Reacquainting myself with items in my collection...

You know something, for as long as I can remember, I have believed that museum curators were the folks hired by museums to maintain their artifacts... And, man was I wrong!

It seems that position is not the curators job, but rather it's the job of a 'Museum Conservator...

"Conservators preserve their artifacts by ensuring the light, temperature, and humidity stay at the proper levels. They also clean the artifacts with carefully chosen cleansers that are best for each material, whether they are made of fabric, metal, paper, glass, pottery, wood, or stone. Conservators have the knowledge to make educated decisions about the care and preservation of even the most delicate, ancient artifacts, and when there are questions about these techniques, they must test different temperature settings and other conditions to ensure the artifacts are safe in the display environment."

Well, it seems I am the "Conservator" of my 'Interesting Objects Collection' 👍😅👍
 
Last edited:
JM2 said:
I’m interested to compare the renassiance to Johnson’s paste wax. Got to get me some ren wax first. I appreciate the discussion here and the experiments. Very informative.
Click to expand...
The ren wax is formulated to be better for long term protection. It's composition was done to meet the needs for priceless artifacts. I would recommend going to their website and reading why it is used.
Waxes designed for car finishes may seem similar, if not even better, but are not designed to do what ren wax does and is designed for.
 
Based on the history and careful formulation of Renaissance wax, it's definitely not an old school Automobile finish wax like "Turtle Wax" 🐢🚗🐢 or other such car finish care products.

Here's some information about Renaissance Wax from the maker's website...

Universally accepted as a standard conservation product by museums worldwide

Renaissance™ wax polish was originally formulated in the British Museum research laboratories in the early 1950’s, in response to a discussion amongst museum technicians at an international conference on fine-art conservation.

In accelerated ageing tests, the British Museum scientist found that all current commercial waxes based on the usual natural waxes (beeswax and carnauba wax) contained acids which, in time, could spoil original finishes on national historic collections of furniture. He rejected them all and investigated the new so-called ‘fossil’ or microcrystalline waxes being refined out of crude oil. With their distinct characteristics depending on their geographical origins, the new ‘man-made’ waxes could be accurately blended to meet the needs of many industries, from cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to heavy engineering. Thus, the waxes combined Nature’s best qualities with the advantages of modern technology.

The blend which emerged from that research was ‘designed’ for long-term protection of all classes of museum exhibits. At last, museum technicians and others caring for important collections could use wax polish that neither caused future conservation problems nor detracted from the intrinsic values of their treasures.

Commercial production and distribution of the polish was ultimately undertaken in 1968 by the London-based company Picreator Enterprises Ltd. under its trade name ‘Renaissance’. The product was quickly accepted in the international museum world and has become a universally respected standard conservation material – probably the most widely specified because of its almost unlimited uses.

What makes Renaissance wax so different?

It has a crystalline structure much finer than totally natural waxes, a property that confers a highly efficient moisture resistance. Countless statues and monuments in city streets are now protected by Renaissance wax from weathering corrosion. Arms and armour, steel and kitchen equipment of brass and copper in historic house museums, are kept bright and corrosion-free.

When thinly applied and rubbed out to full lustre, the wax film is (and remains) glass-clear, with no discoloration either of the wax or the underlying surface. Renaissance wax is free from acids (pH neutral) and will not damage even sensitive materials. For example, photographs for exhibition or of historic value are waxed to protect the image from the natural acidity of hand or environmental pollutants. The wax does not stain or darken even white paper.
On furniture or wood carvings the wax delicately enhances grain or ‘flame’ patterns. It protects existing finishes such as french polish and can also be applied directly to sanded, unfinished hardwoods without need of sealers.Waxing is the last process in hand-made furniture and in the creation of wood, stone or metal sculptures. But it is the first aspect to be appreciated by hand and eye. The clarity and lustre of Renaissance wax makes an instant visual appeal.
The silk-smooth touch of the matured wax film gives added pleasure, compared to the ‘drag’ of fingers leaving trails across the softer beeswax polishes.

No matter how often the wax is used there is no loss of clarity, so that fine surface detail is never obscured. Repeated use of the wax deepens the lustre, reflecting more light from surfaces and making them more ‘lively’.

Picreator receives hundreds of enquiries from around the world asking if Renaissance wax is suitable for a specific surface or project. Invariably the answer is ‘yes’. Its unique qualities make it ideal for protecting all surfaces from environmental attack or handling. The wax is, for example, replacing the preservative oiling of arms and armour in museums. The wax film is hard and dry and does not, like oil, remain sticky and attract atmospheric acidity. Exhibits are more comfortable to handle.

Renaissance wax is used by customers in the following ways: To protect metals such as silver, brass and copper from tarnishing, on collections of all types of metals (old coins, locks and keys, arms and armour both original and replica), on both the wood and metal surfaces of vintage cars and musical instruments, on bronze sculptures inside the home and outside exposed to the elements, on marble and granite worktops to prevent staining and on smooth leather items. These are just some of the applications the wax has been used on.

Note: A test must be carried out on a small, discreet area to ensure that the wax is suitable for use on that object. Number of coats of wax needed to protect the item will vary depending on the type of surface, how frequently it is touched and location. These factors will also determine the frequency of further maintenance required.
 
Last edited:
Nice, good call on posting that, I had never read through it before. I will say that I'm pretty impressed with it's anti-corrosion (patina) qualities when applied to brass. I have a new knife I got last week that has brass scales. When I recieved it, I only had time to handle it for a few minutes and then had to set it down. The next morning it had a very noticeable patina already formed that was pretty deep in hue. I very lightly polished it with a little metal polish and got rid of that patina, and then applied one light coat of Renaissance Wax. I was a little sketched out about getting streaks in it so this time I literally applied it to one scale, and immediately buffed it off (it dried for about 5 seconds). Then I did the same thing to the other scale and rest of the knife. It's now been three days since then and I've been handling it a lot each day and it has been very hot and sweaty around here. I even had it in my basketball style shorts while I was sweating like crazy outside for awhile. After all this there's just barely a very very light darkening of the brass. It's so light that I had to turn on another light this morning to look at it and see if it really changed or if I just remembered it different. That's pretty awesome as brass and copper almost always patina after handling a knife once and not wiping it down for me
 
This knife got the TLC today.

It's a Browning model 'Point Blank' fixed blade knife from their Black Label series.
The steel is a basic stainless steel, (440A), and has a stainless steel guard and pommel. The handle material is G-10.

I purchased it some years back while visiting the local Herb Phillipson's sporting goods store, (which has since gone defunct).
I saw it in their display case and thought it looked pretty cool, so I asked if they could take it out and show it to me. Well, I still liked it while I was handling and inspecting it, but then got turned off when I noticed the "China" marking on it.
So... I handed it back and continued my perusing of the store.
Before I left the store, I decided to swing back to their knife display area and asked the counter person if I could see the knife again. About five minutes later I was walking out of the store with my newly purchased Browning 'Point Blank' knife in hand.

Sometimes it's simply that you are drawn to liking something, so... you wind up buying it 😅

20220802_153501_(1).jpg

Well, since I TLC'd my Browning 'Point Blank' with the G-10 handle, I decided to go ahead and also do this Browning 'Point Blank' with a leather handle...

20220802_163943_(1).jpg
 
Last edited:
I decided to get just one more in today. This one did not get the Ren Wax treatment, only an overall wipe down with a lightly oiled soft cloth... It was a simple mission 👍

20201119-154018-1.jpg

It was the combination of this knife's unique look, and it being 'Gunny's' last knife design with KaBar before he passed away, that had me wanting a specimen for my own collection.
It's my favorite KaBar company made knife that I own 😊
 
Last edited:
This one was done up this morning with a lightly oiled soft cloth.
It's a 2012 USA made Queen Cutlery 'Dawn of a New Era' Whittler slipjoint. The blade steel is in 420hc, with handle scales made in a Abalone/Mother of Pearl combination. The pins, liners, and bolsters, are made of nickel silver. These were made in a limited number of 100 total.

It's obvious that the Daniels family had high hopes in 2012 for their acquisition of the Queen Cutlery business, with this limited series knife being a way to mark those beginnings. It's too bad that instead of the knife marking the beginnings of a bright future for the company, that it wound up marking the beginning of the end for it 😔

20190105-115314-1_(1).jpg
 
Last edited:
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
This one was done up this morning with a lightly oiled soft cloth.
It's a 2012 USA made Queen Cutlery 'Dawn of a New Era' Whittler slipjoint. The blade steel is in 420hc, with handle scales made in a Abalone/Mother of Pearl combination. The pins, liners, and bolsters, are made of nickel silver. These were made in a limited number of 100 total.

It's obvious that the Daniels family had high hopes in 2012 for their acquisition of the Queen Cutlery business, with this limited series knife being a way to mark those beginnings. It's too bad that instead of the knife marking the beginnings of a bright future for the company, that it wound up marking the beginning of the end for the historic cutlery 😔

View attachment 1888912
Click to expand...
wow that looks so pretty!
 
Legendary_Jarl said:
wow that looks so pretty!
Click to expand...

Thanks, buddy!

I'm a big fan in the beauty of Mother of Pearl. I only wish I had more of it throughout my collection of "interesting objects'.

Here are a few more pics of that Queen Cutlery knife...

20210807-063847-1.jpg20210807-061602-1.jpg20210807-062037-1 (1).jpg

Here's the MOP handle on a Bowie knife I showed earlier during this thread...

20190101-084403.jpg

And some other objects I have in my collection that also have some MOP...

20220327_115537_(1).jpg20220403_124159_HDR_(1).jpg20220403_142852_HDR_(1).jpg20220403_114559_(1).jpg
20220403_114819.jpg

The following antique opera glasses are circa 1880...

20190105-115314-1_(2).jpg

I love me some Mother of Pearl 👍😃👍
 
Last edited:
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
Thanks, buddy!

I'm a big fan in the beauty of Mother of Pearl. I only wish I had more of it throughout my collection of "interesting objects'.

Here are a few more pics of that Queen Cutlery knife...

View attachment 1889557View attachment 1889558View attachment 1889559

Here's the MOP handle on a Bowie knife I showed earlier during this thread...

View attachment 1889560

And some other objects I have in my collection that also have some MOP...

View attachment 1889561View attachment 1889562View attachment 1889563View attachment 1889564
View attachment 1889567

The following antique opera glasses are circa 1880...

View attachment 1889554

I love me some Mother of Pearl 👍😃👍
Click to expand...

I wish I could achieve such a shiny finish!
 
I own a few of these Cold Steel 1917 Frontier Bowie Knives, and this morning I Ren Waxed the last one of them.
These are made in India by Windlass Steelcrafts under contract for Cold Steel. Their blades were initially made of hand forged 1055 carbon steel, but they then switched to hand forged 1085 carbon steel, (I own examples of both).
The blade/tang, guard, and grip screws, are all done in a blued finish.
The handle itself is a one piece wood that wraps around the tang from the top, exposing the tang along the bottom and the back pommel area.

I really like these Bowie knives! If one's after total perfection, these are not the Bowie Knives for you.
But, if you would like a hand forged Bowie knife that does show some obvious signs of being a hand made production item, then, yes, this beast may please you. They actually are quite attractive, imo, even with their imperfections. And, Renaissance Wax is a great way to bring out a nice luster to their blued finish 👍

20220806_072218_(1).jpg20220806_072146_(1).jpg

After I finished Ren Waxing the CS Frontier Bowie, I grabbed the following 'Bottle Breacher' made out of a .50 caliber BMG cartridge and Ren Waxed it too.
It was over 6 years ago that my Daughter gifted it to me on my 50th Birthday 👍😊👍

20220806_110626_(1).jpg20220806_110440(1)_(2).jpg

It's milled in such a way to make it a bottle cap opener. My Daughter was watching an episode on tv of 'Shark Tank' when this item was being pitched by one of the contestants. She said she thought I would get a kick out of such a thing, especially since it's made in USA 👍🇺🇸👍
 
Last edited:
I just gave this item the Ren Wax treatment.
It's a reproduction of a Knuckle Duster/Push Dagger that were made by a small manufacturer in England. The firm was called 'Robbins of Dudley', and they used to make items like this and other similar style implements for sale to Soldiers that were heading to the European trenches of WW1.

This reproduction was hand made by the Windlass Steelcrafts company in India.
I've seen online photos of the originals, and these reproductions do seem to be decent representations of the genuine articles, (although I would still love to own one of the real ones) 😊

20220806_144519_(1).jpg20220806_144630_(1).jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top