SA Dagger opinions

[nickn]

i dont think going to a dealers web site gives a realistic idea of what a dagger is worth
collector to collector $5-600ish

[angler]

As long as the scabbard fittings are nickle I do not see a problem with this dagger.

I am also fed up with this constant barrage of criticism aimed at daggers that have been cleaned. If it was not for the love and care brigade most of what we see in the market would look crap. As long as it is not buffed to buggery.

I like to wash my blades in hot soapy water when I first get them, to remove any rubbish that is there. I then use RenWax to protect it.

These items are 80 years old and made of wood and metal. Wood rots and metal rusts so looking after your investment is in every ones interest.

Would you buy an 80 year old car and NOT try and preserve it??

[nickn]

I agree 100%

[Barry Brown]

I agree; preservation is a priority, but if a piece has to be cleaned - then try very hard to avoid damaging/losing original factory finishes. In my early days of collecting in the 1950's too many pieces were over cleaned and polished so as to make them look like "new".

[Br. James]

I couldn't agree with you more, Frank, and I apologize if my use of the term "excessively cleaned" was unclear. To my mind, a piece has been "excessively cleaned" when it has lost some important facet(s) of it's original character, caused by over-polishing or attempts to clean or restore the piece. Barry hits the nail on the head, IMO. Today we see far too many daggers, for example, that appear to have been polished to death -- probably to remove stains or corrosion accumulated over the decades -- and in so doing the polishing has diminished other important facets such as the accenting of the blade motto and/or the maker's mark, or has even removed the cross-graining that we all seek in establishing originality in the first place.

Just as Frank describes, when I obtain a new piece I wash it with soap and water immediately -- and here again, such washing also removes the nicotine staining quaintly referred to as "verdigris" which has often accumulated over decades of a dagger hanging in a "man cave" somewhere and which I do not regard as "period" or "honest wear" -- and then the piece is carefully stored in an insulated pouch, away from further potential damage.

Cheers,

Br. James

[Skyline Drive]

"Nicotine staining" and verdigris are two completely different things. Verdigris is caused by the reaction of a substance to the copper contained in the nickel, or German silver, and results in the blue-green coating on the surface of the metal. This reaction is damaging to the metal and should be removed. "Nicotine staining" is typically the result of cigarette smoke which contains many substances, including nicotine, none of which appear to be reactive to nickel. One does not find damage to the metal underneath a nicotine patina, therefore the issue of leaving it or removing it is subjective. I remove verdigris and I leave nicotine patina as found.

[Frogprince]

The dagger in question has what looks like old pitting/corrosion at the juncture of the cross guard and blade. When it was in a more active state it was probably reddish in color, and therefore IMO was cleaned-polished at some point. As such it also IMO would not have been a good candidate for cleaning the blade with soap and water that could have resulted in further corrosion. Being in agreement that verdigris can cause damage to the copper in the (roughly 2/3 copper) nickel silver fittings. With the tannic acid in walnut/other woods (and leather hanging steps) the probable culprit there. FP

[angler]

I agree with FP. Also looking at the picture of the maker mark you can clearly see where excessive buffing across the blade has left its mark. This is the type of cleaning we should all seek to avoid.

I would also comment on the faint fingerprint. I would remove that mark as soon as possible.