Conservation and Restoration of antique arms

midelburgo · 11th February 2022, 12:49 PM

I am a fan of electrolysis for removing rust. It brings to the surface engravings and etchings that can pass unseen in rust and be destroyed in its removal.

An important point is leather. As I have quite a number of old books in leather bindings I use the same protocols and mixtures. Prevent acid formation is an usually forgotten point.

About your restoration, I do not see the point of replacing a leather grip on a dillapidated blade. I think the object shall keep an homogeneous state through its parts. A very good condition blade maybe (only maybe) deserves a similar hilt and grip. But this is not the case.

awdaniec666 · 11th February 2022, 07:50 PM

Well, I did it for the exercise. If somebody in the future would like to display the original (destroyed) state of the hilt its without problems possible to remove the new leather. The crack in the wood has been filled with epoxy but it is still a crack and epoxy can be removed easily

I know what you mean and I stated this issue in the "contra-arguments" for restoring this.

11th February 2022, 12:49 PM	#1
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 264	I am a fan of electrolysis for removing rust. It brings to the surface engravings and etchings that can pass unseen in rust and be destroyed in its removal. An important point is leather. As I have quite a number of old books in leather bindings I use the same protocols and mixtures. Prevent acid formation is an usually forgotten point. About your restoration, I do not see the point of replacing a leather grip on a dillapidated blade. I think the object shall keep an homogeneous state through its parts. A very good condition blade maybe (only maybe) deserves a similar hilt and grip. But this is not the case.

11th February 2022, 07:50 PM	#2
awdaniec666 Member Join Date: May 2021 Location: Central Europe Posts: 174	Well, I did it for the exercise. If somebody in the future would like to display the original (destroyed) state of the hilt its without problems possible to remove the new leather. The crack in the wood has been filled with epoxy but it is still a crack and epoxy can be removed easily I know what you mean and I stated this issue in the "contra-arguments" for restoring this.