how do I clean the blade of a pitted and rusty 100 year old dagger without making the blade shiny.??

Question

The dagger is old and valuable. I want to stop the rust causing further damage, but do not want to use a chemical which kills rust but turns thr underlying metal black. I am looking for advice from a museum technician I guess.

Answer 1

I wouldn't clean it it's worth more like it is....but I'm no expert. Good luck .

Answer 2

To Quote the Internet sword collectors association:
"As with any antique it is not desirable to alter any characteristics of the piece that act as indicators of its age. Characteristics such as the patina and/or coloration of metal, the worn surface and dark aged color of woods, etc. are important indicators of age and are critical to the correct age dating of antiques. This relates to swords in that while we would wish to clean and preserve the hilt, grip and blade, we do not want to remove any true signs of age such as metal patina on the hilt and blade. We do wish, however, to stop any active rust and to remove any loose rust (whiskers, powder, etc) from the blade and apply a protective coating of oil (or wax) so the rust will not return or reactivate.
In order to avoid readers getting the perception that we encourage collectors to take chisel and grinder to their swords to "spruce them up", we must preface this article with some philosophical words. Having seen at a recent auction an entire collection of swords (20+) that was ruined by an ignorant collector who used a grinder and polisher to remove rust and add a shine to his blades, we must urge collectors not to use any drastic measures on their swords. It is simply not needed and almost always reduces the value of the sword."
The ISCA link is the first at the bottom -ok you've got a dagger, but the same rules apply.

Other sources suggest using:

Japanese Choji Clove Oil - The clove oil's primary purpose is to prevent rusting, as low alloy plain carbon steel can rust from water, moisture, blood, etc. Oil is made of 99% mineral oil and only 1% of clove oil for fragrance. Japanese choji clove oil has worked for centuries and is completely time-proven.
NOTE: Do not use clove oil from a pharmacy because this is pure clove oil and your sword will rust!
You can buy Japanese Choji Clove Oil here:
http://www.swordsofhonor.com/samtradclean.html

Stay away from any all-purpose lubricants. WD40 may be great for many purposes, but not for real authentic swords. It contains kerosene and fish oil, which evaporates quickly and leaves your sword unprotected to rust!

Gun Oil - Get some Remmington Gun Oil, you could also try a silicone-based oil, but stay away from anything that claims to be an all-purpose agent.

Hanwei Sword Oil - Specially formulated to provide corrosion protection for high-carbon steel blades and other edged weapons. Ideal for covering exposed metal guards and wire-wrapped grips, and various scabbard components.
http://www.swordsofhonor.com/hanweiswordoil.html

The black finish you are thinking of is gunmetal "blueing" and is a chemical finish which produces a stable oxide layer, rather than an unstable brown rust layer. There are solutions and pastes on the market which will effectively convert the brown rust to a stable black finish, but these ar mostly for car owners who want to fill and paint over rusty patches.

I'd be interested to know why you think it is valuable, as there are a lot of rusty old knives around, the rustier the less valuable.

Answer 3

The only thing i can thik of would be to dip the blade in mineral oil and lightly pat it dry, that should stop it from rusting. But I would DEFINATELY talk to a proffessional

Answer 4

I suggest taking it to a professional to be sure. Check with a jeweler or museum to get ideas if you want to do it yourself.

Answer 5

I am guessing here, but would plunging it up and down in a container of sand help? Soft sand though, not the gritty sort.

Answer 6

a few ways...... one would be to ultrasonic it.... jewelers use this type of cleaning machine to clean metals,,,, but it will leave it shiny.
your best way is to glass bead (sand blast) it clean,,, and this process is not only a good way to clean it, it is also the way knife makers take the "shine" off the blade.... leaves it "grey" looking.

Answer 7

try stabbing it in a bucket of moist sand, to remove "pitting".dry off completely.coat with a good mineral oil and wrap in mutton cloth or like. then get it checked out.......

Answer 8

go to a specialist or ask at your local museum