Hello everyone, again:
I hate to revive this again, but I must add at least one more thing. I do ultimately also agree that it's best to apply nothing to badges, medals, leather, etc., etc. The only product I ever use on anything is Ren-Wax, and I apply that only to my dagger blades. I personally use nothing else on anything else in my collection. I only control the humidity, keeping it at appropriate levels, and that alone has so far worked for me just fine. I have personally found that applying any substances to other items does little more than cause additional problems for me, one way or another. Sometimes a negative effect for me is little more than the unattractive color of the metal beneath the corrosion, once it's been removed by another substance. Other collectors may not be bothered by such things at all, and may instead just be happy to think that they have stopped or, at least temporarily arrested, the corrosion. Much of that is all a matter of debatable and subjective perspective to say the least.
However, anytime anyone else insists that they've done this or that, to seal out humidity, which they swear has had positive effects for them over time, I usually don't say anything to discourage them, even though maybe I sometimes should. Since this is all such an experimental thing at times, with different people reporting different results, and different people having a different tolerance for such results, I am often more confused in the end than I am refreshed with new knowledge.
To end this all, however, I will always relent to the advice of Paul R, since he is the only one here who has a career working in conservation, in a research-based environment, truly testing it all. Such research is always, of course, where some of the best and final facts will be found.
Chris
I hate to revive this again, but I must add at least one more thing. I do ultimately also agree that it's best to apply nothing to badges, medals, leather, etc., etc. The only product I ever use on anything is Ren-Wax, and I apply that only to my dagger blades. I personally use nothing else on anything else in my collection. I only control the humidity, keeping it at appropriate levels, and that alone has so far worked for me just fine. I have personally found that applying any substances to other items does little more than cause additional problems for me, one way or another. Sometimes a negative effect for me is little more than the unattractive color of the metal beneath the corrosion, once it's been removed by another substance. Other collectors may not be bothered by such things at all, and may instead just be happy to think that they have stopped or, at least temporarily arrested, the corrosion. Much of that is all a matter of debatable and subjective perspective to say the least.
However, anytime anyone else insists that they've done this or that, to seal out humidity, which they swear has had positive effects for them over time, I usually don't say anything to discourage them, even though maybe I sometimes should. Since this is all such an experimental thing at times, with different people reporting different results, and different people having a different tolerance for such results, I am often more confused in the end than I am refreshed with new knowledge.
To end this all, however, I will always relent to the advice of Paul R, since he is the only one here who has a career working in conservation, in a research-based environment, truly testing it all. Such research is always, of course, where some of the best and final facts will be found.
Chris
It's really not that complicated. Paul
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