chesterpiglet

I would try just simply brushing it with a bristle brush-nothing more. I have been amazed at the improvement that can make. Be very careful wetting it, if considering that I would use a new j-cloth & barely wet it at all & just give it a very light rub with that. Personally I would just brush it & leave it.

Hi there Non scented talcum powder may do the trick. I would test it on a small area 1st. The talc may absorb some of the dirt & smells & then just brush or shake it off.

Hi Peter. Thanks for both replies. As for the collecting you know how it is, you get one & then another & before you know it another thing is collected. It is quite amazing what still turns up over here at the Brocantes.....................I bought a 14thC wooden door frame last year & a competitors badge & medal from the 1908 London Olympics earlier inthe Summer. IMHO a very interesting site- I am slowly working my way through the archives. I read that you took part in a re enactment at Waterloo. I had never been before & have to say I was mesemerised by the whole place. I had loads of time so visited Wellington & Napoleons HQ's as well as stopping at La Haye Sainte. Bien cordialement Rob

Hi there. I must have had this sword 15 years now lying in the corner of my collecting room & have never really known much about it. To me half the fun is the research but I must admit to going around in circles with this! It appears to be a Napoleonic era 1796P Officers Light cavalry sword but it has a lions-head pommel & a bone handle which has confused me, it also looks like a Yeomanry Sabre. Please excuse any appearance of knowing what I am talking about so hence my request here.............what is it & does anybody have any information on the maker Smith of Glasgow(I could find nothing)? I recently visited Waterloo & Hougoumont which inspired me to look at the sword again. I have spent hours looking at a lot of the specialist sword sites without success. The blade was polished like this before I got it but luckily they left the name. Numerous scratches & evidence of planishing, it measures 30" from tip to pommel top. Many thanks in anticipation-any info would be gratefully received Hello again. I just went to find a section to introduce myself but couldn't so have added it to here. Please advise if this is wrong. Hi everyone my name is Rob & I live in Central France. I have collected stuff all my life & my house is somewhat like a Museum & what happens if you leave a grown man to his own devices with space. Eclectic taste but quite like WWI French Aviation stuff & Trench Art. Speak a bit of French so happy to attempt to translate for anybody.

Hi there I was taught an old trick many years ago- it was used by Georgian Butlers to clean the family silver & works on the same principle. You need some aluminium cooking foil, washing crystals & boiling water. Great for silver, brass, copper as well as steel & iron no matter how cruddy. It gets into all the nooks & crannies too. I then wash it in warm soapy water, if still cruddy I might rub with 0000 wire wool & repeat. Then a polish with Brasso(this removes any fine scratches caused by the wool) with a duster & then a final polish with Brasso on a j-cloth that has been moistened. A final rinse with washing up liquid & then polish with kitchen towel