspersons - confers to the holder / entrant the full rights of a German federal firearms licence. So, all master gunsmiths with own workshop also "have" an FFL equivalent, for engaging in the trade (which is 90 % of their income, usually 95 %). But the vast majority of the many FFL holders have no gunsmithing diploma - neither journeyman nor master - and have never learned the craft. Hence, they are not licenced to produce firearms, or to do any major repairs on them, themselves.
Carcano
