The shield arrived today and I am more than happy with it. The bit of damage that Detlef pointed out looks to have been caused by a strike from something with a sharpened edge. The blow did not penetrate the shield completely and most of the damage to be wood was caused when whatever it was struck with was withdrawn pulling part of the wood forward. The inside surface of the handle has the feel of polished stone, a texture that is only acquired by years of being handled. The shield has years of dust accumulated on it that I will be using a soft brush to remove. The only real problem with the shield is that the wood is extremely dry. This is where I need help from the experts in wood preservation. What is the best course of action that should be taken to help preserve the wood and what should I use to do it? In the past I have used linseed or olive oil warmed in a double boiler and then brushed onto the wood wiping off any excess oil that did not soak in after a few seconds. After the oil I would then apply a coat of Ren wax and call it a day. Any and all help and suggestions on what should or should not be done to this will be greatly appreciated.
Best,
Robert
P.S. I will post more photos after the cleaning and preservation are complete.
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