What is the best solution to protect blades

[Skipper Greenwade]

Phil,

Your example is exactly why I advocate storing daggers out of their scabbards. It doesn't take up any more room if you use the zippered storaqe cases and it practically guarantees that there will be no "surprises" if you don't handle your daggers regularly!

As for cleaning the inside of the scabbards - seems like a lot of trouble and risk. This is espeically true if you feel compelled to remove the scabbard throat to do the cleaning (and I don't see how you could do an effective job without doing so) because of the potential damage that might be done to the screw heads and/or scabbard throat. Another problem is that a prospective purchaser will almost certainly look for signs that the dagger has been disassembled...a real 'red flag' in my book!

The biggest culprit is moisture that might accumulate in the scabbard over time. Navy daggers, with the runners/scabbard liners made of wood, are the riskiest - especially when you consider that in most cases with Navies you are putting an engraved balde at risk! I have my daggers in safes with de-humidifiers and it's still not a risk I am willing to take. All of them are kept out of the scabbards!

To each his own, but I've never heard anyone say they wish they had not stored their daggers out of the scabbards.

Best,
Skip

[Dick Pumphrey]

Skip,
How you store and care for your daggers is your business. I take condition VERY seriously and do everything possible to keep my daggers in top shape. I do clean the scabbards and use an optical screwdriver to remove the screws and have never had any problems with damage from any of this. I have daggers that have been in my care for well over thirty years and are still like new. I don't have the means to prove their condition to you by photo but I would challange you to find runner marks. They were mint when I received them and thru good care and CLEANING they are still that way. And, stored in their original scabbards.
Dick

[Phil DeWitt]

To each his own

'There is more than one way to skin a cat'
(Though why one would skin a cat??)

Have learned a tremendous amount here - and seems
to me that even premier and expert collectors have
at times different preferences and methods to use.

Appreciate all of the information gathered in one spot,
that is for sure!

Best Regards,

Phil

It is obvious that Baron von Limousine had his own opinion about the business of the day, and it did include a soy latte for a start......"

[Skipper Greenwade]

Phil,

I couldn't agre with you more ("There's more than one way to skin a cat"), hence the qualifying statement, "To each his own" in my earlier post.

I had no intention of inferring that there was a right way or wrong way to store and protect one's toys.

That said, however, I have a number of daggers that I have, literally, not taken out of the safe or looked at in years. Speaking strictly from a personal personal standpoint, the only way I am comfortable storing my daggers for such a long period of time is as described in my previous post(s)

Best to all,
Skip

[Phil DeWitt]

On AND Off Topic

Hello Skip - Thanks!

Here is an obvious way NOT to store daggers...
Some time back I read with disbelief of a vet's son
who unpacked his father's wartime 'treasures' -
daggers with sheaths that had been coated
with Mayonnaise, and then wrapped in lead foil
those many years ago.
Why on earth on would choose this method of
storage is light years beyond me - obvious that
the daggers and sheaths were in a condition most
horrible, beyond any attempt to reclaim, when
unwrapped...

Storage of minty pieces.. mylar wrap, inside a sealed nitrogen filled container (with dessicant) and then into the old deep freeze.
Might seem a bit extreme to some, seems prudent to me...

Best Regards,

Phil

[Brian S]

My advice of 30 years with daggers, keep the simi-chrome off the engraved and frosted motto of your dagger! At least don't rub the motto and maker marks in such a way that you are inside the engraved areas with anything other than dish washing liquid.

[Dick Pumphrey]

Brians,
Very good point and one that I failed to mention. Thank you!
"Thirty Years With Daggers", I like that.
Dick

[Brian S]

30 years and under my pillow... But, I'm still no expert. I leave that to the GDc guys who've been doing it for a few years and "really know it all".

[Loggy]

Skip is right. Keep them out if you can, but.... the best way to protect in or out is to thinly coat with Ren-Wax and polish clean. This has NO abrasive and will not hurt the original polish, any etching or plating of the blade. You can further protect your dagger by making sure it is completely free of moisture by gently heating with a hair dryer and then applying ren-Wax to the whole piece. Will not hurt wood, leather, metal, gilting etc. This will seal the dagger so that no further corrosion happens.

Another little note: If you have any politicals with nickle/silver fittings it is imperative that you REMOVE the green, so-called "patina". It is not patina, it is corrosion quickly eating away at the base. IT WILL PIT !!!! Don't listen to the purist untouched folks, it must be removed. Yes, if it is on the outside it is also on the inside.

Brian, GD.c ers do not know everything.....

[Brian S]

Thanks Loggy. You and Dick Pumphrey know your stuff. I'll stick around on this forum! Skipper you got a good thing going here on this forum. I hope you can expand it to the various dagger types as people find this great forum.

[Skipper Greenwade]

Thanks for the kind words...I really enjoy moderating the forum.

In fact, thanks to all concerned for their continued input - not just this thread, but for sounding off and sharing in general.

Best,
Skip

[Dan M]

blade corrosion

I have a Naval dagger which has some spotty corrosoin at the bottom two inches of the blade. Is there a way to lessen its appearance or is it best to leave it alone? I put a coat of Ren wax on the blade to prevent any further damage. I need some expert advise.

[jaeger_45056]

Where can I find this silicon spray? I just bought my first dagger but I have plenty of dress bayonets which could use a similar application. How do you "spray" silicon and not risk getting in on wood, etc? Do you put it on a cloth first? Reading this it seems to make most sense to keep daggers out of the scabbards, I do the same with my bayonets. I collect bayonets because they look cool, and they are hard to see in a scabbard. I know there are many different purist ideologies on treating these blades within this forum. Its nice you treat eachother civily without errupting into a flamewar, which is common often times in firearms forums where people begin their speil on how they restored their Russian Capture by taking 60 grit to the stock. Man its nice to be away from that.

[Brian S]

Anyone can do anything they want to their own stuff. Why not? If what you do disturbs someone, the price to that person will be so reflected. No reason for anyone to get weird so hopefully this forum will stay that way, great observation.

I keep my blades in a humidity free enviornment in the sheath. For my dollar, it's really all about the humidity. If you've got it, protect the blades from it, or else rust will surely be your enemy. A safe with a small heater made for the size safe you have will keep humidity at constant levels. No humidity free, but low and constant.

The Simi polish done once protects literally forever if you don't take it in and out or touch it. And, gets rid of old fingerprints. Just don't use it on those engraved daggers.

I'm not using any silicon spray...

Most important of all, COTTON GLOVES!

[Garrett M]

I give my blades a good cleaning with semi-chrome, avoiding the motto's and maker marks, then a coating of Ren-Wax for some protection. I store mine out of the scabbards in my safe and some are out to enjoy.

Another thought, what do you do, if anything to your wood grips to prevent any further cracking or pealing? Watco Danish natural wood oil is a good product for this, it doesn't change the color of the grips but keeps old wood nice!

I for one think the fourms are here for us to learn and help each other, not to take shots...