On Wed 7 Aug Judy Prosser-armstrong wrote:
>... would like to know the best & least damaging way of cleaning a
sword...

The least damaging way would be to vacuum the dirt off it. The best way is
more difficult to answer. How dirty is it? What kind of dirt is it? Is it
corroded, and if so what type of corrosion? How well polished is the blade?
What's it made from? Is there organic materials in it? What type of
metal(s)? How old is it? Can it be dismantled? Has it been coated or
previously conserved? Does it have fingerprints on the blade?  What is it
worth? What sort of environment will it be kept in?

Swords have been made in all shapes & sizes and from a wide variety of
materials. It is impossible to advise on a cleaning method without seeing
it. An effective treatment for one type of sword can be absolutely
disastrous for another.

Contact the AIC & they should be able to put you in touch with a metals
conservator in your region, or talk to Dave Harvey who frequents this list.

Cheers!

George Bailey
Objects Conservator
Australian War Memorial
Treloar Centre for Conservation
4 Callan St, Mitchell, A.C.T. 2911
Australia
Phone: +61 6 241 6122
fax:   +61 6 241 7998
email: [log in to unmask]