Bayonet Care

I use regular Remington Gun Oil on mine(the blade). the sheath I use paste wax or even good old Kiwi polish (not the bottle kind). If you are using an Enfield bayonet blue it, the part that goes on the rifle all the way down to where the blade starts. The originals were that way.
 
Which is an ingredient in WD40.

And if it's good enough to protect nuclear missiles, it should work for a bayonet.

WD 40 is not a lubricating oil, its a penetrating petroleum product and it can do damage. Look up some threads on what people do when they have a 400 year old Katana. The last thing you want to do is put WD40. Light vegetable or pure mineral oil is the way to go.

I have pitted WW2 steel blades by applying paste wax. If you value your bayonets and swords do some reasearch on the blade and edged weapons forums (off this site).
 
I have been a gun collector for many moons. I have not had a lot of high end items but know high end collectors all over
the country. I use what men who have priceless gun collections use....Johnsons Lemon Oil or other furniture liquid polishers.
It preserves the wood and does not harm any metal surfaces.Always wipe down with this after handling.
 
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Please excuse me if I'm misunderstanding what may be needed here. If this is an original CW bayonet being preserved, I've had it recommended to me and read good things about Renaissance Wax. I have used this on some of my items.


Frank
 
Please excuse me if I'm misunderstanding what may be needed here. If this is an original CW bayonet being preserved, I've had it recommended to me and read good things about Renaissance Wax. I have used this on some of my items.


Frank

As I am sure you are aware, these items are valuable....monetarily, historically and often emotionally. The last thing, IME, u want 2 do is ruin an article because you took some quick advice off the net. As I said I used Johnsons Paste Wax, which I think is a solid product on a WW2 dagger out of Soligen Germany and 6 months later its pitted....not real bad but worse than before. People on edged weapon sites told me that wax can actually trap moisture and lead to corrosion. If I had not seen it I would have a hard time believing it. German steel in that era was of unusually high quality. All I am saying is do your homework.

Museum curators seem to be pretty tight lipped about what they use.....Its their profession and Im sure they dont want to give away trade secrets. in 5 years I have never had a problem with pure mineral oil on iron or steel. I use Pecards products for leather.
 
WD 40 is actually a water displacer (WD) and the 40th formula tried by the chemists. Used in the aerospace industry to remove moisture from electronics.

The WD 40 myths abound and you can find them on just about any forum where talk of cutlery or firearms is common.
 
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Please excuse me if I'm misunderstanding what may be needed here. If this is an original CW bayonet being preserved, I've had it recommended to me and read good things about Renaissance Wax. I have used this on some of my items.


Frank
Renaissance wax is good but pricey. Liquid furniture polish will do the trick.
 
There are a million ways to skin this cat :wink:

FWIW, my reproductions stay scabbarded and have occasionally been wiped with a cloth damp with light oil or silicon spray. Of the dozens of antiques here on my watch, most are clean and dry after working with them. I dust them from time to time.

One sword I bought from a dealer that uses paste wax for both cleaning and preserving , preserved active rust on the blade, the pits getting deeper (it was much brighter once all that had been removed). Ren Wax gets good marks, as well as any protective (just make sure it is clean and dry first). I dug out a fifty year old can of liquid silicon glaze I have been using on various things and plan to do some of my swords when I have them out for a show this month. Cans of silicon spray are cheap. Spray on, wipe with paper towels. Treat cloths and you basically have gun cloths. Any automotive wax Ballistol, Break Free and any number of other products work fine. I by bottles of Whal hair clipper oil, which is fine mineral oil. Honing oil, similar and someone just gifted me some. If a blade is displayed open, oil will attract dust and settle, wicking moisture. Vegetable oils do get rancid in time and are thick. In this age, there is little need for them aside from camellia oil, which is proper for Japanese blades and used by many woodworkers for their tools.

In the end, it really isn't brain surgery. When stuff rusts, I generally remove it unless leaving it purposefully. Here is a war hammer getting prettier all the time :wink: That was the first go before more oil and rubbing then getting browner by the year.
monsta1.jpg


Anyone that uses knives that discolor over time note the patina. Usually just getting grayer if cleaned after use.

As mentioned, my repro civil war sword lives scabbarded and pretty clean and dry after handling at shows and cutting. It does pick up rust from peoples oily acidic fingers. I don't worry about it (I just let it patina and blend it in scrubbing with Scotch brites or copper scrubbers).

My sword from Blockade Runner before some scabbard speckling. and now darker brass from handling.
CHSREPcomp.jpg


I have brought back a lot of old leather with Pecards Antique formula but many have their own favorites. Leather as old as the mid 1700s has responded favorably.

If you want to make the blade look old, there are lots of recipes. Mustard, for instance. For a smooth patina, just keep rubbing with fine abrasives, cloths and oil. You are in charge. Lots of food acids out there but even just humid air will do it. Bleach is just nasty stuff for blades.

Cheers

GC
 
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WD-40......The product was originally designed to repel water and prevent corrosion on the Atlas space rocket.

WD-40 was first used by Convair to protect the outer skin and, more importantly, the paper-thin balloon tanks of the Atlas missile from rust and corrosion.

The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile, viscous oil which remains on the surface, providing lubrication and protection from moisture. This is diluted with a volatile hydrocarbon to give a low viscosity fluid which can be sprayed and thus penetrate crevices. The volatile hydrocarbon then evaporates, leaving the oil behind.

Just say'n.
 
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