[S.R. Lewis]

I recently came across a ceremonial sword from the Knights of the Maccabees, a fraternal organization active in Canada and the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. (Michigan especially). The sword and its scabbard are unfortunately pretty rusted. My only questions are how to go about cleaning it up and considering it's an antique whether that's even a good idea? Any ideas would be much appreciated.

[Glen A Cleeton]

Show us your sword!

Thee are a few standards of methods that have been on the net a long time.

There is this very good primer from Mark McMorrow of Sword Forum International

http://www.swordforum.com/forums/content.php?...ly-18-2001

An associated thread and ongoing discussion for that venue
http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.p...nservation


Ron Ruble (curmudgeon and overall great guy) has his own favorite
http://www.ruble-enterprises.com/restoration.htm

A now obscure but still available through archive.org
http://web.archive.org/web/20040220201616/htt...dcare.html


Divide those three by seven and proceed with great caution.

Some tips, blunders and sucsesses of my own little shop of horrors can be found in that SFI thread. Some swords I barely touch, as any other work would be of little merit. Others I carefully clean and to an extent restore with great results. One new substitution I am finding use for is mixing beads of styrofoam with cyanoacrylate to fill voids in a number of white/off white media.. How about coffee grounds, shoe polish wax and cyanoacrylate for brown horn Abrasives, you betcha, solvents (be careful) clean cloths and light oils. I am not sold on waxes of any kind at this point and undid some of what Ron Ruble had done to a sword (poor sword). Some will point out that old swords should look old. I agree to a point but grime is grime and often obscuring great art.


Anyway, less is often more. Start with soft rust tips for the blade but sometimes fine steel wool and light oil will go a whole lot faster. I would really need to see the sword to make serious recommendations. Grips are a tough row to hoe, fragile plating or etching sometimes vanish in a flash. Anything not organic can be approached as a start with a soft cloth and light oil. If the blade is red crusty, you could get down under it with solvents but vent wear, wear a mask and gloves for tough stuff. Liquid Wrench does do wonders but is basically really bad for you. Green plastic scrubbies and Noxon has lifted a lot of rust for me and is much friendlier with a more organic acid in it. Noxon is a strange product. apply and let some set for awhile. The Government and others will stress not to use on brass or copper(huh?) but there is some truth to that.

Try this link


Anyway, post pictures if you can.

Cheers

GC

[S.R. Lewis]

I don't have the sword with me, but as soon as I can get pictures i'll definitely post them. Thank you for the advice and the willingness to help I really appreciate it sir