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Need advice: removing tarnish from older sterling pen without tarting it up


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#1 John Danza

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Posted 10 January 2015 - 06:30 PM

Hello all,

 

I made the mistake of letting a couple of old Parker sterling silver Jack Knife overlays sit in a case in relative proximity to some black hard rubber pens. Now both pens have a dark tarnish on them. Is there any polish that you would recommend that would take the tarnish off for the most part without leaving the pen all shiny and "tarted up"?

 

Thanks!



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#2 Procyon

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Posted 10 January 2015 - 07:01 PM

Hi John,

 

I have always used a Sunshine polishing cloth if I don't want to get the pen too shiny. You have to rub awhile to remove the tarnish, but you can stop anytime you decide you have removed enough of the patina.  I think it might be too easy to tart it up with something like Simichrome.



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#3 D Armstrong

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Posted 10 January 2015 - 08:04 PM

Try to find a cloth impregnated with jeweler's rouge. It's an extremely gentle abrasive, but effective on tarnish. And good with vintage plastics too.

 

http://www.lacytools...s-p/17076-1.htm


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#4 John Danza

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Posted 10 January 2015 - 11:09 PM

Thanks guys.



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"Positive attitude makes for good decisions, but bad decisions make for great stories."

 

 

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#5 Cob

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Posted 14 January 2015 - 08:29 PM

Goddard's Silver dip; magic.

 

And Goddard's blue polishing cloth - excellent too.

 

Use either or both depending on the extent of the tarnishing.

 

Cob



#6 Ron Z

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Posted 14 January 2015 - 10:52 PM

Goddard's Silver dip; magic.

 

And Goddard's blue polishing cloth - excellent too.

 

Use either or both depending on the extent of the tarnishing.

 

Cob

 

Dig a little farther before you use this.  I can't name the source, but there was some information that I read saying that using any of the "magic" solutions to remove tarnish can leave find pits in the silver.  Simicrome works, but I don't use it except in extreme cases.  A Sunshine cloth has a micro crystaline abrasive to gently remove tarnish, and "luster enhancers."  Even something like my pen polish works  very well, and it's better because there are no solvents or chemicals to harm the pen.  I've seen pens corrode in areas where the Simicrome was left behind.


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#7 Cob

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Posted 14 January 2015 - 11:09 PM

 

Goddard's Silver dip; magic.

 

And Goddard's blue polishing cloth - excellent too.

 

Use either or both depending on the extent of the tarnishing.

 

Cob

 

Dig a little farther before you use this.  I can't name the source, but there was some information that I read saying that using any of the "magic" solutions to remove tarnish can leave find pits in the silver.  Simicrome works, but I don't use it except in extreme cases.  A Sunshine cloth has a micro crystaline abrasive to gently remove tarnish, and "luster enhancers."  Even something like my pen polish works  very well, and it's better because there are no solvents or chemicals to harm the pen.  I've seen pens corrode in areas where the Simicrome was left behind.

 

Goddard's is old-established and frequently used on antique silver - so I understand; it's been around for years and carries the Royal Warrant.  I have done my ancient Fyne-Poynt and Eversharp silver pencils and a De La Rue accommodation clip and all are fine.

 

I would not use chrome polishes on silver articles; though Autosol is an excellent general polish; I clean nibs with it and polish sections etc.

 

 

Cob



#8 David Nishimura

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Posted 15 January 2015 - 03:21 AM

Ron is right -- avoid dips. Antique silver specialists all warn against it, and it's easy enough to Google up the references if you want to get the full story.



#9 Cob

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Posted 15 January 2015 - 10:43 AM

My De La Rue accommodation clip had got a bit tarnished sitting about so I just gave it five minutes in the Goddard's Silver Dip and a rub with the Goddard's cloth.  Here's the result:

 

gallery_80961_406_55440.jpg

 

I am in no way associated with Goddard's or their distributors &c! :-)

Cob


Edited by Cob, 15 January 2015 - 11:05 AM.


#10 david i

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Posted 15 January 2015 - 11:30 AM

Hi Cob,

 

Posts were not deleted at the Admin side.  Pics can vanish if the external site that hosts them is offline.

 

I would like to see your photo. This is an engaging and useful thread.

 

regards

 

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#11 Cob

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Posted 15 January 2015 - 04:49 PM

Hi Cob,

 

Posts were not deleted at the Admin side.  Pics can vanish if the external site that hosts them is offline.

 

I would like to see your photo. This is an engaging and useful thread.

 

regards

 

david

Hullo, I'm a dumbo I posted the piece in the wrong thread - now corrected; see above your last one.

 

Cob



#12 John Danza

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Posted 16 January 2015 - 07:35 PM

Hi guys,

 

Thanks for all the additional info. I need to jump on this, as I have two silver overlays that have developed some tarnish due to proximity to black hard rubber. I need to rearrange the pen case to prevent that.



John Danza


"Positive attitude makes for good decisions, but bad decisions make for great stories."

 

 

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#13 David Nishimura

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Posted 18 January 2015 - 11:11 PM

John, get yourself some 3M anti-tarnish paper. It is treated to absorb the sulfur compounds that tarnish silver.



#14 John Danza

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Posted 19 January 2015 - 06:10 PM

John, get yourself some 3M anti-tarnish paper. It is treated to absorb the sulfur compounds that tarnish silver.

 

That sounds good David. I've seen that stuff before but haven't used it. Do you think that by using it, I can keep the BHR and silver pens together, so should I still separate them?



John Danza


"Positive attitude makes for good decisions, but bad decisions make for great stories."

 

 

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#15 Procyon

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Posted 19 January 2015 - 06:29 PM

I assume the overlays are over BHR, so how do you get away from that? 



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Regards,
Allan





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