Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Shakethetrees · 31st August 2014, 06:33 PM

DW,

It's something that you build on over time.

1. Learn how to differentiate between hand filing/stoning and power grinding/polishing.

2. Hot work is also a key to spotting differences in age. Are there telltale signs of welding techniques that only were developed in the 19th or 20th centuries, and were these "modern" tools available in that time, at that place? Understand what type of brazing and welding is appropriate for the location and period.

3. Materials have changed over time as well. Iron and steel underwent terrific changes during the mid 19th century in the West. Learn to spot traditional wrought iron, pattern welded steel, wootz steel, etc. from modern mild steel made by the Bessemer process. The forums here have a lot of posts discussing old traditional steels in blades and lightly etching them to bring out the pattern. Study the before and after photos.

4. The presence of aluminum is another tell. This's metal did not exist in metallic form until about the middle of the 19th century, and was considered so rare that it was used as a precious metal for a while. It didn't really show up in remote areas of the world until after the First World War.

4a. The same rule applies to stainless steel (rostfrei). A modern development.

One book I highly recommend is by Leo Figiel, called "On Damascus Steel". While you're at it, no study is ready to begin without George Cameron Stone's masterwork, "A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor". It's inexpensive, has some glaring omissions and a few mistakes, but it's the first book I pick up when something comes up that I'm unfamiliar with.

5. Back to materials, learn how to differentiate wood from horn from bone from ivory from plastic. I see a lot of mis identification even on this forum from time to time!

If you really want to get I to it distinguish one type of plastic from another, but this is something that is way down the list.

6. Learn what natural wear and tear looks like, as opposed to artificial distressing.

7. Learn what artificial applied patinas and coloration looks like. This might be one of the most important things to learn.

When collecting, know that this is a long term learning experience. You will make mistakes from time to time, (hopefully not too costly so as to discourage you from collecting). These mistakes can be looked at as tuition-the cost of an education.

One thing that could put you on the fast track here is to get a mentor who is trustworthy, not someone who is always trying to sell you something or trying to buy from you. You can sell and buy with/through this mentor, but I would do so only after establishing trust. That's where it gets tricky.

Always learn to ask the right questions, those well thought out, and not necessarily the same ones over and over again. If you tend to not ask the right questions, he will think you're not catching on, and this will chase away a potential mentor who will see is as wasting their time.

Good luck, and have a good time!

31st August 2014, 06:33 PM	#2
Shakethetrees Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Louisiana Posts: 363	DW, It's something that you build on over time. 1. Learn how to differentiate between hand filing/stoning and power grinding/polishing. 2. Hot work is also a key to spotting differences in age. Are there telltale signs of welding techniques that only were developed in the 19th or 20th centuries, and were these "modern" tools available in that time, at that place? Understand what type of brazing and welding is appropriate for the location and period. 3. Materials have changed over time as well. Iron and steel underwent terrific changes during the mid 19th century in the West. Learn to spot traditional wrought iron, pattern welded steel, wootz steel, etc. from modern mild steel made by the Bessemer process. The forums here have a lot of posts discussing old traditional steels in blades and lightly etching them to bring out the pattern. Study the before and after photos. 4. The presence of aluminum is another tell. This's metal did not exist in metallic form until about the middle of the 19th century, and was considered so rare that it was used as a precious metal for a while. It didn't really show up in remote areas of the world until after the First World War. 4a. The same rule applies to stainless steel (rostfrei). A modern development. One book I highly recommend is by Leo Figiel, called "On Damascus Steel". While you're at it, no study is ready to begin without George Cameron Stone's masterwork, "A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor". It's inexpensive, has some glaring omissions and a few mistakes, but it's the first book I pick up when something comes up that I'm unfamiliar with. 5. Back to materials, learn how to differentiate wood from horn from bone from ivory from plastic. I see a lot of mis identification even on this forum from time to time! If you really want to get I to it distinguish one type of plastic from another, but this is something that is way down the list. 6. Learn what natural wear and tear looks like, as opposed to artificial distressing. 7. Learn what artificial applied patinas and coloration looks like. This might be one of the most important things to learn. When collecting, know that this is a long term learning experience. You will make mistakes from time to time, (hopefully not too costly so as to discourage you from collecting). These mistakes can be looked at as tuition-the cost of an education. One thing that could put you on the fast track here is to get a mentor who is trustworthy, not someone who is always trying to sell you something or trying to buy from you. You can sell and buy with/through this mentor, but I would do so only after establishing trust. That's where it gets tricky. Always learn to ask the right questions, those well thought out, and not necessarily the same ones over and over again. If you tend to not ask the right questions, he will think you're not catching on, and this will chase away a potential mentor who will see is as wasting their time. Good luck, and have a good time!