Indeed, the badge is yours and you may do to it whatever you wish. Having said that, I think that most of us whould have not done that. If you are happy with the results then that is all that matters.
Chet
Chet
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Zinc stinks! -
I don't mind it at all. I think restoring a low end badge like that brings it back to life. A soldier would not have worn the badge in such a poor condition. I think it looked like junk before, now it looks much nicer.
MikeComment
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Until you get bored with it and sell it to some pigeon, as a nice mint SWB.......Originally posted by Chet Sowersby View PostComment
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And true, guess it's just that some of us like wear on our items more than minty ones. Heard that some Ritterkreuz/ Iron Crosses used to be repainted when the wear became more than apparent. Like out US military...no one would want to be caught with crap all over their ribbons! Been caught like that before in JROTC....Originally posted by Death-AceGood point. With classic cars and Japanese swords, my opinion is that they should be restored....if they're getting to a deteriorating point and need to have their beauty revitalized. Or guns that should be reblued professionally like Lugers and such if they're really worn down and is good for a shooter. Then again, that's just for things I like to use!
Another question is....did SWBs come out with no finish like BWBs and GWBs or do they start looking like this one did before the cleaning?
Good Hunting!
LevComment
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"I think restoring a low end badge like that brings it back to life"Originally posted by mvm71 View PostI don't mind it at all. I think restoring a low end badge like that brings it back to life. A soldier would not have worn the badge in such a poor condition. I think it looked like junk before, now it looks much nicer.
Mike
SPOT ON !!!
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Originally posted by mike y View Post
Well the next step will probably be a total refinishing in the name of restoration...Last edited by Hans N; 02-19-2011, 05:39 AM.Regards
Hans N
Don´t throw away your fake WB´s! Get in touch with me.
I collect them for reference purposes for the benefit of the hobby (for the right "fake" price of course).Comment
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This is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous !!!Originally posted by Hans N View Post
WHO do you think you are coming here and telling other people what they should do ???
A HUGE PART of this community is based on respect for other collectors -
Some people here seem to have forgotten this respect and want to enforce THEIR ideas on others !!!Comment
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Originally posted by OU812 View Post[B] I KNEW that I shouldn't have posted the badge here - there are simply too many people who think they are so d*** knowledgeable and right
Speaking about respect....
Regards
Hans N
Don´t throw away your fake WB´s! Get in touch with me.
I collect them for reference purposes for the benefit of the hobby (for the right "fake" price of course).Comment
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I believe that if the collector chooses to restore his/her badge to it's former glory is theirs to decide. I'm sure this is commonly done by dealers every day. I myself have only done this on a few occasions and have been very pleased with the results.
The patina will return to the badge as the years pass so all is not lost forever for the purist in our hobby. I have always thought that if the soldiers returned from beyond they would like to see the badge or medal that they earned to be in it's original condition as they saw it, not faded, dirty, or corroded.
To each his own,
MikeComment
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As far as I am concerned, cleaning it was a mistake. You removed 60+ years of patina.Comment
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I have heard dagger collectors talk about how they had parts replated, or the Damascus chemically treated to repair overcleaning by the vet. These guys saw nothing wrong with that.
At the same time, I saw a Civil War belt buckle that a lady had cleaned. polished, and buffed on a buffng wheel. I told her that the only difference between a cheap fake and her "original" Civil War buckle was, well, nothing.
One was appropriate and done with an eye towards restoration, and the other, not.
I remember reading how the Smithsonian Institute restored a WW1 German biplane. First, they tore off all of the fabric, cut it into 1 inch squares, and sold the squares to help pay for the restoration. Then they had a woodcrafter duplicate the wooden parts. Then they had a machinist duplicate any metal parts that were corroded or missing. Then they put the whole thing back together with new fabric and fresh paint. Voila - restored!
It was an eye opener, but I guess they knew what they were doing.
Just had to chime in to make it an even 1,000 posts!Comment
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Some folks should stick to collecting beer bottle caps...
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Altough I personlay would never clean a badge it is weird that restoring cars and old paintings is aceptable.Comment
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I guess it all depends on what's standards the collecting community has set. Kind of like the reaction someone would get, if he announced that he restored a perfectly fine chippendale chair by giving it a coat of varnish and some new brighter coloured upholstery. The chair would still function and the owner might be happy with the result, but EVERYONE would want to lynch him. Not only did he just destroy the resale value, but he also erased the history in the chair...... just me two centsOriginally posted by kokstok View PostComment
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There is a difference between restoration and just making something look shiny. Restoration would mean restoring the original appearance, as it looked when new. When this wound badge was new, it would have been a dull gray zinc color before being coated with a thin silver wash. This silver wash that was used is a pretty specific-looking thing, it is a thin coating with a semi-matte appearance. Over time, this finish interacted with the zinc and evaporated or was absorbed and so the badge reverted to the dull gray color of the base metal. A restoration of this badge would entail reapplying a silver wash to replicate the appearance of the original silver finish, something that I think we all can agree is not ethical or reasonable from a historical integrity standpoint. By simply polishing the zinc surface, you have made the badge look shiny but you have created something that never existed during the war- polished zinc was not a surface finish used on original badges. Clearly you are happy with this shiny new appearance but by no means could you term this a restoration. I agree with those who are of the opinion that you have ruined this object. Yes, it is your property to do with as you please, and if you wanted you could melt it down, encase it in concrete, or paint it pink- but that doesn't make it right to do any of those things, if you care about the history of these objects we collect.Comment
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