I had written this up today and further refined it on GDC. A couple collectors have asked for info on it so here it is. I've also posted a photo of the finished product. If anyone is interested, I also have clear directions I've put together on various army sword related projects, including grip wire replacement, celluloid grip repair, cleaning, sealing and so on.
Hope it helps a few of you. If you want more detail on how I do it, just PM me. Im not reccommending this meathod, just explaining what works best for me throught about 5 years of trial and error.
The process involved 1st using a sparing amount of semichrome on the blade. Buffing out any blemmishes and imperfections caused by age and oxidation. The semichrome can be used on saber blades as we know examples like this are plated and the risks are minimal compared to other types of blade maint. After the blade is cleaned and buffed, a nice layer of museum grade wax is applied to seal it. This creates and impervious coat that fends off dust, fingerprints and the elements. Typically I clean the grip wire, with the semichrome, a soft toothbrush, a soft rag and some qtips. This one didn't need it. Next I removed any bad oxidized spots from hilt. There was only 1 very small area that had some green brass gunk. Overall, this saber has been preserved well and the original gilt clearly helped fend of the brass germlins. I certainly believe the liberator didn't attempt to clean the saber as the tell tale signs don't exist. Often, when cleaned, the cleaner causes more damage than good to hilts like this. The bad spots was removed and buffed, being careful not remove any of the gilt. After I am satisfied that the hilt is free of debris, malitious particulates, moisture, oil, etc, a coat of museum wax is applied to the entire hilt. Included are the celluloid grip, grip wire, backstrap, d-guard and ferrule. The scabbard is then wiped down and freed of oil or other residue. In turn, a layer of wax is applied to the scabbard then buffed out as well. The museum wax coat accounts for the shine to the celluloid grip.
Once the sword is cleaned and coated, I typically treat the knot and hanger as well. The finished product is pictured above.
Again, I want to reiterate that this is only 1 meathod and the option I find works best for me. I'm sure many would be critical of the meathod, but i've tried many, and this one seems to meet my needs. Semichrome can and will damage the original gilt and many finishes. This needs to be considered prior to using the same or alike cleaning agent.
Hope it helps a few of you. If you want more detail on how I do it, just PM me. Im not reccommending this meathod, just explaining what works best for me throught about 5 years of trial and error.
The process involved 1st using a sparing amount of semichrome on the blade. Buffing out any blemmishes and imperfections caused by age and oxidation. The semichrome can be used on saber blades as we know examples like this are plated and the risks are minimal compared to other types of blade maint. After the blade is cleaned and buffed, a nice layer of museum grade wax is applied to seal it. This creates and impervious coat that fends off dust, fingerprints and the elements. Typically I clean the grip wire, with the semichrome, a soft toothbrush, a soft rag and some qtips. This one didn't need it. Next I removed any bad oxidized spots from hilt. There was only 1 very small area that had some green brass gunk. Overall, this saber has been preserved well and the original gilt clearly helped fend of the brass germlins. I certainly believe the liberator didn't attempt to clean the saber as the tell tale signs don't exist. Often, when cleaned, the cleaner causes more damage than good to hilts like this. The bad spots was removed and buffed, being careful not remove any of the gilt. After I am satisfied that the hilt is free of debris, malitious particulates, moisture, oil, etc, a coat of museum wax is applied to the entire hilt. Included are the celluloid grip, grip wire, backstrap, d-guard and ferrule. The scabbard is then wiped down and freed of oil or other residue. In turn, a layer of wax is applied to the scabbard then buffed out as well. The museum wax coat accounts for the shine to the celluloid grip.
Once the sword is cleaned and coated, I typically treat the knot and hanger as well. The finished product is pictured above.
Again, I want to reiterate that this is only 1 meathod and the option I find works best for me. I'm sure many would be critical of the meathod, but i've tried many, and this one seems to meet my needs. Semichrome can and will damage the original gilt and many finishes. This needs to be considered prior to using the same or alike cleaning agent.