Hey Matt, more and more fans of our show (who also watching your show too) say that we should do something together on swords and blades of World War 1. Interested? Cheers Flo
You should look into sacrificial anodes / cathodic protection, it's widely used to protect from corrosion in marine applications. Personally I use zinc plating since it's fast, cheap and easy to do even for a home gamer, and it's effective to boot. Gives the metal both a plating and cathodic protection on the whole metal piece, even parts that are not plated.
I really like this video, not only because it is an interesting topic in and on itself, but also because you showed us quite a few different swords and compared them to each other. Usually you focuse on one particular sword and present it in detail, which is also very interesting and fascinating. However, this time you were able to show just a bit more variety and give us a hint about the size of your collection and the fine examples of swords that you have. I would really like to see more videos like this, in which you can present not just one sword in detail, but several, and compare them to each other! Cheers!
I have a sliver plated trumpet and a nickel plated trumpet. The nickel has mostly flaked off from the valves where I hold it and didn't do a good job cleaning it. The silver trumpet doesn't show nearly as much wear. Also, the nickel trumpet has a noticeably darker and warmer tone than the silver one, which I like it a lot better.
I have a clarinet with nickle plated keys. It is missing some plating on the register key (thumb) though since I never really took care of the key plating. By the way are both of your horns the same make and model with only the plating being different? If nickle plating makes it have a darker and warmer tone (which I am aiming for) then I might want to invest in a nickle plated one for my second trumpet once I get better.
No, not the same make and model. The nickel one is a better quality horn. Come to think of it, it also has a larger bore, which definitely affects tone quality as well. I guess try out a larger bore horn before worrying about the plating. You can always change the plating later on whatever horn you do get.
Have you found any traces of blacking on any of the naval cutlasses you have come across, Matt? I have an old recipe for blacking (from the Naval Chronicle) that is mainly soot mixed with galley slush or linseed oil, which apparently was used on cutlasses, cannon, block straps and other iron items.
Hi Matt. really enjoy watching your channel! It would be great to see a video showing your collection of swords and a bit about each of them. Have you done any previously?
The French 1886 Infantry saber (which came in a wide variety of flavours) had a regulation hilt of German silver, with a nickel plated blade and scabbard. The 1821 Infantry saber often had a gilded brass hilt. But the navy cutlass (patterns 1811 and 1833) had an iron hilt, painted with thick black paint to protect it from rust, and apparently it never became an issue. That's a wierd choice since almost all French caber have a brass hilt.
A video on long term display storage would be cool. I live within spitting distance (literally) of the nice salty ocean and the house isn't exactly air tight. Yes I know a house shouldn't be air tight but there's a difference between normal and indoor condensation every once and a while. I live in the Bay area, very damp. I've finally hit the, more than a few, point in my blade collection and maintenance is becoming a multi hour chore every few days. I've heard stripping the blade with acetone and applying a thick layer of carnauba wax is good for a few months. Any recommendations for mostly 1040 to 1095 steel blades? Some 5560 also.
Siesta Time lol gun cabinets are legal as long as they don't have locks that make them fully automatic assault containers. I have two. I'm debating on making a glass/caulked cabinet with a dehumidifier but my small display room (8x8ft) dehumidifier already pulls a half gallon every three to four hours. Humidity is almost always above 70 or so in Pacifica. I don't want to make it too dry though or the leather and wood for the scabbards and hilts might crack or peel.
Güber McSanchez Try CLP. I live in NYC and have a reenactment sword without a scabbard and it doesn't rust at all. And I have tropical reptiles that require a lot of humidity.
I imagine galvanic corrosion would be a problem. I had a .22 with a chromed barrel and it was rusting in the scratches. I've always liked the idea of silver plating. Anything really: swords, guns, roll cages, door knobs, etc.
I think a nickel-plated 1911 is the most beautiful gun in the world. I had one that was only blued, and keeping rust off it was a pain. Especially in summertime carrying concealed. It was work I loved tho.
Been watching your videos for a long time now and wish you would do one on the Scottish basket hilt that you showed in the promo pic.Its why i clicked this time. al be it mine does have alittle rust and needs some work. Ie a pomel & sheath. Its 32 inch long dubble edged made by Mole, late 1800s. Thanks Matt
I keep those little silica gel packets that come with electronics and put them in my knife cabinet to keep the moisture down. That and I make sure I clean and oil my blades regularly.
Hey Matt, would you recommend a dehumidifier in the room? Moisture is, after all, a catalyst for rust. Edit: the ornamentation on the blade of that silver plated sabre is breathtaking!
It can be a problem storing blades in scabbards made from wood wrapped in hides. The inner layer of wood can absorb and attract damp which contributes to fairly rapid rusting in some steels (especially 01 and some tool steels) . I have had issues with this in a few Kukhuris when I have been a little too lax in maintenance.
Can you do a video with more on that silver plated blade? The blade looks quite unusual and I'm curious to know about the edge and why it changes part way down.
Your 1855 Coldstream Guards' sword hilt could be "German silver", also called Berlin silver or Alpacca. It is 47-64 % Copper, 10-25 % Nickel, 15-42 % Zinc. It was developed in the second half of the 18th cent., but was only industrially produced from 1823 onwards. I have a M1852 dutch home guard sabre with such a handguard, the regular army issue was brass instead.
Hey matt, is there any good source on the US made 1796LC style sabres? I've found one which has bluing patterns which don't seem to match the british style of the time, and it was found in America, so I'm wondering if this is one of those reportedly made in the US around 1810
That hilt on the Coldstream Guard's sword is most likely made of white bronze, an alloy very similar to regular brass or bronze, but with more Tin than Zinc. The brass on a sword hilt likely would have been 60% Copper, 35% Zinc, and 5% other stuff like Tin and other alloying elements for hardness. I suspect that the hilt of your sword is around the order of 50% Copper, 35% Tin, and 15% Zinc. I'm not a historian, so I don't know what was used from records, this is just my stipulation as a metalworker with a fair amount of experience making copper alloys like these. Hopefully that was helpful or informative to at least some capacity!
Duncan McBride German silver- 60% copper, 20% nickel, 20% zinc. Nickel content can go as high as 30%. We'll never know without an analysis, but that's my guess.
one of my blacksmith friends says it this way: stainless steel does not mean stain no more, it just means stains less. And of course, wrought iron just rot.
The hilt could just be German silver- nickel/zinc/copper alloy? An 1821 pattern style guard I have is made of that. It's VERY hard, and it cracked when I tried to mould it into shape to fit a new blade (it was flat when I acquired it). I had to get a silversmith to help me shape it and fix the cracks. He did an amazing job. I thought it was silver initially myself. It smelled like silver because of the sulphides in caused by corrosion. There were some green spots in places. Of course it was a lot harder than silver. Harder than untempered steel too I'd say, but not as hard as stainless.
I don't know much about modern alloy steels. True damascus is crucible steel which is an old way of creating high carbon steel with less slag. Pattern-welding is a more crude method for spreading out undesirable inclusions like slag, though of course the decorative result is very pretty. These old methods do not create something that is better than a modern steel well heat-treated, but they look more pretty.
Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it, but that hilt you couldn't identify the metal on might well be made of, or thickly plated with a cupronickel alloy, either cupronickel or 'German Silver/Nickel Silver.' Both would have been available at the time, As a guess German Silver (or more properly Nickel Brass) would be my pick, as the fancier metal.
With the Coldstream Gurads sabre, am I seeing things, or is there a shoulder on both edges of that sword about a third along from the hilt? Why is this there? I originally thought it was a trick of the light, but you can actually hear it catch on the scabbard as you put it back in. Is this deliberate or is it some kind of damage that has been repaired?
10:29 I guess that sword never needed re-sharpening... Also, chrome plating seems to have been done in ancient China too, and is currently being done on the inside of gun barrels. This may be a different sort of chrome plating than what was available early on, though, so it could be tougher.
I can't wrap my head around the sword with the silver-plated blade. Was it ever used? How good does the plating last in combat and how does it effect sharpening the sword?
Matt do you use renaissance wax for your swords? I used to oil my knives and swords and now switched to tenaissance wax and find that it looks much butter but the weapons are better and cleaner to handle as well.
I have heard good things about Renaissance Wax, but I've never used it myself because I am reluctant to put wax on a blade which will then go into a scabbard. I feel like it might create a build-up of gunk in the scabbard.
Thank you for your response. You apply the wax very lighty and evenly, wait a minute and then buff it with a clean cloth (this is where it gets its shine). It pretty much hardens instantly and leaves no fingerprints after buffing as long as you only apply it lightly. So technically there is a very tiny amount of wax on the blade and it is very hard. So it shouldn't gunk up anything, but it never hurts to try it on something else first that isn't an antique sword. The good thing about Renaissance Wax is that you can use it for old wood and leather as well where oil is often an issue and actually harms it more than leaving it alone. PS: Sorry for the grammar in my first post, I was tired >.
Does plating or gilding a blade have any impact on its cutting ability or other properties? Also is nickel plating better than silver or was it just cheaper?
I think nickel is simply cheaper. Plating the edge will dull the edge, but then you just sharpen it again, which removes the plating right on the edge, but leaves the rest of the plating intact.
Why coat the guard in silver instead of mixing the steel with silver and then making a guard out of the alloy? I know the metal will be a little weaker but will it make that much difference in durability?
Hi Matt. I'm starting a Sabre practice group with a mate of mine. What's the minimum protection gear that we need for simple practise? Do you know where we could get our hands on some second hand gear ? Some websites or something ? Thank you!
For practicing techniques you don't technically need any protective gear if you are careful, though I would advise fencing masks and gloves of some kind. You can get second hand fencing masks off Ebay. Until you have masks, wear safety glasses/goggles.
Yeah, he did a video or two about that previously. The 'schwing" sound is from sabers with metal scabbards, which were what early movie makers were familiar with, so that's how it was decided that swords should make that noise when drawn. It just doesn't make sense for any sword without a metal scabbard, but it stuck.
Wouldn't a silver plated blade get scratched the first time you used it or sharpened it and then rust anyway? Sounds like the officer got ripped off. Or... Vampire hunter?
The Stoned Videogame Nerd I'm aware that's the case with modern plating, but I'm wondering if historical plating, especially over a large area like a scabbard, might increase the mass. But yeah, probably not detectable. XD
No, it's just based on experience of what people will pay for different swords. Just the same with all antiques - things are worth what people will pay for them.
A history of his own sales and purchases after many (20+?) years is almost certainly a great starting point for him. As for someone just starting out... well, take a cue from other sellers, probably, and adjust to their prices.
I was asking more from the point of view of the buyer than of the seller. Spanish XIXth century sabers are being sold for thousands of euros while I see some very comparatively affordable english stuff in pages like Matt's, so it makes me think antiquarians in this country are just scammers!
Yo - Roman military equipment (or at least a fair few finds) was sometimes plated in tin... Was this done by any other people in other periods? Because I would have thought that tin would be a cheaper option for lower-income swordsmen even in the 19th century too
I don't want to be 'that guy' but I'm going to go out and say there's probably a pretty good 'stainless' alloy these days for making swords out of. However stainless steels do still rust (sometimes only in exteme circumstances or after significant neglect but still). Also, the dark colour on steel is oxide (rust), just as hot blue, cold blue and etching black is oxide. The thin oxide layer causes the discoloration of the steel, but is also porous which allows it to be filled with oil more readily than polished steel does. It's the same method used when seasoning a pan 🙂. afaik.
scholagladiatoria Britannia is often called lead free pewter, but they are different metals, and I have seen britannia used on hilts for blades before.
You should try putting a MAGNET on the Foot-guard sword hilt. Then you will a least know if it is steel plated with something or if not it some kind of alloy. It wont be much of a revelation, but at least it is a non destructive test.
Matt, I suspect that you're right about the guard of the Coldstream Guards officer's sword being made of nickel alloy. Specifically, I suspect that it's made of what is known as nickel silver or German silver. Those names are misleading because it doesn't actually contain any silver, even though it has a silver color. Nickel silver is an alloy of copper, nickel, and usually zinc. If it it has zinc, then it should probably be classified as a type of brass. Briefly put, if you add enough nickel to brass, then you get a brass that has a silver color instead of a gold color.
Matt, I guessed that you had probably already surmised that it was nickel silver since you referred to a nickel alloy, but I thought that I'd make this explicit in case anybody was interested. By the way, I like your channel a lot.
one question, why not copper plating? copper should have been cheaper than both nickel and silver. The only reasons I can think of is either the chemical copper ore required was uncommon thus expensive, or it did doesn't bond well to iron/steel so you have to nickel plate first then copper plate, in which case you might as well just nickel plate. hmmm I think I just answered my own question.
not necessarily but silver is also great at mitigating bacterial growth. It's rather considerate of the officer in question to take the opponents health into consideration. Just imagine someone just ran a blade trough your chest and you are like "oh no, impending infection...wait is that silver? Jolly good, no sepsis for me". I think that might be quite nice while you lie there while bleeding out/ coughing into death due hemothorax.
If, as you say, a scratch on the plating of a blade can allow rust to creep in under the plating, how would one sharpen a nickel or otherwise plated blade? surely the edge itself could not be plated since the plating would be removed with sharpening
Yes it is sharp and was carried in the Crimean War. The blade was probably plated after the war. When you sharpen a plated blade you expose a strip of the bare steel along the edge of course.
What about paint, couldn't oil-based paint be used to protect against rust? On that note, does paint on medieval plate armour serve this function at all historically speaking.
Blueing a gun has nothing to do with heating it to change color of the metal. It is a controlled oxidizing with caustic salts. Hot blueing is done with the water with salts heated to about 280 deg. f. and cold blue like Belgium blue is done by heating the gun in water to around 190 then hand rubbing a salt solution on it. The reason for heating the water is to accelerate the oxidation. Don't know much on browning cause I never have done it but it is mostly the same accept for what caustic solutions you are using. The only finish that is done by heat is case hardening and that is only typically done to the receivers of a firearm and it gives the kinda rainbow effect.
No. The first thing to say is that on active service you could basically carry whatever weapon you wanted. Some British officers carried tulwars and Hodson was known to use a boar spear! For full dress order (ie. official occasions and parade) you were expected to have a sword of the correct description, but what some officers did was combine their fighting weapon and their parade weapon, by having a hilt that met the regulations, with a blade more suited to their fighting preferences.
Why not tin plating? By the 19th c. tin-plated steel was common and relatively cheap. Softer than nickel (and like silver, no galvanic protection) but easy to repair.
Do you have a video about the sword that has a silver-plated blade? It stands out to me as being rather unusual relative to most other European swords of the modern era you've shown us.
This may be a silly question but . . . Some of the swords you show in this video appear to be straight-bladed. If this is the case, are those swords sabres or a different type of sword?
bluing or "browning"?? Those are older attempts at keeping guns from rusting more quickly. The newer process is called Parkerizing which just about completely stops the rusting process. Parkerizing is the ideal type of coating for a firearm to keep the need to clean the outside surfaces of a gun from rust. You still obviously need to clean the inside of the gun if fired a lot due to potential corrosion from the burning gun powder.
