Silver Filigree Work - Cleaning Methods?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

These are the two pieces... they were heavily patinised but gave them some cleaning with the cloth Stu sent for me.. pretty ok result?

Salaams A.alnakkas, Well we will never know since theres no before shot but I think its a reasonable clean up... you know what its like with these items being not pure silver they tarnish again very fast so what patina you lose in the cleaning you will soon make up in a few months as it returns. I think thats a fair job considering you only used cloth ... All the Omani silversmiths use the brass brush... hand held ...not dremel...and seen at my earlier reference. I can guarantee the brass brush and lemon routine will work better and about 10 times quicker than any other method on silver items... but of course thats just my opinion. You did a good job there.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[A.alnakkas]

Salam,

Thanks IBrahim, I will try to find some before shots.. I think I have some.

[Battara]

The second is great!

The first one could use one of Ibahim's ideas of lemon juice and a tooth brush. If you use a brass brush, please be careful - again brass is harder than silver and may scratch the surface.

Ibrahim is also right about the tarnish. The more copper is alloyed to the silver, the more easily it will tarnish.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Battara

The second is great!

The first one could use one of Ibahim's ideas of lemon juice and a tooth brush. If you use a brass brush, please be careful - again brass is harder than silver and may scratch the surface.

Ibrahim is also right about the tarnish. The more copper is alloyed to the silver, the more easily it will tarnish.

Salaams Battara~ Your exhibits and posts on silver associated works are well admired and it is clear you are a silver master craftsman... The brass brush at http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showt...78&page=4&pp=30 however, does not scratch pure silver artefacts...I don't know why it doesn't... but it only appears to remove the oxide. Perhaps it is because it is a hand powered item and the pressures are such that it causes no damage? The silversmiths that I know in Oman all use this item. When used with lemon juice and rinsed the results are very good... on silver.

Unlike Omani Khanjar the Yemeni equivalent Janbia or Jambia are often made of mixtures ( the mixed hues and colours are quite attractive so this is in no way a derogatory comment) and some would say that the metal is much harder thus more suitable as a weapons scabbard and hilt. What is apparent is the decline in quality from the pre 1948 days when Jewish craftsmanship was in abundance there and when much of the work was high quality silver.

I don't know what percentage each piece shown is but the top one which is to my eye greenish in colour has none or hardly any silver at all whilst dagger two is suspiciously pot metal looking particularly in the hilt. It may have silver in it to some lesser degree perhaps as a colouring additive.

Both daggers are very attractive in their own right, however, the question at #1 was about silver; which they are not ... unless we are using the generic term "silver" to cover all or any mixture of scabbard and hilt metals for southern arabian daggers? Nontheless and as you say, the brass brush also works reasonably well on such items. The tarnish rate is very fast on mixed metals thus it is hardly surprising that Yemeni owners don't get too bothered about having them so sparkling clean ~

I have also had excellent results from silvo type commercial polish solutions but try to stick with the more traditional techniques as outlined.

Please note that the paste used with the toothbrush technique (whilst you can use lemon juice) is, in fact, toothpaste.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

Salam,

Thanks IBrahim, I will try to find some before shots.. I think I have some.

Salaams A.alnakkas; Can you say what is the provenance of the second exhibit? It is a most attractive combination ~ Is the scabbard from Oman ? having been altered or is it from the coastal Yemen region....Indian Ocean coast.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[A.alnakkas]

Salam,

The 2nd one has a good quality silver scabbard but the hilt seems to be white metal. Odd combo yep? I thought maybe the hilt isnt authentic to the scabbard but it fits very well.. could be made for it later?

The 2nd one is Saudi craftmanship. There are variant examples and soon I will be sharing a research about them...

[Battara]

Salaam Ibrahim.

If the bristles on the brush are fine then I can see its use.

Toothpaste? - now that makes sense. I thought you were talking about a different type of past. Lot of merit with toothpaste to get rid of tough tarnish, dirt and corrosion.

Simple tarnish that is brown or lighter - polishing cloth is all you need.

For example I could see toothpaste as an answer to the deeper black tarnish of the first example.

[Battara]

Oh yes, regarding the mixing and matching of white metal hilt with a silver scabbard - would the scabbard or the hilt be of an earlier period? Otherwise I would consider this a strange combo.

[A.alnakkas]

Originally Posted by Battara

Oh yes, regarding the mixing and matching of white metal hilt with a silver scabbard - would the scabbard or the hilt be of an earlier period? Otherwise I would consider this a strange combo.

I have no idea. But I will take them to a silversmith and check their quality.