Black Watch TF discoloured - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Advsmt · #1 22-10-16, 03:06 PM

I have a BW TF badge which is very discoloured. I've tried to clean it using the usual "recommended" techniques to no avail. The badge looks authentic but "footed" long lugs. Any thoughts - dug up?

Bryan

wardog · #2 22-10-16, 05:13 PM

I think footed lugs are OK with this badge. Something I would expect to see on a good one. Regards, Paul.

manchesters · #3 22-10-16, 09:59 PM

Bryan,

I would say it has been treated with chemicals, a trick used by unscrupulous sellers to try and replicate 'age' on brand new shiny fake badges, thats why it wont come off.

regards

wardog · #4 22-10-16, 11:38 PM

From the pictures I'm not seeing anything wrong with the badge itself, if it is a badge chemically aged, strange thing to do as most white metal badges have survived the last century without looking anything like yours. Perhaps you could take pictures of front and rear without the angle. Regards, Paul
This is my one.
P1040230.jpg P1040233.jpg

#5 23-10-16, 12:03 AM

'Tactically' blackened from the outset? - Regards Mark

Advsmt · #6 23-10-16, 01:49 PM

Front and back of badge. The badge does not appear to have a layer of "covering" of any description so could well be a chemical change. But I must admit to my eyes the badge looks and feels very much like my other "authentic" one.

Bryan

Alan O · #7 23-10-16, 02:38 PM

It's genuine but I suspect it has been dug up.

Peter Brydon · #8 23-10-16, 03:33 PM

I bought the bi metal Kings Liverpool badge in the pictures as a dug up example, it seems that how dug badges appear depends on the type of ground in which they have been buried .

P.B.

Advsmt · #9 23-10-16, 04:09 PM

After reading Mark's post I thought I had better look more closely at the surface finish and he may have a point. I tried my wife's reading glasses! The reddish splodge in the middle of the St.Andrew's cross is actually the sub-surface where the outer surface has been chipped off. The same is true on the lower end of the scrolls. It maybe that it is a naturally produced coating from some chemical reaction or it could be a man made coating, but it is very thin and it is not bare white metal that has been revealed but that red colour. The outer dark colour is very uniform over the whole badge. On some lettering on the scrolls it has gone back to white metal.

Bryan

Paul Spellman · #10 23-10-16, 05:17 PM

Bryan,
Not sure if this will help but if you have a small plastic tub and put some tin foil in the bottom shiny side up, put the badge on the foil add two tablespoons of white vinegar,cover badge in boiling water and quickly add a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda (baking soda) this will then fizz up, leave the badge for 5mins and wash in fairy and then rinse using a soft toothbrush if you think this is having results you can repeat it using more vinegar and bicarbonate. Silver is cleaned with this method and it does work with white metal so should not damage the badge, obviously your badge has had a long time in its present condition and it may not one back to its former glory so you may decide to leave as is, good luck either way
Paul

Advsmt · #11 23-10-16, 05:56 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, always open to ideas. I do have a good pristine white metal one, but I was just curious about this badge. If someone had seen something similar then great, especially if the coating, if it is a coating, was contemporary to the badges wear. So perhaps I might wait .

Bryan

manchesters · #12 23-10-16, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Advsmt

Thanks for the suggestion, always open to ideas. I do have a good pristine white metal one, but I was just curious about this badge. If someone had seen something similar then great, especially if the coating, if it is a coating, was contemporary to the badges wear. So perhaps I might wait .

Bryan

Bryan,

Badges were not coated
No such thing as "tactically" blackening in this early period of cap badges.
Try cleaning it. If its real it may shine, if its modern rubbish it may not.

regards

Advsmt · #13 23-10-16, 06:46 PM

OK, I'll try as suggested. I tried vinegar before. As you say I'm sure it would not have been coated at its time of use. Perhaps if it was dug then maybe someone decided to cover up any imperfections.

Thanks

Bryan

Advsmt · #14 24-10-16, 08:47 AM

two goes with vinegar/bicarb; certainly produced a big reaction! But alas I think the badge is too far gone. The odd bit of silver appeared and some top coating was removed revealing what mainly looks like oxidised metal?

Alan O · #15 24-10-16, 11:46 AM

I have had a couple of excavated badges that were so corroded to such a depth of that it was impossible to return to any sort of shine.