Saw a same thing on a K98 bayo today at a military flea market. IMO yes, preservative.
Looks like some kind of varnish or laquer.
Try Acetone on the blade. If that is sucessful you can try on other parts. But you need to be very careful around the grip and the scabbard paint. Use a cotton wool bad and work carefully.
Other than that, a nice RZM era dagger.
Cheers, Ade.
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Hi Gnarly welcome to the forum.....I would like to say you have a decent example of a good maker who made late type daggers. RZM7/13 is Arthur Schuttlehoffer. As far as the dried residue on the crossguards and blade it looks like someone laquered the whole dagger to preserve it. All i can say at the moment are you able to scrape it with your finger nail. I ask this to see how easy it is removed. Some other of our SA collectors and blade enthusiasts will be along shortly. not sure to leave it as it is or not. Im curious though if the finger nail idea will work first! Regards Larry
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Welcome to the world of cosmoline gents. Thats what it appears to be to me! It is a Russian gel like substance used to keep rust from appearing on guns that are put in storage. If it is not cosmoline, it appears to be some equivalent of it. I know a few ways of getting it off, but considering we do not wish to damage the dagger with rust or any other harmful substances, I will have to think of the best way to remove it. (there are quite a few methods)
Ive seen this before.
If you take it off with fluids and wipes you may leave the fittings looking over shiny which will go against the value when you come to sell it.
If its hard to get off id be tempted to leave it on as its doing no harm.
The best way I could think, and I believe you should wait for other replies before going about this, would be to use a blow dryer to get it hot (if it is cosmoline). It should then start to become a liquid that you can then just simply wipe most of it off
If it is cosmoline, a hair dryer will indeed work. It just looks a bit thin to be cosomline to me?
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As this dagger has plated fittings i would proceed with much caution !
REGARDS AL
We are the Pilgrims , master, we shall go
Always a little further : it may be
Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow
Across that angry or that glimmering sea...
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