That is a delicate subject, Mountainwind.
In general, most "collector" pieces that have been used are thought to lose value if you alter them from the "as used" condition. Especially with carbon blades, where people like to polish out the patina on the blades. On older knives, this patina has gathered from possibly decades of use and/or storage.
For pieces that are commonly still available, it may not be such a bad thing to polish and clean up the piece. If you have no other plans to acquire a mint example of a 153UH, then my opinion is do what you wish. I don't think the knife is that old, that polishing it would affect value at this point.
The belief I have also heard from a collector standpoint is, polish/clean up the outside of the knife (ie, handle, bolsters, guard, butt, etc.), but leave the blades untouched. I guess the belief is that the handles are nice, but the blade tells the story.
Myself, each knife is treated differently. I practice as a baseline what I would call "stabilizing" the knife. That is, stopping any further deterioration of the knife, such as corrosion of the metal parts. All parts are carefully cleaned for rust and Verdigris. Any knives that will be stored get treated with a product such as Rust-Free.
I don't collect knives for their monetary value. I am trying to preserve a piece of history, and have something to pass on to my son to show him true craftsmanship.
Don't know if that answered your question...
Glenn
