shamshir w. scabbard restoration/conservation advice

[Roland_M]

Originally Posted by GePi

Thanks for the suggestions Marius and Detlef, I'll give those a try.

Hello Roland,
Steffen actually still has the other shamshir at his workshop. I wanted to call him anyway to ask him if he has gotten around to starting the repair of the hilt. And I have not forgotten your offer, if it still stands.

Actually I'm not yet really sure if I want this scabbard restored, I think in this case conservation would be enough for me.

Another question, how can you differentiate different hilt materials, i.e. ivory, walrus ivory or bone. Are there any reliable defining features, and can it be done from pictures alone?

Regards,

Gernot

Hello Gernot,

I can tell you basic things about material identification, please send me a personal message and we can talk in our language. Judged from the pictures your hilt is made from elephant ivory.

I have not forgotten your saber. Me was just thinking, that my explanation about the sharpness of the edge was too stupid.

I can send pictures of my restored scabbard to you. I was also thinking a long time, whether restoring or not. Steffen restored my scabbard and I'm very satisfied with the result. Even under a magnifier one cannot see the difference between old and restored leather, he did an absolutely perfect job. He has very old leather which is ideal for the task.


Kind regards,
Roland