Storage advice needed

imas560 · 18th October 2010, 02:35 AM

Thanks for the great info everyone. I have some Renaissance wax on it's way for when I can devote some time to these items.
I have some photos for the next mandau. It has taken awhile as I got sprung taking photos of the last one and the wife went ballistic, so I thought it best to keep quiet about the other 5 items I got. I couldn't explain why I needed these things, it's a sickness.
The item referred to in the auction as "Old Dyak Headhunters Mandau".
Dimensions:
Weight = 800gm approx.
Overall Length = 710mm.
Blade length (tip to hilt) = 580mm.
Point of balance = 400mm from tip.
Blade thickness along spine at 3 points.
Hilt = 7.5mm, midpoint blade = 6mm, 140mm from tip = 5mm.
Notes:
Steel cording on hilt needs repair.
Severe pitting on blade. Unidentified red substance on blade, more pronounced on one side. Concave/convex aspect less apparent. Crowit(?) on blade near hilt. Filework on spine of blade near tip.

imas560 · 18th October 2010, 02:41 AM

The hilt

imas560 · 18th October 2010, 02:45 AM

The blade

imas560 · 18th October 2010, 02:50 AM

The blade continued

The scabbard

imas560 · 18th October 2010, 02:53 AM

The scabbard continued

A. G. Maisey · 18th October 2010, 04:36 AM

Imas, the advice you have already been given is all good, solid advice, depending upon circumstances and the type of weapons involved, however this field of S.E.Asian edged weaponry is my special field and I am at variance with most of what has already been said, as your request for advice does apply to a particular type of weaponry.

If I had these and I intended to delay restoration for a few months I would:-

1)--- drench the blades with WD40 and allow those blades to dry off

2)--- all except the keris would then be sprayed with a good natural wax furniture polish, I favour " Maveer" by Kiwi

3)--- store out of scabbards and wrap in plastic to prevent contact with any cellulose surface such as cardboard or wood; wrapping in any type of cloth is a very bad idea as cloth can absorb moisture from the atmosphere, the same as wood and cardboard, and can cause rust; if you choose not to wrap in plastic, try to ensure that the blades are not in contact with any cellulose surface.

4)--- store the wrapped blades in a cardboard box and cover to protect from dust, store the scabbards either on top of the blades or in a separate box and cover to protect from dust, store the boxes in a dry place.

5)--- with the keris I would do nothing, I'd leave it in the scabbard and untouched; you will need to do a complete clean and stain anyway, and a few more months after years of neglect will make not the slightest difference.

6)--- Renaissance wax is a very good product, but it is not the only micro crystalline wax on the market, and in my experience, all waxes are best suited as preservatives for smooth polished blade surfaces, not for the rougher surfaces we find on S.E.Asian weaponry. I personally prefer Antiquax when I use a wax.

The important thing in the situation in which you find yourself is that you do no harm to the pieces. They have been neglected for a period of time already, a slight delay before restoration doesn't really matter. The recommendations above are for procedures that will just give you a breathing space before you can do the restoration.

Silica gel is a good idea. I store all my stock in cardboard boxes, and all my collection in either chests or chests of drawers, I have big bags --- like one kilo bags --- of silica gel in most of of my storage spaces.

imas560 · 19th October 2010, 01:13 AM

Thanks for the great advice.
It is now getting hotter with summer and I know from other metallic objects that I have in my garage that there may be a chance of rust.
I have a 3 level house with the bottom level being below ground level and is a lot cooler than the rest of the house. The middle level is the general living area and can get quite warm in summer. Then there is the ceiling space which can get quite balmy, not a quick heat but like a warm blanket. Any recommendations for which level of the house to store?.

18th October 2010, 02:41 AM	#2
imas560 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 180	Mandau Pic Set 1 The hilt

18th October 2010, 02:45 AM	#3
imas560 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 180	Mandau Pic Set 2 The blade

18th October 2010, 02:50 AM	#4
imas560 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 180	Mandau Pic Set 3 The blade continued The scabbard

18th October 2010, 02:53 AM	#5
imas560 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 180	Mandau Pic Set 4 The scabbard continued

18th October 2010, 02:35 AM	#1
imas560 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 180	Thanks for the great info everyone. I have some Renaissance wax on it's way for when I can devote some time to these items. I have some photos for the next mandau. It has taken awhile as I got sprung taking photos of the last one and the wife went ballistic, so I thought it best to keep quiet about the other 5 items I got. I couldn't explain why I needed these things, it's a sickness. The item referred to in the auction as "Old Dyak Headhunters Mandau". Dimensions: Weight = 800gm approx. Overall Length = 710mm. Blade length (tip to hilt) = 580mm. Point of balance = 400mm from tip. Blade thickness along spine at 3 points. Hilt = 7.5mm, midpoint blade = 6mm, 140mm from tip = 5mm. Notes: Steel cording on hilt needs repair. Severe pitting on blade. Unidentified red substance on blade, more pronounced on one side. Concave/convex aspect less apparent. Crowit(?) on blade near hilt. Filework on spine of blade near tip.

18th October 2010, 04:36 AM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Imas, the advice you have already been given is all good, solid advice, depending upon circumstances and the type of weapons involved, however this field of S.E.Asian edged weaponry is my special field and I am at variance with most of what has already been said, as your request for advice does apply to a particular type of weaponry. If I had these and I intended to delay restoration for a few months I would:- 1)--- drench the blades with WD40 and allow those blades to dry off 2)--- all except the keris would then be sprayed with a good natural wax furniture polish, I favour " Maveer" by Kiwi 3)--- store out of scabbards and wrap in plastic to prevent contact with any cellulose surface such as cardboard or wood; wrapping in any type of cloth is a very bad idea as cloth can absorb moisture from the atmosphere, the same as wood and cardboard, and can cause rust; if you choose not to wrap in plastic, try to ensure that the blades are not in contact with any cellulose surface. 4)--- store the wrapped blades in a cardboard box and cover to protect from dust, store the scabbards either on top of the blades or in a separate box and cover to protect from dust, store the boxes in a dry place. 5)--- with the keris I would do nothing, I'd leave it in the scabbard and untouched; you will need to do a complete clean and stain anyway, and a few more months after years of neglect will make not the slightest difference. 6)--- Renaissance wax is a very good product, but it is not the only micro crystalline wax on the market, and in my experience, all waxes are best suited as preservatives for smooth polished blade surfaces, not for the rougher surfaces we find on S.E.Asian weaponry. I personally prefer Antiquax when I use a wax. The important thing in the situation in which you find yourself is that you do no harm to the pieces. They have been neglected for a period of time already, a slight delay before restoration doesn't really matter. The recommendations above are for procedures that will just give you a breathing space before you can do the restoration. Silica gel is a good idea. I store all my stock in cardboard boxes, and all my collection in either chests or chests of drawers, I have big bags --- like one kilo bags --- of silica gel in most of of my storage spaces.

19th October 2010, 01:13 AM	#7
imas560 Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 180	Thanks for the great advice. It is now getting hotter with summer and I know from other metallic objects that I have in my garage that there may be a chance of rust. I have a 3 level house with the bottom level being below ground level and is a lot cooler than the rest of the house. The middle level is the general living area and can get quite warm in summer. Then there is the ceiling space which can get quite balmy, not a quick heat but like a warm blanket. Any recommendations for which level of the house to store?.