Indian shield "dhal" for comment

thinreadline · 14th October 2013, 11:32 PM

Hi Colin , this is most likely mid 19th century though could be earlier . Cleaning , well I would begin with a slightly warm damp cloth and with a little detergent and simply gently wipe it over. This will remove the dirt without making inroads into any remaining decoration or finish. Once it is as clean as you can get it by this means , let it dry naturally and then apply a good quality beeswax polish . I would not use any kind of leather softener or saddle soap and steer well clear of neatsfoot oil etc ... the latter tends to ruin the finish , remove gilding or paintwork , alter the texture and if there is any stitching it may rot it . There may be other methods , but this has worked well for me over a period of 40 years collecting leatherwork items including many dhal.s

14th October 2013, 11:32 PM	#3
thinreadline Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wirral Posts: 1,204	Hi Colin , this is most likely mid 19th century though could be earlier . Cleaning , well I would begin with a slightly warm damp cloth and with a little detergent and simply gently wipe it over. This will remove the dirt without making inroads into any remaining decoration or finish. Once it is as clean as you can get it by this means , let it dry naturally and then apply a good quality beeswax polish . I would not use any kind of leather softener or saddle soap and steer well clear of neatsfoot oil etc ... the latter tends to ruin the finish , remove gilding or paintwork , alter the texture and if there is any stitching it may rot it . There may be other methods , but this has worked well for me over a period of 40 years collecting leatherwork items including many dhal.s