Summary for chrome-plated steel sword Discussion
chrome-plated steel swords are discussed as a display and preservation problem: David Jamerson asks whether the oxidized chrome plating can be removed without destroying an inherited WWII-era sword so it can be displayed above a mantle. The thread excerpt does not include a full answer, but it identifies Trent Kaufman, an electroplater, as the responder. Based on the limited source shown, the practical issue is whether the plating can be stripped safely while preserving the sword’s condition and historical value. The excerpt also mentions WD-40, but no advice is provided in the visible text, so no specific cleaning method can be confirmed from this source alone. The safest takeaway from the excerpt is that the question centers on preservation, not aggressive restoration, and any removal of oxidized chrome would need to be approached cautiously to avoid damaging the sword.
Q. My name is David Jamerson. I am a college student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. I have a Chrome-plated steel sword, which I inherited from my great-grandfather, who picked it up when he was stationed in Germany in WWII. I was wondering, is it possible to remove the oxidized chrome plating, without destroying the sword. I was wanting to be able to display the sword above my family’s mantle piece for posterity and preservation.
David Jamerson
Consumer – Ralls, Texas
January 3, 2009
A. Try WD-40
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link]
or Balistol
(or any other oil based rust remover).Hope it helps and good luck!
Goran Budija
– Cerovski vrh Croatia
A. Good Day David,
Restoration shouldn’t be a problem. Take it to any reputable restoration plater. Look for someone who specializes in car/motorcycle part restoration with copper nickel chrome and they should be able to make it look like it did when it was new. They will probably want it disassembled though. I always preferred the customer to do that as it can’t be my fault when the ages old piece breaks. I imagine the pommel is leather or something non-metallic.
Actually sounds like a cool project. Good luck and ask to see some examples of their work before committing to anything. Word of mouth is a very good thing … you might want to go visit an antique car show or two and ask a few people about plating. They are the experts.
Trent Kaufman
electroplater – Galva, Illinois