What Would You Do ?

LPCA · 3rd March 2009, 04:37 PM

Thank you , QueeQueg.

Yes, it's the same product.

Robert · 3rd March 2009, 05:19 PM

LPCA, Very nice restoration work you've done on your swords!! I tried using bondo at one time but it did not want to stick very well for me. It could have been that at that time I was still able to swing them around and the bondo was separating from the horn. That is the main reason that I started using epoxy putty. It colors well before or after being applied but because of the fast drying time I prefer to do the coloring after it has dried and been completely finished sanded. The reason this swords repairs are still like they are is I ran out of the brown permanent markers that I use in conjunction with a black marker to color the putty in with. I am going into town today to pick up more, so I should be able to post pictures tonight of the finished work. If it was not for the fact that I would have had to grind off the end of the tang

I would have just used the original grip as a pattern and made a new grip of water buffalo horn to replace the damaged one. Does anyone else have pictures of any restoration work that they have done to damaged grips or hilts that they would like to share with the rest of us? My thanks to everyone for your interest and suggestions on how to repair the damage often found on these older neglected and often mistreated items.

Robert

LPCA · 3rd March 2009, 06:31 PM

Robert, here is some pics of the Yathagan's restoration.

The main problem was the recovery of the hilt and the building of the 2 hears in a hard and dark wood.

I did 3 pairs of hears and choose among them the less more horrible.
I added 2 pieces of ivory.
IThen i used gold leaves for the metallic parts.

Louis-Pierre

Robert · 4th March 2009, 04:00 AM

Louis-Pierre, Great work on the hilt restoration!! The results for the one that I'm working on are below. Sorry about the picture quality but I had to take them inside because it's dark outside here. Could use a little more work in a couple of areas but I will probably leave it as is.

Robert

LPCA · 4th March 2009, 04:12 AM

Perfect, Robert and a nice job too.
What is to keep in mind is that is better to try to save a damaged hilt with restoration than to replace it systematically....when it's possible of course.

Louis-Pierre

Robert · 4th March 2009, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LPCA

Perfect, Robert and a nice job too.
What is to keep in mind is that is better to try to save a damaged hilt with restoration than to replace it systematically....when it's possible of course.

Louis-Pierre

Louis-Pierre[/QUOTE]

Louis-Pierre, Thank you for your kind words. Saving the damaged grip was exactly what I had in mind when I started this restoration. I wanted to save what was left of the original horn and try to stabilize it in the process. I tried to leave in some of the imperfections so it would not look brand new and it would match up better with with the blade. A new grip might look better, but to me it would look out of place once it was mounted to the old blade. Because of the bonding strength of the epoxy I also believe it could now be used as intended "if needed" without worrying about the blade coming loose from the grip. I hope that I never need to find out if I'm right about this or not.

Robert

ariel · 4th March 2009, 11:44 PM

Once again, we are getting into murky waters of what is permissible in the restoration process.
Obviously, Robert's bolo is not of real cultural importance. The goal was to make it look better and " serviceable". I have no objection to that. The yataghan is also unlikely to ever be exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts.
What drives me bananas is when people find a really unique item, and "renovate" it into a shiny but culturally meaningless object. Some are even seriously describing it as a "reuse". Well, this is permissible only if one absolutely needs a part for actual use: a swordmaker from 15th century remounting a 13th century blade to use it as functional weapon. These days, we do not really need swords as weapons and destruction of archeological objects should be viewed as criminal offense. Stabilize, preserve, protect, but never renovate!
Look at the Topkapi collection of the swords of Muhammed and Califs. Bloody Ottoman sultans ordered the swords remounted, repolished, re-inscribed etc. By now it is impossible to make even a half-decent guess about their age, provenance, original construction etc. Did the Sultans really need them as weapons? No way, they had enough newly-made ones. Cultural barbarism with the best intentions!

3rd March 2009, 06:31 PM	#3
LPCA Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toulouse - FRANCE Posts: 83	Robert, here is some pics of the Yathagan's restoration. The main problem was the recovery of the hilt and the building of the 2 hears in a hard and dark wood. I did 3 pairs of hears and choose among them the less more horrible. I added 2 pieces of ivory. IThen i used gold leaves for the metallic parts. Louis-Pierre Attached Images

4th March 2009, 04:00 AM	#4
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Louis-Pierre, Great work on the hilt restoration!! The results for the one that I'm working on are below. Sorry about the picture quality but I had to take them inside because it's dark outside here. Could use a little more work in a couple of areas but I will probably leave it as is. Robert Attached Images

3rd March 2009, 04:37 PM	#1
LPCA Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toulouse - FRANCE Posts: 83	Thank you , QueeQueg. Yes, it's the same product.

3rd March 2009, 05:19 PM	#2
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	LPCA, Very nice restoration work you've done on your swords!! I tried using bondo at one time but it did not want to stick very well for me. It could have been that at that time I was still able to swing them around and the bondo was separating from the horn. That is the main reason that I started using epoxy putty. It colors well before or after being applied but because of the fast drying time I prefer to do the coloring after it has dried and been completely finished sanded. The reason this swords repairs are still like they are is I ran out of the brown permanent markers that I use in conjunction with a black marker to color the putty in with. I am going into town today to pick up more, so I should be able to post pictures tonight of the finished work. If it was not for the fact that I would have had to grind off the end of the tang I would have just used the original grip as a pattern and made a new grip of water buffalo horn to replace the damaged one. Does anyone else have pictures of any restoration work that they have done to damaged grips or hilts that they would like to share with the rest of us? My thanks to everyone for your interest and suggestions on how to repair the damage often found on these older neglected and often mistreated items. Robert

4th March 2009, 04:12 AM	#5
LPCA Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toulouse - FRANCE Posts: 83	Perfect, Robert and a nice job too. What is to keep in mind is that is better to try to save a damaged hilt with restoration than to replace it systematically....when it's possible of course. Louis-Pierre

4th March 2009, 11:44 PM	#7
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Once again, we are getting into murky waters of what is permissible in the restoration process. Obviously, Robert's bolo is not of real cultural importance. The goal was to make it look better and " serviceable". I have no objection to that. The yataghan is also unlikely to ever be exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. What drives me bananas is when people find a really unique item, and "renovate" it into a shiny but culturally meaningless object. Some are even seriously describing it as a "reuse". Well, this is permissible only if one absolutely needs a part for actual use: a swordmaker from 15th century remounting a 13th century blade to use it as functional weapon. These days, we do not really need swords as weapons and destruction of archeological objects should be viewed as criminal offense. Stabilize, preserve, protect, but never renovate! Look at the Topkapi collection of the swords of Muhammed and Califs. Bloody Ottoman sultans ordered the swords remounted, repolished, re-inscribed etc. By now it is impossible to make even a half-decent guess about their age, provenance, original construction etc. Did the Sultans really need them as weapons? No way, they had enough newly-made ones. Cultural barbarism with the best intentions!