Restoring brass sleighbells

A. Helen, this reply is late to your inquiry so I doubt that you will receive it. You wrote an inquiry on my birthday from a state I use to live in. The sleigh bells are they on a leather strip? If so by the time you get the bells polished the leather will be damaged. I strongly suggest that you enjoy the bells with the natural tarnish (patina) on them. I used to deal in antiques and while I polished many items the bells I always left and enjoyed the sound.

 Hi Jon,

Your response reminds me that I once read a "Hints from Heloise" column where a reader had spilled red wine on her white blouse and Heloise answered: "If you catch the stain before it dries ..."

I think the stain dried days before the reader even stamped her letter, let alone before the newspaper got around to publishing Heloise's column :-)

While Helen may not get your advice in time, the next person looking for help will surely benefit from your answer!

Thanks,