Are we fighting a losing battle?

[Watchdog]

Sometimes I despair with what so called "experts think is appropriate.

Hoping to relieve some of the stress of Christmas shopping on my rest day I just sat down with a cold one to watch one of those "light entertainment" arty crafty restoration of old but personally significant stuff sort of programmes.

A member of the public with absolutely no clue as to what she had came along with an 1889 pattern Prussian Kurassier pickelhaube that her old dad had picked up in Germany at the later part of WWII. It had minor damage in that the chin scales had come apart and the leather liner was fairly poor but otherwise it was a good piece.

She wanted it made presentable for her dad who is suffering dementia. A laudable sentiment and I have no problem with that at all.

My issue it with the "experts" who, have no clue as to the history and doing no research whatsoever, decided to "pimp it up". At this point I began to worry.

An alledged silversmith made much of the "brass" being rusty. Oh My God! My reservations just increased ten-fold.

He made a good job of reproducing the missing scales which is within the realms of sympathetic restoration and another artisan reassembled the scales replacing the backing leather with something a little bit on the chunky side but not too bad. She then made a new liner. I was getting cross at this point but at least it was pigskin,

Then the horror show, they highly polished the whole bloody thing!

Sympathetic restoration out of the window and it now looks 100% repro.

The owner was delighted!

Is it me?

Conclusion - stay away from TV "experts"

I need another beer to get over the trauma.

Regards

Mark

[Granatwerfer]

Watched this as well and did wonder about how far they took the restoration!!!!. Also did you see that it came with it's original, I think green, WWI cover that was never mentioned.

[Watchdog]

Watched this as well and did wonder about how far they took the restoration!!!!. Also did you see that it came with it's original, I think green, WWI cover that was never mentioned.

I did but was too traumatised to even think about that. Probably they put the dirty, disgusting old rag in the bin. Couldn't have something so grotty anywhere near their "masterpiece" eh?

Reminds me of something a crusty old Sgt Maj of my acqaintance used to say "What is an expert? - An 'ex' is a has been and a 'spurt' is a drip under pressure" (sorry to non native English speakers but that is a pronunciation based joke)

Regards

Mark

[MAP]

Mark,

All we can do is hold the fort on our end and educate those who seek us (or other true experts) out. ***** to see this though.

[AZPhil]

Maybe she wanted her Father to see it as it was back when he brought it home, Something to trigger the brain to a memory which when suffering from Dementia can cause a recall of those time's. A Good Thing!!!
Maybe in Her Mind she was doing right by her Father!!!

Restorations done to appease, I have no problems with. Will I think as a collector "What The Hell Are You Doing" Yes of course. But for a Cause. That I cannot Blame or have ill feelings about it.

Just my 2 centavos about this!

Semper Fi
Phil

[Composite]

I saw that one....just after seeing my Mum (who's a sufferer)......I always get angry when bits are freshened up....but I thought this time it was almost beautiful...and I hope it worked. Sorry if I've put a downer on things....and they may well regret everything when the relative dies and a dealer starts his sentence with "well, if it HADN'T been butchered by....." but there's plenty more Pickles....and sadly only one Father....

oh and remember...for EVERY item they "do", there's a class of collectors screaming "nooooooooooooooo!"