type 95 nco tassel

[lonely panet]

Hello gentlemen, here's some photos of my new tassel for a type 95 NCO sword. This tassel was only made for type 95's fitted with brass tsuba's and is in really nice condition too, and may thanks to my friend who passed it on to me at a really good price.

 

does anybody have any tried and true products to help preserve the leather?

 

regards Hamish

[Stu W]

Nice one Hamish. I wish I could find a well preserved example of the buckle type.

 

As to preservatives, I became involved with Japanese swords after many years in the TR dagger field. There is a product commonly used on daggers called Rennaisance Wax. Perhaps you have heard of it. Having some at hand I carefully applied it with my fingers to a leather knot that was in rough shape. A bit of an experiment but one that turned out well. To date, some three years later, the knot is doing just fine and the slow process of disintegration it was going through before I applied the product has stopped.

 

I realize that a single case study is of limited value but if others have also used Ren Wax for this purpose it would be beneficial to learn the results.

 

Anyone?

 

Regards,

Stu

[lonely panet]

Thanks Stu, ill keep my eye open for both next time I head to town.

regards Hamish

[Baka Gaijin]

Good morning Hamish,

 

Conservation of Leather is quite a subject in itself.

 

Renaissance wax is excellent for a variety of external applications, but if the rot is in the substructure of the leather and it is becoming "powder", then other methods may be required.

 

A professional conservator would be able to advise on this.

 

If you are near U.K., you could try this avenue:

 

http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/d ... wills.aspx

 

Here's some food for thought:

 

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/CRL/conservati ... /File7.htm

 

Cheers