I wanted to share a lock I just picked up...

Carter

Are most collectors opposed to polishing up antique padlocks?

oldbiscuit

Carter, as a rule most serious collectors won’t polish locks, especially brass ones. The reason being that polishing/buffing wheels will smooth out the stamped edges on the lettering on the locks. Most times we’ll clean them up , removing built up dirt and crud, give them a good oiling followed by a wipe down. The main goal for most is not to remove any of the origional patena. Now that being said, a polished lock will lose some of it’s collector value, but if you never plan on selling the lock and just plan to display it for your own enjoyment, well…. Like they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Personally I won’t polish any of my locks, but your free to do with yours as you please. Mark

Carter

oldbiscuit wrote
Carter, as a rule most serious collectors won’t polish locks, especially brass ones. The reason being that polishing/buffing wheels will smooth out the stamped edges on the lettering on the locks. Most times we’ll clean them up , removing built up dirt and crud, give them a good oiling followed by a wipe down. The main goal for most is not to remove any of the origional patena. Now that being said, a polished lock will lose some of it’s collector value, but if you never plan on selling the lock and just plan to display it for your own enjoyment, well…. Like they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Personally I won’t polish any of my locks, but your free to do with yours as you please. Mark

Typically, as a collector I never alter/refinish patina on a piece. I’ve read enough and seen enough Antique Roadshow to know what that can do. But that said, A lock like this is so beautiful clean and polished that I couldn’t help myself. If it looses some value that’s OK. I know that the historical value of this lock is still in tact. Anyway, personally I’d prefer buying an example without the grime and in it’s original glory, but for me this only pertains to padlocks. As with furniture and other items, I believe they should be gently cleaned and the original finish left in place as best as possible, but what covers a padlock is grit and grime and I feel that adds nothing.

[unknown]

Carter

btw… here is this lock before the polishing with Braso:

Carter

Can anyone give me an age on this?

oldbiscuit

Carter, I did a quick Google search of A P Brombacher Co New York NY and I got a couple hits from 1904 & 1921. There’s not a lot of readily available information out there on this company. But going by the design of the lock, I would have put it right around those years anyway. Mark

Carter

Carter wrote
btw… here is this lock before the polishing with Braso:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6524[/ATTACH]

Thanks for the data Mark. What is your opinion about polishing these brass beauties?

[unknown]

oldbiscuit

Well Carter, like I said earlier, If it was my padlock,.. I’de clean it, but I wouldn’t polish it at all. But that’s just the way I like them.:o:

Carter

oldbiscuit wrote
Well Carter, like I said earlier, If it was my padlock,.. I’de clean it, but I wouldn’t polish it at all. But that’s just the way I like them.:o:

Opps… sorry I didn’t realize that was you.

[unknown]

Carter

What do you use to clean btw OB?

Carter

Carter wrote
Opps… sorry I didn’t realize that was you.

Did a wee bit more polishing… This thing is beautiful.

[unknown]

oldbiscuit

Carter, I’ve got a whole lot of different things to clean locks with. I use gun scrubber, cleaning solvents,steam, and sometimes just plain old dish soap and water. It depends on what I need to clean off or out. I usually don’t use anything anything more abrassive than a old toothbrush to clean with. I previously used a ultrasonic cleaner till it shot craps with a general purpose solvent in it, much like jewelry cleaner. Mark

Carter

oldbiscuit wrote
Carter, I’ve got a whole lot of different things to clean locks with. I use gun scrubber, cleaning solvents,steam, and sometimes just plain old dish soap and water. It depends on what I need to clean off or out. I usually don’t use anything anything more abrasive
than a old toothbrush to clean with. I previously used a ultrasonic cleaner till it shot craps with a general purpose solvent in it, much like jewelry cleaner. Mark

Do you prefer the before or after pics of my lock?

[unknown]

oldbiscuit

Carter, don’t get me wrong, I like the looks of your lock. And as how you polished it with Brasso and probably by hand so as not to remove any metal or deform any sharp edges on the stamping. It looks great,no doubt about it. However if that lock was in my collection, I would have left the origional tarnished patina on it, but that’s just how I like my own personal locks. I will say that if your lock and another just like it that was unpolished were to come up for sale, I would more than likely buy the unpolished one, but that’s just me(and 99% of most antique padlock collectors) Mark

Dean Nickel

I also refinish my locks. But I don’t do that for any lock that might not remain in my collection. But then I don’t collect padlocks so I have an better time working on them as I can take the lock apart in most cases.

To each their own.🙁y):

Carter

If I ever deside to sell this lock, I hope to find a buyer. Maybe I’d get less for one that looks like this. I think some out there wiuldn’t mind owning this one. But, I totally respect/understand the opionion of leaving as found with a gentle cleaning.

Wondering what a polished lock like this might be worth? Any opinions?