To polish or not to polish?

raghorn

raghorn

Joined
Feb 23, 2002
Messages
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I recently picked up a Dhankuta with a kothimoda-style scabbard in a trade with another forumite. I intend to display it in a shadow box. The silver has acquired a slight patina.

My question: should I leave it in its current (patinated) state or should I shine it all up before I mount it? I'd love to hear all of your opinions on this.

Here's what it looks like along with the "77,777" Dhankuta I got from Uncle Bill last year:

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Not sure on this one. Have one of these too, and would also like to hear what some others think on this subject.
 
The patina shows age.

Unless it looks -bad- I think I'd start by not cleaning it.

I -would not- 'polish' it until I had lived with it for a while
& couldn't stand it not polished.

Once you do something, you can't take it back.
 
This is how it was explained to me:

Copper - leave alone to develop its own patina. Adds $$$
Brass - keep clean and polish, but let patina develop as well.
Bronze - leave completely alone.
Silver - keep it as clean as possible, polish it regularly.


Silver is the exception among materials when it comes to aged patina. It's easy to maintain and keep clean and if you do - it will always look 95% new. The others age no matter what you do to them, so it's best to just keep them clean as they age.

Think of it this way - would you pay extra for tarnished gold? ;)

Gold is like silver in that it polishes easily and should be kept clean. It will keep it's luster for a very, very long time.

The best way to clean it is to use a cloth loaded with high quality polishing compound.

Dan
 
Wow! I got to ask who "explained" that? Did they have much antique silver? Guess it would have had rounded edges, lost defintion, blurred hallmarks etc " real shiny though!"

o well each to thier own, I guess!

Spiral
 
If you're thinking of selling it again, then I'd agree with Dan.

But I sure do like a nicely patinated silver myself.
 
There is a general misunderstanding of the difference between tarnish and patina. Patina is the natural aging of a material - no matter what you do to it, and the natural layering of scratches from wiping/polish/usage/etc. Tarnish is build up of gunk, dust, grime, sweat, etc. Just because something is tarnished - doesn't mean it shows it's age. Just means it's tarnished and the owner didn't care for it enough to keep it clean.


There is also a difference in care/finish for old and new materials.

If you were to buy a new silver pot - you should keep it clean and free of tarnish buy cleaning it with hot, soapy water after use, and then at least once a year polishing it with silver polish.

If you were to buy an old silver pot w/ tarnish on it - you should clean it with hot soapy water to remove the gunk and then leave it alone. If it is still dull, take it to an restoration shop and have it appraised. If they say "polish it" do it (or vice versa).

If you were to buy an old silver pot with no tarnish but a slight, but nicely cared-for patina - congratulations. Your money has been well spent.


Like I said, it's a completely different story with the other metal finishes. They tarnish naturally.

Gold and silver are meant to be kept clean and polished.


Oh, and another word on patinas...some of the best looking patinas come from where a piece has been either handled or cleaned thousands of times. Not from where it was left to gather dust. It truly is the human touch that adds value to it.



http://www.utut.essortment.com/howtocleanpol_rkvl.htm

http://www.lapada.co.uk/care/silver.html

http://www.replacements.com/mfghist/silvercare.htm
They define patina as "a blending of thousands of microscopic scratches".

http://www.doityourself.com/clean/silver.htm
"Hand rubbing develops patina on silver which adds to its beauty."
 
Dan's right on the money. There is a difference between patina and tarnish. I worked for a while in a museum while I was finishing up school and that was the rule---don't touch the copper or bronze, but polish the silver and brass. I love the smell of brasso in the morning...:D
 
I quite understand what you say about new & old silver, but to me new silver is tommorows antiques.

Raghorn says his kukri "has aquired a slight patina" to which your
Your advice was "keep as clean as possible" which sounds sage advice to me,
but then you add "polish it regulary" which quite shocked me and generated my reply!

He had made no mention of tarnish or dirt.

The first ref. site you mention is from a firm that sells "silver cleaning polish" Need I say more?

Your 2nd. Refernce which is buy a proffesional body states

"Contrary to popular belief, silver does not need constant cleaning and in fact should not be cleaned more than absolutely necessary. The need to do so can be reduced by regular dusting with a soft cloth, using a brush with very soft bristles for crevices, or washing in warm soapy water, rinsing well and drying with kitchen towel."
http://www.lapada.co.uk/care/silver.html


Another site by recognised proffesionals {BADA}refer to cleaning silver if neccasary but essentiany dont recomend it on a regular basis,
"Silver polishes are abrasive, so use them as little as possible."
http://www.bada.org/advice_care.html#silver

I feel obliged to add that real Gold doesnt tarnish unless it is a piece of 9ct. or Supposed 14ct. junk that should be sold as copper, zinc or silver alloy IMHO not Gold..

Btice, Museams in this country had the same attitude 20+ years ago.,But today they no longer follow that path.

Spiral
 
Polish it with some museum grade silver polish now, and then once every leap year, but then only if the moon is full, at high tide, when the barometric pressure is above 28.8"hg. Polishing should be done between the hours of 5:00 to 7:00 am, unless it is raining, then from 7:00 to 9:00. Use only counter-clockwise circular motions, (unless you live south of the equator, where you should go clock wise). For your cloth, you should use an old t-shirt (100% cotton, preferably Hanes brand) that is at least 5 years old. Make sure that the last time it was washed, no bleach was used.

Should you have any polish left in the crevices, you may use a camel hair brush to gently brush it out. But ONLY use brushes made from a Dromedary camel, not the lesser breeds. And the camel hair must be aged at least 8 years before being mounted in the brush. Store your brushes in a controlled humidity location between 35-37% RH.

Or you could just treat it like it was a beautiful woman, and do whatever feels right. ;)

Steve
 
Got one ( a blem ) like the top except for a horn handle on khuk & the karda and chakma, and a broken piece of the scabbard glued back by me w/ superglue.

It just gets a wipe now and then with an old clean dry T shirt, after checking the edge.

This time handle had precursor of grain line, and top cap on scabbard came off as if scabbard was starting to shrink.

Had pulled it to check edge sharpness, and when noticed other poss. probs gave everything coat of pure lanolin ( found in baby products section to protect nursing mother's nipples ) ala cosmoline on and in EVERYTHING! Will leave it that way for a month or more. Desert dryness tends to shrink horn.
 
Yet another evidence of the difference ( war? ) between the sexes.

Remember the comments on Hoppe's No. 9? For the "fairer" sex ( more agitprop ) "Cosmo" is a fashion magazime.

To men, "cosmoline" stands as a difficult roadblock to be overcome between them and the bliss of shooting enjoyment.
 
and he gives some good references. My YCS when I got it (thiird owner of that one) had tru oil on the bolsted and buttcap, which are silver. I removed that, then used and handled it. Sure enuf, our friend/foe oxidation showed up. With careful and consistent light cleaning, it has developed a nice smoky patina in the 'low parts' and a shiny lustre on the "high parts" (Low parts and high parts refer to the ridges and crevasses --the relief-- of the piece.)

Highly engraved silver looks cool when the engraved parts are darker, and the surrnouding area is mich brighter.

Since this is a modern piece, any maintenance you put into it will not harm the value, unless the methods damage or unduly wear the piece. Old pieces that are still around are around because of dutiful attention and maintenance. When I get an antiwue or ancient piece, I still care for it to keep live rust or other new corrosion away. This does not require machinery or heavy polishing compounds, nor should it.

Sorry, I'll shut up now.

Nice khuks!

Keith
 
Spiral, it was 20+ years ago when I was associated with a museum. I forget the brand of the polish that they used but it was supposed to have a low impact on the material. One of the big rules was "nothing could be done to an item that would not allow it to be returned to the condition in which it was acquired." I need to drop back into the basement of the museum and see what they're doing today. I'll bet progress has caught up to them just as you say.

:D Steve, Fruit of the Loom can also be used, but the tag must first be removed. The rest of the instructions appear to be taken from the manual of museology. If anyone had a copy, I knew it had to be you.;)
 
The smell of Brasso in the Am still makes me sick -- result of two years before the Mast 50 years ago.
 
I disagree with the dust bunnies on this. These are new knives so I would keep them highly polished. Patina takes many, many years.
 
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