Shine or not to shine/ Moro kris silver pommel

[nacho]

The silver pommel on this kris has turned dark grey/black. Most of the ones posted in the forum and the ones I've seen in books are shiny. Should I apply metal polish to bring back the shine?

[ward]

use a silver polishing cloth it will leave the tarnish in the crevaces but bring out the silver. generall rule brass,bronze,copper do not polish. silver and gold yes. never dip or use harsh abrasives

[David]

That's a nice one Nacho. I would agree with Ward. Stay away from the pastes and just use a silver polishing cloth. You can probably find one in any good jewelry store. :)

[Nonoy Tan]

I think there was an earlier post on the pros and cons of polishing weapons. Ultimately, the decision rests on personal preferences and goals. Personally, I do not do any polishing, because I fear that I might destroy or eliminate any material on the surface of the metal that may be of historical significance (as future technologies allow advanced examination, etc.).

However, I do want to arrest rusting. Will an application of micro-crystalline wax do the job? (together with controlled environmental conditions).

[Battara]

Nacho, looks like the one that came from Artzi's site. The value will increase with polishing gold or silver. I agree with what everyone else has said.

Nonoy, microcrystalline wax would be nearly perfect for retarding rust - best thing around so far. Just be sure to get rid of all of the rust first.

[nacho]

Hi Battara, you have sharp eyes. Yes, it is the piece from Artzi.