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Handling my mixed militaria

Article about: Hi This post could have went under anyone of about 5 or more headings on the forum as my collection is a mixture of german weapons, dog tags, a flag, photo albums, badges etc. My question is

  1. #1
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    Default Handling my mixed militaria

    Hi

    This post could have went under anyone of about 5 or more headings on the forum as my collection is a mixture of german weapons, dog tags, a flag, photo albums, badges etc.
    My question is quite simple....can I use vinyl gloves for handling all of the above(cloth, metal etc)? I know here are other options but these type of gloves would be the most convenient type for me. Many thanks for any advice or help given.

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  3. #2

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    I suggest you buy some inexpensive cotton gloves, like those worn by museum employees, to use to handle your items.
    They are not expensive, and can be washed, and re-used.
    Ralph.
    Searching for anything relating to, Anton Boos, 934 Stamm. Kp. Pz. Erz. Abt. 7, 3 Kompanie, Panzer-Regiment 2, 16th Panzer-Division (My father)

  4. #3
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    Thanks for the reply Ralph. I already know about cotton gloves but it's easier for me to get vinyl gloves. Can I use these safely for assorted militaria as per my original question?

    Thanks.
    Neill

  5. #4

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    Hello,
    Although i do have the deepest respect for the items that temporarly belongs to my collection, i don't think i need to wear something on my hands to handle them, i wash my hands before, i use only my bare hands and clean the items softly with a cloth. I also clean my hands after and it's worth it. I'm sorry to act this way, but that's the way i was raised in collection, i'm from a now disappeared "school" of young local collectors using their hands to feel the real nature of material they handled, using their nose looking for the good old smell of passing time, using their ears in search of the expected mechanical perfection...yes it was something like this if i remember well. Preservation of our collections is not that much in the way one handles items for a few seconds or minutes, but rather how these items are displayed/stored. The most "funny" example i remember now about a very bad thinking concerning the display of a mannequin, especially of that branch of service, was the complete set up of a german paratrooper with camo jump suit and quite dark Feldgrau para pants displayed with a window in the back. The light was entering the room from morning to evening, one can imagine the result. When the mannequin has been taken apart, the Feldgrau wool at the back was way much lighter and the jump suit back was white with the shadow of equipment...and a very nice camo on the front...i'm still laughing years after when i think about the faces of all the guys around when the jump suit was pulled out of the bag at one of our local fairs...
    Thanks


    The sacrifice of life is a huge sacrifice, there is only one that is more terrible, the sacrifice of honor

    In Memoriam :
    Laurent Huart (1964-2008)

  6. #5

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    I will chime in as a museum professional and will say "to each his own" when handling artifacts whether in a museum or in a private collection..
    I use cotton and nitrile gloves when handling all artifacts. It only takes a second to don a pair of gloves and you will be surprised at how much dirt comes off the surface of a paper document or book that has been stored in archival storage. The washing of your hands as JPhilip has mentioned is one of the first steps in preservation of artifacts. Oils that remain on your skin after washing, the chemicals that remain from soap residue don't simply disappear. If you took a black light after washing your hands in some cases you will still see the residue..

    Grease from firearms and edged weapons are on the artifacts for a reason and to completely remove the grease and cosmoline and then handle the item with bare hands can and has had long lasting effects. The acids that we actually pick up in our hands will have long lasting effects and potential damage to blades for example.. Has anyone ever seen fingerprints on a blade that don't come off? Well that has a lot to do with improper handling and improper cleaning prior to storage. Dirt hides a lot of what is under the surface and the fingerprints on blades are a result of this.. I use caution and every means available to me in the museum I am curator at (US Army Non Commissioned Officer Museum) in order to preserve our artifacts. We have an original 1760 Halberd for example and an original copy of Baron Freidrich Von Steuben's revolutionary war drill manual "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States".. This was the first published "Field Manual" for the American Army that was established during the American Revolutionary War.. This has to be handled with the utmost care due to the rarity of the book as well as preservation. We have done a remarkable job keeping this 200 plus year document available for public viewing, but without proper handling with gloves this book would have been damaged years ago.

    Museum professionals here in the US are now using a variety of gloves, all cotton obviously has been at the forefront for many years but the nitrile gloves have been introduced in the past few years because they give you a little more grip and don't slip when trying to disassemble a weapon or artifact that is rather difficult to handle. The latex gloves are also used but for those folks that have allergies to latex we have to have other options for them to use.


    JPhilip mentioned also a hands on approach to artifacts which is also a key to knowing what you are looking at, so at the NCO museum the artifacts can be handled by Soldiers and Civilians after they have been properly instructed and with a curator observing them as they handle the artifacts. We want the public to understand the items and also respect the items so a hands on approach with proper care and the wearing of gloves ensures conservation and preservation.

    JPhilip also brought up a good point about the improper display of a uniform and in the long run with the exposure to direct sunlight I'm sure that the uniform has irreversible damage, so this is where we as museum professionals have an obligation to educate those not in the field the consequences of improper display, storage and most importantly handling.. I have seen museums that have destroyed items due to untrained "so called" professionals handling items that did not know what they were doing and the outcome had dire results.

    All I can say to this point is do what you feel is best for the preservation of your artifacts. We are the temporary caretakers of these artifacts and to pass the knowledge forward to future collectors is as important as the artifact itself to ensure that it will be around for the next 100 years or more.. Knowledge is Power and Preventative Maintenance and Proper Care is also Power..

    Smitty

  7. #6
    TWS
    TWS is offline
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    I agree JPhilip. Only occasionally do I wear gloves, but definitely wash my hands before and after. I just make damn sure to never accidentally touch a dagger blade, etc. and they just slide it back into the scabbard to let nature take it's course. I do have a box of nitrile gloves that I use sometimes, but use more often when I'm working on my cars - LOL

    Yes, I have definitely seen some dreadful examples of sun fading on items left for years out on display in direct line with sunlight coming through a window. I just recently saw a black panzer wrapper pictured somewhere and the entire back of it was turned purple-ish from such neglect. It had the perfect "x-ray" of the belt that had been across the waist in pitch black relief across the rest of the badly faded back panel.
    Todd
    Former U.S. Army Tanker.
    "Best job I ever had."

  8. #7
    MAP
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    I want to follow Smitty s advice but I'm like JP.

    I bought the item, it's mine and I want to hold it in my hand
    "Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated

    My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them

    "Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)

  9. #8
    TWS
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    Quote by MAP View Post
    I want to follow Smitty s advice but I'm like JP.

    I bought the item, it's mine and I want to hold it in my hand
    I'm with you brother. There's that sensation of "touching history" and connecting with it. We just have to be mindful. I read Smitty's post with great interest. Glad we have him here.
    I rotate my cloth items that are on display so that they spend some time out where I can enjoy them, but the majority of the time in a dark, moth-protected closet. I always have at a minimum a lace curtain across the window to act as a filter and the combo of the trees and my roof overhang also cut down any direct sunlight, but I have a heavy dark blue "blackout" curtain as well (that I bought in Germany as a coincidence) for summer days when the sun is at it's strongest. I'll draw that curtain across the window and leave it until I actually spend time in the war room and then I move it aside to allow light through the lace/mesh curtain just while I'm actually in the room.
    Todd
    Former U.S. Army Tanker.
    "Best job I ever had."

  10. #9

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    In the early days when I was only collecting deacts, I never used to wear gloves. As a result of improper handling and insufficient cleaning, I now have a Tokarev pistol with rust staining and pitting on the grip and rear of the slide. I now wear gloves wherever possible, whether the item I am handling is made of metal or not.

    The concern is not sudden, massive damage caused by clumsy handling or display of an item. The issue is the minute wear and tear caused over decades of interaction with human hands. The damage does not need to be immediate or obvious. It builds up slowly, over the years, in such a way that it is very hard to notice unless a direct comparison is made with an old photograph.

    In the same way a tree grows without you noticing it, damage creeps in very gradually. Things like surface rust on metal objects is fairly obvious. Other things, like the fading of fabric and the yellowing and crumbling of paper are not.

    I'd urge everyone to wear gloves of some kind when handling things. While it is nice to have that tactile connection with a piece of history, it is contributing to the item's long-term degradation. Something that is stored and handled properly will last forever. Something that is handled improperly, even if only for a few seconds, will eventually reach the point of being unsalvageable. Even if that point isn't within any of our lifetimes, as the temporary caretakers of these things, it is worth bearing in mind.

    Regards, B.B.

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    The knowledge base that we have on our forum is never ending. It is inspirational to hear how others care for and display and preserve their collections. There have been some excellent testimony's from some very valued members here. Empowering collectors is a mission for me as well as many others here and I am so proud to know many of you as like minded well grounded and focused conservators, collectors and military enthusiasts. May you all enjoy your collections and I hope for good fortune for all of you this holiday season and throughout the whole year..

    Best regards to all

    Smitty

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