advice

[hawksy]

Hello all,

Iv'e got a what i consider a very nice screw back L/54 1st class EK, but it is black with tarnish, and it has it's original LDO case, the whole thing looks gloomy with age.
What i would like to know is should i clean it up, what i have used in the past for cleaning is a solution called 'GODARDS' silver dip, you do nothing but leave it in the stuff for a couple of minutes and all traces of tarnish has gone if like magic, leaving it bright and new no rubbing with abrasives, just dip it in .

just opinions, Should i clean it or leave it

Thank's, Lee.

[Dez H]

Hello Lee

DON’T CLEAN IT!!!!!!!!!!!
You will destroy the age and character this piece has by removing the platina. This is my personal opinion, however each to their own. I think it does detract from the piece if it has been “messed” with. If I was looking at an award and it had been somehow altered or touched up I would pass on it. I have a few party badges that are not perfect and have enamel damage, the reverse is also quite worn on these. I think it adds to the character and age of the award. Same with EK’s I do not clean the tarnish off them, they look beautiful with it. If you in the future think about selling it you may find people will not be interested in buying it.


Regards
Dez

[George Stimson]

I agree with Dez. Do not clean it.

George

[Gordon Williamson]

I think this really is simply a matter of personal preference. Goddards Silver Dip if used careful will do no damage and will often improve the appearance especially with "frosted" finish. The stuff in question will clean, not polish silver unless you buff it afterwards. Lets face it, The Iron Cross frame was supposed to look silver, not black and tarnished. I would never suggest polishing such items, but I have seen pieces that have been cleaned with Goddards and which looked fine, frankly I doubt if anyone would ever know if they hadn't been aware the piece was previously tarnished.

There is no right or wrong answer, its down to personal preference. (Personally I find the dark almost black toned silver finish on silver that some people rave about, extremely ugly.)

[Calvin Hall]

I like Patina.

As Gordon said, it really is a matter of personal preference. Although I love a mint looking EK1, I actually prefer one that has a nice amount of tarnish.

I recommend leaving it along.

BTW, if it is too gloomy for you, I will gladly take it off your hands.

Calvin

[Sebastian Bianchi]

Personal preference, no doubt, but one must make the choice with all the fact (ie- will it lower the value?, etc).

I think that Iron Crosses were meant to look silver and glitzy, with a clean crisp black iron center; in 1939. In 2002, well they look as an award that has lasted 60 years and a war should look. The journey has left some battle scars, and along with the years some of the glamour has gone. But what the award acquired is personality.

Having said all that, curiosity has gotten the best of me and well....let's just say that may be I cleaned one or two Iron Crosses.... may be I didn't...

[Andy Mac]

Clean it!

I am of the opinion, do NOT clean it, leave it alone, if some of the tarnish comes off through handling the piece, this then is "Natural" but it's your choice.

Regards
Andy

[hawksy]

Hello Everyone,

Thank's for your replies and advice, and sorry i didn't post back earlier.
The cross is realy nice as it is, and i did pay dearly for it , but it's true what as been said in some of the post here, when they were actualy awarded all those years ago, they were mean't to be nice and sparkley and eyecatching to show off achievement. This is where i am stuck, i know this and i don't want to take anything away from this Cross.

I have just joined the members Association, it's meant to be easier to post images/pictures anyone explain how i can do this and i will try to post some pictures of the Cross in question, iv'e got some not brilliant but they are alright

lee.

[Rich G]

Maybe the decision comes down to whether the cross was worn. I have a MINT EK1 that was never worn and the tarnish was uneven and made it appear quite ugly. So I used the Q-tip with silver dip to clean the frame.

On the onther hand I have EK1's that are mint, never worn and the tarnish is so deep and even the whole frame is black but the frosting still contrasts so I never cleaned those and never will.

Then there are the worn EK1's with heavy tarnish... I just leave them the way there are because that's part of the character of that cross.

So for me it comes down to the individual cross but generally I don't clean them.

Rich

[Frank Heukemes]

I am also of the opinion that it depends on the award and with Iron Crosses, it also depends on the individual cross. Some have nice patina, some ugly patina. It is in the eye of the beholder.

Btw, there is not just black or white, to clean or not to clean. If you dip silver not for minutes but for seconds and you have running lukewarm water nearby, you can just catch the right moment between "aged" and nice".

NEVER dip silver WASH zink items though. They will lose the finish completely in the worst case or at least will migrate to dull or nasty colours!

Cheers, Frank

[ChrisJ]

Cleaning?

I personally would never "silver dip" any iron cross. The finish to the centre is fragile enough as it is without making things worse. In any case, if you really dont know what you are doing its best to leave well alone.
Remember, we are the custodians of small parts of history...and therefore have a duty to preserve these pieces.... well intentioned "restoration" can ruin a piece.
My own policy is to always use white jewelers gloves when handling (particularly) silver items and iron crosses, and I store all items carefully wrapped in acid free tissue paper with a silica gel sachet in the collection container. Limited cleaning of the outer rim of an iron cross is best done (IMO) with small cotton bud dipped in silver cleaning solution paying particular care not to encroach into the frosting.... but quite honestly, think very carefully before attempting any cleaning at all, and if unsure forget it !

[hawksy]

Thank's again for everyones help here, i have decided to leave it as it is, it's in a nice conditioned LDO case and the case has aged with the cross, so maybe it wouldn't look quite right anyway and going by the opinions here it does seem like the consensus is against cleaning.

Many Thank's

lee.

[Frank Heukemes]

The consensus will always be against cleaning because one is considered a bad collector if one does it but the funny thing is everybody does it when nobody is looking.

Excuse the maybe tasteless comparison, but it is like with certain forms of sex.

Same motto can be applied to both fields: as long as you are careful and don´t to damage to what you love - why not?

The "custodian of history" in connection with "leave everything exactly as found" concept, while honourable per se, does not always work. If you always leave historical items the way they are found, you might help to destroy them earlier than neccessary. Zinkpest is a good example. Leave it on and your son will not have the same badge when it is time for you to go.

Cheers, Frank

[hawksy]

Excuse the maybe tasteless comparison, but it is like with certain forms of sex.

Same motto can be applied to both fields: as long as you are careful and don´t to damage to what you love - why not?

Frank

Frank, You have got to be a very funny person to have thought of that comparison, i bet you were chuckling to yourself when you wrote that.
Very funny but i suppose your right realy.

lee.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, this has been an interesting thread. I can relate to both viewpoints. I can tell a story of a 1939 EKI. I purchased the cross about 1978. It was very tarnished. I, being young, wanted it to look like the ones I had seen in wartime pictures. So I very, very carefully cleaned it with a cotton wool bud and a soft cloth with silver polish. As I cleaned the dirt and tarnish from the back some scratched marks appeared. The liquidfied dirt filled them. These were very faint and looked like they were done with a pin. In the centre of the cross was the letter "RWC" and on the top or bottom arm was "RWC 1944". I still have the cross, un-maker marked, in my collection. It has not been cleaned since and these scratched makers done by the original owner I presume, are now impossible to see.
Cheers, Ade.