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Thomas Hoogendam
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 Posted: Wed 07 Sep, 2005 1:39 pm Post subject: Hilt finish: How do you guys keep everything so shiney?? |
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I was just wondering what people on the forum do to keep pommels, guards, baskets and other hilt fittings as good as new??
I myself just 'let them go', basicly. I whipe them off after handling with a clean cotton cloth, but no oil. Really heavy rust is removed, but stains are just left alone. I like the look of a hilt that's slowly but steadily getting an aged look.
In any case, as I said, merely curious as to the methods used by forum-members to keep hilt furnitire clean.
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Wed 07 Sep, 2005 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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A couple of my hilts are coated with a clear polyurethane varnish, so they just require a periodic wipe-down with a dry cloth. I also have a couple with bronze hilts that I let tarnish until I decide to polish them up.
For my non-coated, steel-hilted swords, I use an old cloth and Break-Free CLP. I wipe them down after handling and also every few weeks or so of sitting around in my display cabinet. If they ever develop patination, grey scotchbrite and oil work well most of the time. You could also use the grey scotchbrite and a metal polish like Metal-Glo. For more severe staining/pitting, green scotchbrite and metal polish work. I tend to prefer the more pristine look for steel, but I like bronze patinated a bit.
Patrick wrote a great article on maintenance.
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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Russ Thomas
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Wed 07 Sep, 2005 2:12 pm Post subject: polishing |
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Thomas,
On armour and weapons , both antique and modern , I use 'Solvol Autosol', car chrome polish. This not only polishes but it protects the metal as well, even in the rain ! Great stuff, available in most car spares shops and is very cheap too !
Oh and Connolly's 'Hide food' for the leather where necessary !
Regards as ever,
Russ
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero !
http://www.living-history.no
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Alexi Goranov
myArmoury Alumni
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| Posted: Wed 07 Sep, 2005 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: Hilt finish: How do you guys keep everything so shiney?? |
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| Thomas Hoogendam wrote: | I was just wondering what people on the forum do to keep pommels, guards, baskets and other hilt fittings as good as new??
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I do not
The hilts of my Cresy and Duke are covered with brown rust except at the spots that rub against my hands during handling. The Duke I tried to age with acid and what not, but my sweat seems to be doing the job just fine (with a lot of help form the damp weather). The Cresy's hilt got covered with rust in a month after daily handling and little or no oil applied (to the hilt). The rest of my swords show some patination on the hilt to varying degrees (mostly spots here and there). I have stopped worrying about the hilts 
Now I focus on keeping the rust from the blades.....which requires almost no effort, except after cutting.
I cannot say that I like the spotty rust on some of my hilts but I just stopped obsessing about it......took me some time to learn to live with the rust though
Alexi
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Thomas Hoogendam
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| Posted: Wed 07 Sep, 2005 2:30 pm Post subject: Re: Hilt finish: How do you guys keep everything so shiney?? |
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| Alexi Goranov wrote: | | Thomas Hoogendam wrote: | I was just wondering what people on the forum do to keep pommels, guards, baskets and other hilt fittings as good as new??
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I do not
The hilts of my Cresy and Duke are covered with brown rust except at the spots that rub against my hands during handling. The Duke I tried to age with acid and what not, but my sweat seems to be doing the job just fine (with a lot of help form the damp weather). The Cresy's hilt got covered with rust in a month after daily handling and little or no oil applied (to the hilt). The rest of my swords show some patination on the hilt to varying degrees (mostly spots here and there). I have stopped worrying about the hilts
Now I focus on keeping the rust from the blades.....which requires almost no effort, except after cutting.
I cannot say that I like the spotty rust on some of my hilts but I just stopped obsessing about it......took me some time to learn to live with the rust though
Alexi |
I'm very much like you Alexi. I really do like the look of some rust on my hilts. However, by the end of the year, my collection will have expanded with two baskethilts, one Armourclass, and one EB Erickson, and I'd like to try and keep them as prestince as possible. However, concerning construction and form of a baskethilt, whiping down every little corner could be quite a job.
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Steve Grisetti
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| Posted: Wed 07 Sep, 2005 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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Like Chad, I have a few pieces that have a lacquer finish, and just wipe off with a rag - I have never had to refinish any of these, to date. On the other pieces, I have been using a metal polish (Flitz), following with Renaissance Wax, when I am trying to keep a sword and fittings pristine. Sometimes, my mood will change, and I will let the finish of the fittings go for awhile, just to let the look age a bit.
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Johan S. Moen
Location: Kristiansand, Norway Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 259
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| Posted: Wed 07 Sep, 2005 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: polishing |
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| Russ Thomas wrote: | Thomas,
On armour and weapons , both antique and modern , I use 'Solvol Autosol', car chrome polish. This not only polishes but it protects the metal as well, even in the rain ! Great stuff, available in most car spares shops and is very cheap too !
Oh and Connolly's 'Hide food' for the leather where necessary !
Regards as ever,
Russ |
"Use AUTOSOL, as recommended by Russel Thomas. Have you had your daily dose of AUTOSOL(as recommended by Russel Thomas)?"
Sorry...had to. 
Autosol is great stuff though. Animal grease works great as well, I use a type that is mixed with beeswax and usually used for polishing shoes.
Johan Schubert Moen
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Thomas McDonald
myArmoury Alumni
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Patrick Kelly
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| Posted: Wed 07 Sep, 2005 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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I wipe everything down with an oily rag after handling, and the whole collection on occasion. When any rust does occur it's removed with grey scotchbrite and oil.
Rust isn't "patina", it's "negligence". I suppose that attitude comes from years of dealing with weapons on a daily basis.
"In valor there is hope.".................. Tacitus
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Thomas Hoogendam
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| Posted: Thu 08 Sep, 2005 3:02 am Post subject: |
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| Patrick Kelly wrote: | I wipe everything down with an oily rag after handling, and the whole collection on occasion. When any rust does occur it's removed with grey scotchbrite and oil.
Rust isn't "patina", it's "negligence". I suppose that attitude comes from years of dealing with weapons on a daily basis. |
There is ofcourse a big difference between patina and rust. A bit of slight surface rust and staining on furniture doesn't bother me, as soon as it becomes real deep rust, something has to be done ofcourse. Otherwise, as Patrick stated, it's negligence, and to neglect a weapon is never good.
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Anton de Vries
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| Posted: Thu 08 Sep, 2005 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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I wipe them powerfully with dry cotton before handling (I'm dangerous enough without a slippery blade in my hands), and with oiled cotton afterwards.
I noticed that the furniture is (very) slowly darkening.
Rust doesn't stand a chance and I've never even seen it on my blades.
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Thomas Hoogendam
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| Posted: Fri 09 Sep, 2005 3:02 am Post subject: |
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| Anton de Vries wrote: | I wipe them powerfully with dry cotton before handling (I'm dangerous enough without a slippery blade in my hands), and with oiled cotton afterwards.
I noticed that the furniture is (very) slowly darkening.
Rust doesn't stand a chance and I've never even seen it on my blades. |
My blades themselves are always kept rustfree. I was more wondering about the methods used by other members to maintain the hiltfinish.
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Joe Yurgil
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| Posted: Fri 09 Sep, 2005 9:27 am Post subject: |
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I do like the shiney look so I try to preserve that rather than let it go.
Historically, how did the average warrior treat his weapon. Well I expect for sure but did they oil the furniture as well like we do or let it patinate? How common was blueing and browning? That would certainly be easier to care for. Did they use mineral oil or something else?
Sjá, þar sé ek föður minn.
Sjá, þar sé ek móður mina ok systur mina ok bróður minn.
Sjá, þar sé ek allan minn frændgarð.
Sjá, kalla þeim tíl min.
Biðja mér at taka minn stað hjá þeim í sölum Valhallar, þar drengiligr menn munu lifa allan aldr.
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Fri 09 Sep, 2005 9:35 am Post subject: |
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| Joe Yurgil wrote: | | Historically, how did the average warrior treat his weapon. Well I expect for sure but did they oil the furniture as well like we do or let it patinate? How common was blueing and browning? That would certainly be easier to care for. Did they use mineral oil or something else? |
Oakeshott mentions that swords were often protected by grease. Grease traps dust and moisture, of course, and helps create the distinctive patina patterns associated with a weapon being stored in a church, for instance.
Blackening was done in some periods, as was russeting - controlled rusting similar to browning (at least for armour). Some sword hilts were gilt with gold, silver, etc. which would have protected them. There is evidence in period art that seems to indicate paints were used on hilts.
But many examples that survive today don't show evidence of blueing, browning, blackening, gilding, painting, etc at all. We can't know in all cases whether they have been over-zealously cleaned or were always bare.
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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