Alternatives to protecting steel armor?

[Gaius Colletti]

When I first joined this forum back in January or so, it was suggested to me to oil my steel kit with mineral oil. This was fine when I only had a helmet, however now I have a segmentata cuirass, and two helmets, using mineral oil is a pain, especially that I have to avoid getting the mineral on leather (which I'm sure it does anyways).

Whenever I wear the kit, I either have to wipe off the oil or just bear with it and have people who help me with it or come in contact with/touch it tell me its greasy (actually even after I wipe it off there is still some residue of oil).

I heard car wax may have some acids that may cause damage in the long term, and Crispus I believe said he used pig fat? I may be mistaken. What do you recommend/use? Thanks

[Titus Marius Secundus]

If only you could blacken the metal! :mad:

Rub a waxed cloth over it, shouldn't be too messy. And certainly not as unpleasant as rust!!! Um, also pig fat is ,....very....greasy. Like off bacon 8) :-P

I would try taping the inside of the armor with paper tape? If you ever take it off it'll be sticky and will need maybe a half hour with a wet cloth. Buy a dehumidifier which will help slow the process. Also if you keep your cuirass in with fabric materials, that'll help divert moisture from the metal possibly.

Really until some scientist comes up with a non-residue solution, we're stuck with an oily mess!

Sam

[agrimensor]

i recently used parafin oil from IKEA and no rust appeared after the use of it. It leaves no staines or film on the metal.

[garrelt]

Plain bees wax also works.
The metal will become a bit dull but it lasts for a long period before it wears off.

[Medicus matt]

Ballistol.
Protects metals and preserves leather...and it comes in an aerosol.

http://www.ballistoluk.co.uk/acatalog/Pr...Steel.html

It's used by a lot of UK reenactors. If it's good enough for Mr Mortimer's Sutton Hoo kit, it's good enough for anything.

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

What did the Romans use?

[PhilusEstilius]

What did the Romans use is indeed an interesting question for I can't see why anyone should have to use oil or wax for steel armour or helmets at all.
When a fine sponge abrasive pad used at regular intervals will do the the same job of keeping rust at bay, and it would not wear the metal away in a thousand years I'm sure.

[Titus Marius Secundus]

that's very true, or at least hundreds of years I have been using for my sword blade metal wool, but sometimes this doesn't get deep enough, so sand paper, then fine sand paper, and then metal wool again. Keeps a nice but not mirror polish

[rusty myers]

WD XXXX

Seriously, if you are not keeping your oil period, we tested all kinds of stuff on chain mail (not zinc plated of course) and WD40 lasted longer and worked better than the expensive museum stuff that costs 4* as much. Light coat after each event, its not greasy. I wear my mail in the rain without worries as it displaces water and is obsorbed by the metal. I try to keep it off the leather, but if I get it on the leather I just re-neatsfoot the leather. There are pics on the website detailing the testing we did somewhere. Also details on the Evapo-Rust product if you have a traumatic rust incident.

[Medicus matt]

What did the Romans use is indeed an interesting question for I can't see why anyone should have to use oil or wax for steel armour or helmets at all.
When a fine sponge abrasive pad used at regular intervals will do the the same job of keeping rust at bay, and it would not wear the metal away in a thousand years I'm sure.

Prevention, rather than maintenance. Easier to stop rust from getting into small, hard to reach places than it is to try to get it out afterwards.
I would imagine that using oil or fat mixed with ash or fine sand (which is what I use if having to clean equipment at an event) as your cleaning medium would leave oil behind as an inhibitor, with the same effect.

[Cheyenne]

Lanolin.... Thats what I use on EVERYTHING.... from my wool cloaks, to leather bags, to steel helmets...

And it would have been authentic as it must have been used in the ancient world to preserve and waterproof pretty much most things. Its easy to obtain as it floats to the top of the water when raw fleece is washed and it can just be skimmed off. It acts as a preservation agent for a number of different materials

[M. Caecilius]

What did the Romans use?

According the Pliny the Elder (NH XXXIV.43.150): a robigine vindicatur cerussa et gypso et liquida pice, translated by the Loeb edition (Rackham) as lead acetate, gypsum and vegetable pitch.

Naturally, you may also use the religious ritual used by Alexander the Great at Zeugma. Unfortunately, Pliny forgets to tell us how it works (he only speaks of a bridge with an iron chain where only the replacement links rust), so you probably have to leave this on the side.

Of course, Pliny being true to himself, he cannot resist taking a moralistic view even on rust. Nature's foresight has created rust to counteract the evil uses of iron (ibid, 40.141), which is why it is particularly affected by human blood (ibid. 41.147: "human blood avenges itself on iron"); so please try not to wound anyone/get wounded, as it's bad for the iron. :mrgreen:

Incidentally, against copper-rust Pliny recommends liquid vegetable pitch (ibid, 21.99).

Note that Pliny does not speak of weapons/armour, but about iron in general, though he does make quite a point about the "human blood" thing, which suggests weapons.

Edit: I have no experience at all regarding metallurgy and chemistry, even at the basic level; but if Pliny's remedies for rust are anything like his ideas about medicine, well... think very carefully before adopting it and get a second opinion.

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

If that is indeed the case, Pliny might be speaking of weapons. Ferrum can mean iron, but weapon as well. Might be just a case of translation.


I think Plinius' vision on treatment of iron/weapons is better than his vision on medicine. He's been the praefectus of the fleet of Misenum. I suppose he would have been in contact with his soldiers, who, being on ships (with sea and water and stuff, you know :lol: ), would have been in need of keeping their weapons rust-free.

[M. Caecilius]

If that is indeed the case, Pliny might be speaking of weapons. Ferrum can mean iron, but weapon as well. Might be just a case of translation.

He's talking about the metal: he follows up on gold and silver with copper, bronze, iron, lead and so forth. He does actually mention that it is used for digging up the earth, cutting trees and so forth, but then keeps to the line of iron being put to morally wrong uses.

I think Plinius' vision on treatment of iron/weapons is better than his vision on medicine. He's been the praefectus of the fleet of Misenum. I suppose he would have been in contact with his soldiers, who, being on ships (with sea and water and stuff, you know :lol: ), would have been in need of keeping their weapons rust-free.

I do hope they kept him out of the Misenum Fleet valetudinarium, though. :mrgreen: But yes, even though we are talking about the man who once chided his nephew for walking on foot when he could spent more time reading while being carried in a litter (can't see him do much polishing; can't have rust on the scrolls!), he also wrote a treatise (lost, unfortunately), on throwing javelins from horseback, and had some experience in warfare (Germania, if I recall correctly) before the fleet.

Pliny's quite an informative source, and a treasure trove if you have the time and stamina to read through the entire thing, because the best things are often hidden in asides.

[Celer]

Salve

Some surviving sword scabbards from the C5th have fleece inside them, which could have acted as a reservoir for lanolin (ref the Sutton Hoo sword). So I would go with lanolin as an accurate period solution.

Vale

Celer.