Attempting the Forbidden…Restoring an old U Boat badge

[ObKrieger]

I agree, well done. Sprucing a badge up is one thing; saving it from destruction is another. This badge would have fallen apart in a few years.

[stuka f]

Great job!
|<

[Wagriff]

As has been said, the badge was being literally destroyed in any case, so the choices were to either allow it to crumble to dust or stop the progress and save what could be saved, and this you did excellently and in the proper manner. Personally, I think you made the only choice that you could. You could have Not done this work and then could have shown a bag of white dust and crumbs and said "See? This is an original WWI era U-boat badge!". There is nothing Bad about restoration work when it is done expertly and is done to objects that are in Literal danger of being totally destroyed forever. The British Museum and others perform this sort of work every Day. Unfortunately, most collectors do not have the proper know-how and chemicals and equipment that you do to do such work and inevitably many old artifacts that were in the process of dying were merely helped on their way abit quicker. It's a quandary -restore or not? If expert work Is available, I can see no sense in allowing something to rot to nothing. Bottom line is, I suppose, if the rarity and value of the endangered item warrants it, then seek out Expert work and have it done. It should Not be a routine thing that is done to simply "pretty up" an unattractive item, but rather to Save one that is in dire danger of being forever destroyed. There will Still be people that will gasp in horror at the thought of it being done-even By an expert, but then you could always show them a proudly displayed collection of little white powder filled Bags, of course!