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+--- Thread: Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. (/Thread-Damaged-Repair-Clean-Preserve-Soviet-Awards-And-Documents)
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - Stahanov - 01-26-2009
Thanks for the answers, guys. I tried cleaning out the medals with Eric's soap n' water, but was not happy with the results. I have a beautiful case to display the medals, and I wanted the awards to look as they did when they were issued (i.e. truly shiny). I went to a goldsmith's with a few different medals to ask his opinion about what to use for cleaning them. He sold me a can of Silvo-brand silver polish wadding and promised it wouldn't hurt the enamel or anything else.
I carefully tested the stuff on the reverse of one award, and got truly amazing results. The cleaned spot shone very brightly! I then got out a particularly grimy labor veteran medal and scrubbed the whole thing thoroughly. After I was done, the medal looked like it was minted yesterday. After working on a few enameled awards, I found that the polish doesn't damage the enamel, quite the contrary: it just makes it shine more! The tests being completed and satisfactory, I proceeded to clean my whole collection.
I'm sure many are ready to brand me a blasphemer because I clean the patina off. But I think this is the way the medals are supposed to be kept. I know if I got a medal I'd keep it clean and care for it, and I think veterans and other awardees who were proud of their awards did the same.
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - kameli - 01-26-2009
Stahanov Wrote:I'm sure many are ready to brand me a blasphemer because I clean the patina off. But I think this is the way the medals are supposed to be kept. I know if I got a medal I'd keep it clean and care for it, and I think veterans and other awardees who were proud of their awards did the same.
Stahanov,
I am the first! :thumbsup
This subject has been discussed a lot in many forums etc.
To clean the medal from dirt is okay. But to clean the patina away is something that I don´t like personally. :thumbsdown The patina comes with many decades and it belongs to medal. It is also a proof from the age of the medal.
So, clean the dirt with mild soap. Also remember to keep the ribbons in good condition.
But that is just my opinion...
And I haven't met any veteran who cleans his medals shiny. Of course many can do that also, who knows... To keep the dirt away is different action.
regards,
Jussi-Pekka
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - EricFG - 01-26-2009
In the end the choice is up to you. If it makes ya happy then go for it.
But give us some before and after shots please.
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - Sergei - 01-26-2009
Stahanov,
Since you've decided to clean your medals, have a look at this Australian Veteran's site with instructions on cleaning and after-care.
DVA - Publications - Caring for your wartime memorabilia
Sergei
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - ANZAC - 01-27-2009
Sergei Wrote:Stahanov,
Since you've decided to clean your medals, have a look at this Australian Veteran's site with instructions on cleaning and after-care.
DVA - Publications - Caring for your wartime memorabilia
Sergei
Interesting articel. I had my Grandfather's WWI medals court mounted and cleaned around 15 years ago. For some reason they put this lacquer on them, at the time they appeared nice and shiny but 15 years down the track the lacquer has somehow accelerated the patina process and they are now quite dull and are dew for another good clean, this time without lacquer.
As mentioned, each to his own, I personally don't clean any of me collection and frame or mount them as they are. As for my Grandfather's medals being cleaned, well that's a story for another time
Just for Doc Riley's info, my Grandfather was a medic on the Somme and I have his war diary and other bits and pieces.
Brendan
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - Kirchgoens - 01-27-2009
I don't polish my Soviet stuff (but I will remove dirt). That's just standard collecting protocol. But... I am a veteran myself, and I would feel like a dirtbag if I wore my own stuff all tarnished. My medals are "Stabrite" (no shine needed), and my original jump wings from 1986 are sterling silver (they need a good, solid brasso'ing every time I break them out). For those of you who once wore a uniform, would it have been acceptable or appropriate to wear dirty and patina-laden medals on your uniform or blazer, even years after you left the service? I think not...
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - Stahanov - 01-27-2009
Quote:But give us some before and after shots please.
I was so quick to scrub and polish that I forgot to take before-pictures! :o It's pretty difficult to get good pictures of medals with my crappy camera, at least ones that would properly show the shine. Go ahead, try some Silvo-polish on one of your own and you'll see.
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - ECD3 - 03-26-2009
Very sad day today...feels like I lost one of my children. My Liberation of Warsaw medal slipped out of my hands as I was moving it to my new case (go figure...was putting it into a protective case only to...well...read on). It fell onto the tile and had a clean break along the soldering line from where the ring was attached to the medal. So I took it to my father who told me to bring it to a jewelry store and have someone look at it, telling me he has broken antique things all the time and had it fixed (my dad collects watches). What are the thoughts on this? I heard it's just spot soldering and that it will be good as new, and since it was an originally soldered piece, I figure no big deal to have a professional look at it and attempt to fix it. I have heard a few different stories on what to do in such an occasion, but I am curious as to what you guys think.
Also this post has another purpose...to help me grieve for my loss...stupid butter-fingers
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - EricFG - 03-26-2009
I think your dad has the right idea: take it to a jeweler.
There's another thread around here about dropping awards. Lemme see if I can find it.
Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents. - Kirchgoens - 03-27-2009
I'd recommend putting this into context. Warsaws are not hard to get, not expensive, and not individualized with s/n's etc. Unless there is something particularly special about this one, I'd chalk it up to experience, set it aside as a wounded warrior, and go find another. The fix will likely cost more than the medal is worth otherwise.
I've seen fixes on BMs, and have had one or two fixed, and they never look the same as an original. It's a tough one to re-do considering the guys who did the originals did thousands of them. That sort of practice leads to a skill we might not easily find today.