Adam, for me, and I suspect for many others around here, the cautious tone is caused by seeing many hundreds of pieces permanently destroyed due to over-zealous "restorations". This has happened to European arms and armour for decades now and many beautiful and valuable pieces of history are lost because of it. Much of this was well intended, but the outcome is still the same. It's far too common to see pieces damaged or permanently destroyed by non-professionals through this process than it is to see success stories.
| Adam Simmonds wrote: |
| puts me in mind of an old irish folk story 'the king of islands son'. this boy, after many quests etc acquires a beautiful old sword. however, the sword is dull after having lain around for ages, and it is not till the boy has it cleaned by a man able to do so (reference is made too the specialised ability of the polisher), that the sword truly comes into its own right and is once again highly esteemed and valued as the 'sword of the light'.
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Adam,
Your Irish folk story proves most people's point here. The sword was polished by someone with "specialised ability" as you called it. You could also use the terms "experienced" or "professional." Amateur and misguided attempts at making shining armour can fairly easily destroy a piece. No one here suggested letting active red rust continue to form, which would also destroy the piece over time. But attempts to alter an antique in any way need to be undertaken with care and due diligence by people with experience and/or "specialised ability". For starters, you could destroy historical evidence. You could also destroy the item's value. Many antiques are a decent investment of money; sensible people will want to maintain or enhance the value; in order to do that, you need to know what you're doing.
In this case, it worked out fine, because Tony appears to have some experience in that regards. However, any alteration to an antique should be done with great care and forethought, as in this case.
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