NicS Posted 22 April , 2016 Share Posted 22 April , 2016 So I just received a 1907 bayonet today that I order and it is in fantastic condition however the only issue I have is that when I drew it from its scabbard to inspect it further the blade was coated and had large deposits of what I assume to be old grease that was used to store the blade previously. Is it possible for me to clean this off with a lint-free towel and not ruin the value since I'm wanting to use Renaissance wax on the blade? Also what would be the best way to get any leftover grease out of the scabbard? Any help would be greatly appreciated since this is the first bayonet with a scabbard I've gotten so I'm hesitant to do anything to it. EDIT: After doing some reading online it seems like this might be Cosmo (?) and have read suggestions people have made about pouring boiling water in the scabbard and stuff like that. Personally that seems like something that would harm the scabbard. I may be wrong but I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyH Posted 22 April , 2016 Share Posted 22 April , 2016 I believe the thick grease you describe is 'cosmoline', have never encountered it, but there are a number of threads and videos, from the U.S.A regarding this, if you Google 'cleaning off cosmoline', you will find some suggestions mainly aimed at cleaning rifles. But one does cover bayonets and scabbards, this involves leaving scabbard in hot oven, so maybe not good for P1907 leather scabbard. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 22 April , 2016 Share Posted 22 April , 2016 An oven is a little extreme! However having said that - I have removed cosmoline from a lot of rifles and accoutrements and it is messy stuff -- but really did the job. The fact that you can clean off 100 year old rifles etc and not have a spot of rust is testament to that. I am not a specialist but here is the process I have used: Wipe over the surface with old newspaper/lint free rags to get as much off as possible then apply gentle heat to soften/melt the remainder and soak wipe/soak it off. One method I have used with oil soaked gunstocks and bayonet scabbards is to wrap the article in absorbent cloth or paper and then put it in a black plastic bin bag and leave it in the car on a warm sunny day! after a few hours remove, wipe off all the excess that has melted off, rewrap and repeat until the oils stops leeching out. This is much the same principle as the oven but lower temps and avoiding spousal wrath (just make sure the plastic bag doesn't leak on the car interior!) On metal surfaces grease dissolving solvents which won't hurt the metal will work well (some of the citrus based ones are decent), but be careful about the wood scales on the bayonet's grip harsh solvents will bleach/grey the wood. If it is not too messy and just a surface coating I have found a rag with a bit of WD-40 on it cleans it off pretty well (again keep it away from the wood if possible) Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicS Posted 23 April , 2016 Author Share Posted 23 April , 2016 Alright thanks for the quick response! Well luckily I live in Texas so it won't be too long before I have a few days at 90+ degrees. So wrapping the scabbard and leaving it will also get the Cosmo out from the inside of the scabbard or should I just leave it turned upside down in the car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 23 April , 2016 Share Posted 23 April , 2016 Alright thanks for the quick response! Well luckily I live in Texas so it won't be too long before I have a few days at 90+ degrees. So wrapping the scabbard and leaving it will also get the Cosmo out from the inside of the scabbard or should I just leave it turned upside down in the car? I don't think there is all that much you can do to get cosmo out of the inside of a scabbard, but I doubt that there is that much in there beyond what is on the blade. Wiping as much as possible off all surfaces first is important then use the heat for the remainder. Once the leather of a scabbard is soaked I know of know foolproof way of restoring it to original - there may be clever things to do with chemicals that are beyond me. Do remember to replace the absorbent rags/paper each time and dispose of them properly as they could pose a fire risk. When I lived in Ga it was much easier to use this approach than here in IL. Back home in the UK it might be of limited use! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicS Posted 23 April , 2016 Author Share Posted 23 April , 2016 Well I just got home from work and a quick wipe down with a terry cloth got most of the Cosmo off of the blade. Got a few stubborn spots where it's solidified left but that's all. I read online that a method for getting it out of the scabbard is to keep putting the blade in and removing and cleaning it until you draw very little to no Cosmo with a draw. As it is I need to get the scabbard cleaned since the staples for the mouthpiece of the scabbard are loose and I've gotten a metal smithing major I know agree to use a few tools of theirs to go in and tighten the staples back up for me without harming anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 24 April , 2016 Share Posted 24 April , 2016 4thGordons has stolen my thunder with regard to repeatedly inserting the blade and then cleaning the blade. I wonder if combining this method with the car window method would speed up the process as the heat would as suggested make the Cosmo more fluid. Another thought I've had would be to gently warm the blade instead of the scabbard perhaps with a hair dryer before using the repeated insertion method Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicS Posted 24 April , 2016 Author Share Posted 24 April , 2016 Well I used the blow dryer on the sheath last night and got a bit of the Cosmo out. Unfortunately this has caused there to be more movement between the mouth piece and the leather body of the scabbard. On top of that my friend was able to take a look at it and isn't able to do anything to help. Looks like I'm going to have to find a mandrel (doubt it) or someone who can professionally fix it if I want the mouth piece secured. The good news is that I can finally see some of the stamps on the scabbard thou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 24 April , 2016 Share Posted 24 April , 2016 NicS My theory was to warm the blade rather than the sheath. Sounds to me as if the leather has shrunk over the years and the mouth may have been more solidly attached due to accumulation of grime/Cosmo over the years. Glad you can make the markings more clearly. Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new3.2 Posted 25 April , 2016 Share Posted 25 April , 2016 A word of caution- many museum preservation folk believe that anything done to leather artifacts is too much. Some of the leather items that I "worked on" 30+ years ago in my collection are fine, others get a deposit of tanning salts etc., that are quite a bother. Some leather seems to age better than others. Regards, new3.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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