Vintage Sterling and brass insignia,....polish or don't polish it?

[Maj.Nick Danger]

If you wear all or nearly all vintage WW2 insignia on a uniform, is it a good idea to polish the vintage stuff? And if so, what do I use that's considered safe for sterling silver and also for brass? I have air transport DUIs in sterling that are almost black in color now, and some of my brass is too dull!
I looked through my 1944 edition of "The Officer's Guide" and the only reference to this subject I saw pertained to the brass belt buckle, but I am assuming that all brass and sterling insignia should be kept polished too. But what is the best product or products for this purpose?

 

[J.B.Saxon]

Hello Major,
there are two hearts beating in my breast:
One side tells me it is a shame to polish vintage stuff as it became that look by its age. the other side tells me that it has to have a new look as I reenacting in my uniform and insignia. The sterling and brass wouldn´t have that vintage look in the 40s or maybe earlier, so most of the stuff gets a nearly new look from me.
I normaly use a silver and gold polishing cloth and polish the item for a long time to get off the black spots and areas. If its too dark I use the same stuff what helps to clean my motorbikes chrome: "Never Dull". Try it on the back of the item first and you will see what happens.
Good luck

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Thanks J.B.

I'll look for it. I know what you mean about not wanting to polish or clean vintage insignia. But I have just used a small chamois cloth without any chemical cleaners or polishes on my sterling pilot's wings. It cleaned the blackened areas in the high spots, and left the patina in the incised details. A nice look really as it still looks vintage and brings out the detail. As to brass, I am afraid I will have to clean and polish it to a greater extent to remove the green oxidation that brass aquires.

 

[Zemke Fan]

I, too, have mixed emotions...

... but I have taken all of my STERLING wings and insignia back to their original bright silver finish. Frankly, to my mind, patina is just another word for tarnish. There are, however, certain wings/insignia that are made in a subdued finish (maybe an expert will weigh in here and help and/or correct me) and even when polished up, these still have the finish that Major Nick describes... silver on the highlights and a dark gray in the recesses.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Apparently, freshman chemistry at MIT...

... had a practical application after all!

BACKGROUND:

When silver tarnishes, it combines with sulfur and forms silver sulfide. Silver sulfide is black. When a thin coating of silver sulfide forms on the surface of silver, it darkens the silver. The silver can be returned to its former luster by removing the silver sulfide coating from the surface.

There are two ways to remove the coating of silver sulfide. One way is to remove the silver sulfide from the surface. The other is to reverse the chemical reaction and turn silver sulfide back into silver. In the first method, some silver is removed in the process of polishing. In the second, the silver remains in place. Polishes that contain an abrasive shine the silver by rubbing off the silver sulfide and some of the silver along with it. Another kind of tarnish remover dissolves the silver sulfide in a liquid. These polishes are used by dipping the silver into the liquid, or by rubbing the liquid on with a cloth and washing it off. These polishes also remove some of the silver. (emphasis added)

The tarnish-removal method described below uses a chemical reaction to convert the silver sulfide back into silver. This does not remove any of the silver. (emphasis added) Many metals in addition to silver form compounds with sulfur. Some of them have a greater affinity for sulfur than silver does. Aluminum is such a metal. In this process, the silver sulfide reacts with aluminum. In the reaction, sulfur atoms are transferred from silver to aluminum, freeing the silver metal and forming aluminum sulfide. Chemists represent this reaction with a chemical equation:

3 Ag2S + 2 Al ----> 6 Ag + Al2S3

The reaction between silver sulfide and aluminum takes place when the two are in contact while they are immersed in a baking soda solution. The reaction is faster when the solution is warm. The solution carries the sulfur from the silver to the aluminum. The aluminum sulfide may adhere to the aluminum foil, or it may form tiny, pale yellow flakes in the bottom of the pan. The silver and aluminum must be in contact with each other, because a small electric current flows between them during the reaction. This type of reaction, which involves an electric current, is called an electrochemical reaction. Reactions of this type are used in batteries to produce electricity.

MY SECRET PROCESS REVEALED...

You will need:

• your tarnished piece of silver insignia
• a pan or dish large enough to completely immerse the silver in
• aluminum foil to cover the bottom of the pan
• enough water to fill the pan
• a vessel in which to heat the water
• hot pads or kitchen mitts with which to handle the heated water vessel
• baking soda, about 1 cup per gallon of water (1 TSP per cup)
• I also add a little salt as well

Line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil. Set the silver object on top of the aluminum foil. Make sure the silver touches the aluminum.

Heat the water to boiling. Remove it from the heat and place it in a sink. To the hot water, add the baking soda for each gallon of water.The mixture will froth a bit and may spill over; this is why you put it in the sink.

Pour the hot baking soda and water mixture into the pan, and completely cover the silver.

Almost immediately, the tarnish will begin to disappear. If the silver is only lightly tarnished, all of the tarnish will disappear within several minutes. If the silver is badly tarnished, you may need to reheat the baking soda and water mixture, and give the silver several treatments to remove all of the tarnish.

SOURCE: University of Wisconsin

 

[J.B.Saxon]

Link

Hello Major,

Good idea still keeping some patina in the deeper parts. That would satisfy my two hearts, I think.

The brass can easily be cleaned with NevrDull, the silver as well. Take a look on their site and click HOW GOOD IS IT
- here is the link, with more information:

http://www.nevrdull.com/

J.B.
Semper Fi

 

[J.B.Saxon]

Zemke Fan,

after all this knowledge about silver we can graduate as WW2 silver surfers lol

Never the less great research :eusa_clap

J.B.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Thank you colonel,......

... had a practical application after all!

.........for the fine disertation on chemistry! Very enlightening and I will try it for pieces with stubborn tarnish that I feel should be removed completely.Like this Air Transport DUI.

As to my wings, and my self taught method of just polishing the high areas, sans chemicals and using only a soft chamois cloth, here are the results on my heavily tarnished wings. I kinda like this look. Shiny in the right places, yet vintage looking as well. Sort of a compromise between old and new.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Thanks J.B.

Hello Major,

Good idea still keeping some patina in the deeper parts. That would satisfy my two hearts, I think.

The brass can easily be cleaned with NevrDull, the silver as well. Take a look on their site and click HOW GOOD IS IT
- here is the link, with more information:

http://www.nevrdull.com/

J.B.
Semper Fi

I will get some as soon as I can, sounds like a good product.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Don't clean the silver with a polish!

Every cleaning with a polish removes the silver sulfide (which includes some of the silver)! Convert that compound back to silver!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Yes sir!

Every cleaning with a polish removes the silver sulfide (which includes some of the silver)! Convert that compound back to silver!

I will try the baking soda - tin foil method you described for the matching DUI I am expecting will appear in my mail box tomorrow. I'll post the results of the experiment too, for all to see. Sounds like a cool trick. I've got some other silver items that would benefit from it also.

 

[Baggers]

You know, depending on the service branch and time period, you may not have a choice of whether or not to polish. Brass in particular. In the Army or Marines (American or British), brass insignia was required to be polished to a bright mirror finish or there would be hell to pay at inspection. The quickest way to get gigged would be for the inspecting officer to see dull or dirty collar brasses. I've seen more than one EGA (USMC "Eagle Globe & Anchor insignia) that looked as if it had been worn almost smooth from years of Brasso and elbow grease. The same with certain qualification badges such as parachute wings. It's as if the wear itself was a indicator of long service.

There may be certain instances of insignia purposely having an oxidized or "antiqued" finish, but the vast majority should always be highly polished. Otherwise, what would have been the purpose of developing anodized insignia?

Cheers!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

True Baggers.

You know, depending on the service branch and time period, you may not have a choice of whether or not to polish. Brass in particular. In the Army or Marines (American or British), brass insignia was required to be polished to a bright mirror finish or there would be hell to pay at inspection. The quickest way to get gigged would be for the inspecting officer to see dull or dirty collar brasses. I've seen more than one EGA (USMC "Eagle Globe & Anchor insignia) that looked as if it had been worn almost smooth from years of Brasso and elbow grease. The same with certain qualification badges such as parachute wings. It's as if the wear itself was a indicator of long service.

There may be certain instances of insignia purposely having an oxidized or "antiqued" finish, but the vast majority should always be highly polished. Otherwise, what would have been the purpose of developing anodized insignia?

Cheers!

The whole "spit and shine" thing. Luckily, I have some gold filled insignia that have of course, not tarnished over the years. Maybe there is some other electro chemical process for brass like the one described by Zemke Fan? In an effort to avoid such wear and tear on valuable vintage insignia. I think it would be worth investigating.

 

[Kathleen Klein]

Zemke polishing recipe ---

You must make an amazing martini!!!!

 

[Zemke Fan]

Why of course, doll...

... Tanqueray 10, shaken not stirred, glass and gin straight from the freezer, whisper vermouth over the shaker, three giant olives... There you have it!

Glad to have you on board here. We're getting a pretty active Fedora Lounge chapter here in the D.C. area. Several of us are going up to the NYC event on May 12-13 and then we're planning on hitting the Reading Air Show - WWII weekend in Penn. on June 2-3.

Brgds, Col. Z