A mystery knife - India or N. Africa maybe?

DaveA · 4th October 2007, 12:38 AM

Thanks for the quick reply.

Cleaning is always a question, and I find a lot of different opinions and preferences. In this case, it really was pretty grimy and yes, inexpensive. The pre-cleaning picture of the blade actually made it look better than it was.

My bias is generally towards removing the grime of history so that as much of the original beauty of a weapon can come forth as possible. However, there are cases where the patina and age enhance rather than detract.

I remember watching the "Antique Roadshow" one time. The expert said, "I have great news! This is a genuine x y z wardrobe that could be worth $100,000 ...{ooh ahh}... if you hadn't refinished it. As it is, you might get $5,000 for it". High drama indeed, but it drove home the point about "restoration".

4th October 2007, 12:38 AM	#3
DaveA Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 416	Thanks; perils of cleaning Thanks for the quick reply. Cleaning is always a question, and I find a lot of different opinions and preferences. In this case, it really was pretty grimy and yes, inexpensive. The pre-cleaning picture of the blade actually made it look better than it was. My bias is generally towards removing the grime of history so that as much of the original beauty of a weapon can come forth as possible. However, there are cases where the patina and age enhance rather than detract. I remember watching the "Antique Roadshow" one time. The expert said, "I have great news! This is a genuine x y z wardrobe that could be worth $100,000 ...{ooh ahh}... if you hadn't refinished it. As it is, you might get $5,000 for it". High drama indeed, but it drove home the point about "restoration".