Renwax and etched blades?

[jancz3rt]

Hey guys,

I have already treated all my dress bayonets and HJ knives with Renwax. However, is it also good for etched dress bayonet blades? I think I will have one in my collection soon and would not like to damage it in any way. My gut feeling is that it will be fine. However, Renwax requires a bit of polishing to really get a good result.. would I need to be more careful on the etching?

JAN

[Larry Lipps]

I can't answer to whether it would be a problem or not because anything I put on my blades never gets near any etching. I've seen blades with semichrome residue in the trademark or motto and it's somewhat of a mess to remove so I just dont take any chances.

[Ron Weinand]

I don't understand why you would want to treat any plated blade?? The benefit of chrome plating is sealing of the surface to prevent rust, so no need to apply anthing if there is no break in the plating. IF the blade is maintained in a humidity controlled area, just wipe off any fingerprints or dust on a regular basis with a soft towel and your problem is solved.
IF the plating is broken in some areas, never use oil or penetrating substances as they will migrate under the plating and lift it off. In this case a silicon polish or product will seal the area and prevent rust formation.
JMO,
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

[james m]

In answer to the above; I wax all my blades because I've found that a hard wax coating protects the surface for fingerprints. You still have to wipe fingerprints off but the oil in ones skin never actually comes in contact with the metal. I also wax my 18 year old Corvette which still has the original excellent condition paint on it.
Jim

[jancz3rt]

Hmm

I do know that plated blades are protected by the plating itself from rust and the sort. I do keep my blades in a rather controlled environment. However, the renwax I applied was more of a anti-fingerprint, general protection layer. Nothing more. I will most likely then stay clear of the etch when (if) my etched bayonet arrives. Thanks for your opinions guys.

JAN

[Carson]

I use RenWax on all my edged weapons. This includes my etched Fire Bayo.

I have seen the results of semi-chrome and it is my personal opinion that it changes the originality or state of the piece. I have heard that it can damage plated/etched pieces. However, the RenWax is NOT harmful and keeps the item in a neutral state.

This is my personal experience. I want to keep whatever militaria I have in a neutral state, so I can pass it on to future generations.

BTW, RenWax is an awesome product, which I highly recommend!

[Stahlhelm]

From my experience, the Ren Wax does wipe out of the mottoes and maker marks of the blades I've applied it to, with no problems. However, I have not yet thought of applying it to etched blades, because I currently have none.

I also agree that I would never use anything like Semi-Chrome near any recessed areas on any blade. The Semi-Chrome could be a real problem to get out. I must also thank the early advice I received about that, right here on the WAF. Without doing a little research on that here, I could have been in a mess with that myself.

I think maybe the best and safest approach to this issue would be to first apply the Ren-Wax to some very small area of an etched blade, or at least some unimportant surface that would simulate the surface of an etched blade. Better safe than sorry, for sure!

That's just my opinion.

Chris