I have quite a few antique swords, mostly of SE Asian origin. The first one I’d like to ask about is a war bolo from Mindanau in the PI and is of aprox. 64-128 layer laminated steel and is around 150-200 years old. I need to remove a very thin layer of surface rust from this without destroying the beautiful grain pattern of the steel. What would you recommend?
The other sword that needs work is a Japanese Katana. I am unsure whether this is an original or a reproduction. My belief is that it is a WWII officers sword made for use in the Pacific area and has VERY heavy chrome plating on the blade. There is a small discolored spot on the edge which is a nagging irritation and I would like to remove it. It looks like the previous owner cut something with it, probably a plant, and did not clean the blade properly. This is not a valuable piece but I would like to care for it.
Also, any tips you have on general care of antique swords would be appreciated. I am in Riyadh and we have extremely low humidity and sunlight that is strong enough to strip paint in a short time.
Books are best preserved in about 50% humidity at 50 degrees, with minimal light exposure.
However, as long as the humidity and temperature in your home remains fairly constant, you should be fine with having it on a bookshelf, provided that the spine and binding are sturdy. (If it appears to be loose, your best bet would be to lay the book flat, rather than stand it up.) Keep it out of direct sunlight, of course, and periodically check for parasites.
If you want to put it in storage, get acid-free tissue paper and an aci-free box. If the cover or bindings are loose, rip strips of cloth from a clean white bedsheet (preferably rinsed several times to make sure there’s no soap or fabric softner residue) and tie it snugly, but not tightly. Wrap in the tissue paper, and place it in the box, which could be stored in a closet, since indoor closets have pretty stable environments. Never store it in the attic or basement
It probably has. Depending on how attractive it is, it may still have some value just as a pretty piece of nice furniture, but as an antique, it’s not very valuable.
As long as it’s sturdy, you can keep using it. There’s no reason to not use sturdy antiques, as long as care is taken with them to protect them from scratches and other damage.
You could try coating the frame with a clear varnish of some sort, maybe in a nice matte finish. That should keep the paint from flaking off.
Unless you have kids or pets, I really wouldn’t too much about lead contamination-- that is, if you don’t make a habit of eating the chips. Whatever contamination you’ll get from it is nominal since it’s relatively small.
If you ever decide to sand it, you should do so outside wearing a mask. Last year, they sanded a room in the museum which had lead paint. Every night, I would go home with that sweet taste coating my throat.
This one is tough. At work, I have used mineral oil and super-fine steel wool on Civil War sords to remove rust, but if the grain is very delicate to where even tiny scratches would harm it, I’d have it professionally cleaned.
I’ll ask about this today at work to see what they think.
You can try a product called Nevr-Dull on the Katana. It’s excellent at removing tarnishes without harming the surface. (You can find it on the internet.) That might do the trick. If it doesn’t, let me know, and I’ll see what else I can come up with.
You could also possibly try the Nevr-Dull on the rust. It won’t harm the blade, but I’m not sure if it will remove it or not. I’ll check out the product when I get to work and see what it says.
Caring for swords is pretty simple in a low-humidity environment: make sure that the blades are kept fingerprint-free. (We have a Civil War sword in which the fingerprints of the owner actually ate down into the surface of the blade.) Don’t use cleaners or polishes for everyday dusting-- just use a cotton cloth, or better yet, Swiffer. When in doubt, rub the product on a window or mirror. If it leaves a smear, don’t use it.
Keep them out of direct sunlight, of course, and if you’re storing them, keep them wrapped loosely in a clean white cotton sheet. Don’t use artificial cloths because some of them off-gas as they break down over time.
This is a link to a photo of silver that is the same as what my grandmother gave me before she died.
Recently about half of it “accidentally” made it’s way to the dishwasher. I have always handwashed them, but TeenSthrnAccent was helping out. I suppose it’s possible that somehow over the last 15 years I never mentioned and he never noticed that we don’t run them through the dishwasher. :dubious:
At any rate half look different that the other half. I’m considering running the other half through as well so they won’t look different. However as you can see, at $50 per fork replacement I’m also worried that I’ll totally ruin the other half. Then again I can’t afford to replace what’s already been “washed” any way.
[QUOTE=AbbySthrnAccentRecently about half of it “accidentally” made it’s way to the dishwasher. I have always handwashed them, but TeenSthrnAccent was helping out.
<snip>
However as you can see, at $50 per fork replacement I’m also worried that I’ll totally ruin the other half. Then again I can’t afford to replace what’s already been “washed” any way.
What do you think?[/QUOTE]
It should be an easy fix.
Try Nevr-Dull first. It should remove any tarnish. Nevr-Dull is an amazing product. We use it all the time. It doesn’t scratch like Brasso or other abrasive cleaners, so it’s safe to use on fine metals, and it really works well. (I’ve used it on priceless, irreplacable silver pieces with complete confidence.) You’ll be astonished how quickly the tarnish and discolorization comes off.
One warning: wear gloves. You’ll be sorry if you don’t. Your fingernails will look like an auto mechanic’s. Also, don’t rub too hard-- let the oil in the cotton do the work for you. Silver is relatively soft and if you rub very hard, even the soft cotton fibers can leave tiny rub mark scratches.
Afterwards, you may want to hand wash them, because I imagine that Nevr-Dull is not a product that one should injest.
Testy, my boss suggested using Nevr-Dull first on the sword, because it’s the least damaging of the possible methods of cleaning. If the rust is very light, the product should remove it relatively easy. Rub gently with a very wet piece of the cotton: dig to the bottom of the can for a piece that’s thoughoughly soaked.
Afterwards, you may want to wipe the blade clean with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol to remove any lingering oils.
Thank you for this. Now I’m off to find out whether Saudi has nevr-dull. I’d like to eventually pass these swords along to my descendants in good shape.
Great thread! I need to look for some of that Nevr-Dull at my hardware store. I have a question about a delicate piece that really isn’t an antique but is of definite sentimental value to me. It’s a brooch my late grandmother owned and gave to me. It’s porcelain, and is in the shape of a carnation - lots of extremely fine porcelain ruffles. Dust collects in the grooves of the “petals” and I’ve tried cleaning it delicately with a small brush and a very lightly moistened tissue but there’s some dust I just can’t get out. What’s the most aggressive way I can afford to clean this piece? As far as I can see, it’s entirely glazed. Would it be safe to submerge in water?
Submerging pieces in water is always the last resort.
Are you positive that the “dust” that you see isn’t actually part of the decoration? Some pieces are made to look antique even when new, including “dust” deep in the crevices.
Secondly, is the porcelain glazed? If it is, you have more cleaning options. If it’s not glazed, I’ll have to ask about it at work.You’ve got to be more careful with unglazed pieces.
If it is glazed, I would suggest first trying to moisten the tip of a toothpick to soften it a bit, and gently scrape the dirt away. An even better option would to be to get one of those rubber-tipped under-the-gum scrapers that look like dentists’ picks-- you can sometimes find them at Wal-Mart and the like. Done gently, neither the wood nor the rubber-tipped pick should harm the porcelain.
If a solvent is what is needed, I would try paint thinner (mineral spirits.) Test it on the back, just to be sure that the color is fast, then use it and a toothbrush to try to get the dirt out. (I know what you’re thinking, but paint thinner is actually pretty benign as solvents go.)
Ah, thanks. Yes, it’s glazed, and I don’t think the dust is decorative, at the very least not all of it - It’s gathered more over the years. My grandmother left me a few small fiddly porcelain ornaments - she seemed to have a thing for minute pots of flowers, so if I can work out cleaning this brooch then I might tackle those next (carefully!) with the suggestions you made. Thanks again for the helpful information!
I have a 2’ high sculpture from around 1860, carved by the Lulua tribe in what is now Zaire. (I picked it up in Uganda). It seems to be in pretty good shape hiving spent an awful long time in the rainforest, but now it is in temperate Ontario. Any suggestions as to whether I need to give it any special care?
It’s not painted, is it? If it is, you should take care to sheild it as much from the light as possible. Any light will fade the paint over time, but you can protect it as much as possible by putting it in a UV-filtered glass case.
Think of paint as you would your skin: any exposure to sunlight will damage your skin, but you can protect yourself with SPF and stay out of the sun as much as possible.
Some paints, however will break down over time, and there’s very little you can do about it. Organics are the worst culprits-- they change colors, fade, spot and flake off at the drop of a hat. If you start having this problem, consult an expert. Maybe they know of some method of halting the progress of deterioration, but I do not.
If it’s not painted, then your only major issues are keeping the humidity steady, and keeping it out of sunlight (to keep the wood from bleaching). Every now and then, I’d go over the surface with a soft, dry paint brush to rid it of any dust lurking in the crevices. Other than monitoring it periodically for insect damage, you’re good to go.
First, polishing should be done in various steps. Usually you would use coarse sand papaer (100-200) move up to finer papaer (1000-2000) move up to a metal polishing liquid and finish it off with very fine steel wool.
Note that this is what I do with quality western replicas and should not be done to pattern welded blades, or the Katana as it will have an effect on the appearance of the blade. I’m not sure if your antique falls into that category.
As for taking care of it, you may want to follow Lissa’s advice. I take care of replicas and do not own antiques. I know that functional replicas require an oiled blade. You should place a light coating of oil on the blade regularly. Just about any light or medium oil will do.
And don’t neglect the handle and hilt of the sword. Take of any leather/wood compoenents as well.
Ive used ultra-fine steel wool and mineral oil on swords before, but it’s a bit risky. Unless the blade is severely rusted and pitted, I would go with a more conservative method to start with, and then pull out the big guns if need be.
In my museum, we never use metal polishing liquid. Brasso and the like can leave a lot of scratches in their wake. Sort of odd that we use ultra-fine steel wool, but abhor the polishes, come to think of it.
Your comments about oiling the blade made me wonder about another product we use: Renaissance Wax. After I finish cleaning fine metals, we sometimes give them a light coating of this wax and then thoughoughly buff away any residue. It seems to keep silver and the like from re-tarnishing, so I wonder if it would work equally well on sword blades. I’ll have to ask about that.
Are you referring to oiling or waxing the leather?That’s something we don’t do in the museum. I have heard of “feeding” old leather, but sometimes it does more harm than good. Some oils can cause moisture to be trapped within the leather, keeping it from “breathing”, which can cause it to rot. Oil can also destroy the tensile quality of leather.
The way that it works is that the absorbed oil causes the fibers in the leather to swell and sometimes distend from their tightly packed natural order. When they become looser, the leather becomes weaker, and there’s just no way to repair this.
The tannin and oils in leather can cause their eventual deterioration. One such condition is called “acid rot” which looks quite a bit like dry rot, which is why people add oils-- thinking that the leather is too dry. It makes a red powder, but this can also be caused by keeping the leather item in too high of temperatures. (Ideal conditions are 50% humidity and 50 degrees, just like paper.)
Oiling wood is also unecessary. As long as it’s kept in stable conditions, there’s no need to do any more than wipe the dust off occasionally with a dry cloth.
An earlier poster mentioned scrimshaw, but was more concerned with display options for his larger piece.
Mine is a whale’s tooth scrimshawed with a sailing ship (named) and dated 1845. It’s currently standing on a wooden table with several other small objets d’art in a corner of the living room that’s not exposed to direct sunlight. Other than placing it there, I have done nothing to the piece, which I’ve had for about 15 years (a gift from my mother, who bought it at an auction).
Are there any proactive measures I should take regarding its care?
I have an early 18th-century double headed, 18" ice blue jelly dong. In order to preserve it I wondered if you suggest using water-based or oil-based lubricants?
Right I understand. I do oil my wooden wasters regularly since they are not in a stable environment all the time. They go from my air conditioned apartment, to humid workout rooms, to the outside, etc. Definatley agree with you here specially if the item is in an stable environment.
May I ask where you got it? Authentic scrimshaw made in the 1800s are as rare on the open market as hen’s teeth, no pun intended. Finding a real piece at a garage sale, or the like, is as amazing as finding a Van Gogh.
Other than handling it as little as possible to prevent oils from damaging the surface, and the usual warnings about temperature and humidity changes, you’re fine. Just keep an eye on it for any condition changes-- if you see any rapid deterioration, take it to a professional ASAP.
Hiya, I remembered this thread, hope you are still up for some advice! I just got an antique Troemner #65 analytical balance. It is mahogany and glass with a perfectly functioning mechanism. The brass and German silver parts are a bit tarnished and the wood is very dusty and has some stains from its use in a laboratory somewhere.
I dont want to make it super clean looking, what should I use to clean it gently?
I’d like to eventually pass these swords along to my descendants in good shape.