CHAPTER VI
WEAPONS
Buying specimens—Storing them—Hand culverins—The serpentin—The wheel-lock—The flint-lock—The rifle—Swords—The effect of armour on swords—Swords with historical associations—Other weapons
Of all the antiques which are to be found in an average bric-à-brac shop there is probably nothing upon which the dealer is so ignorant as the class of military curio which comes under the head of weapons; as a consequence, we find that the ruling prices for these relics of the battlefield are either excessively dear or ridiculously cheap.
There is nothing in this state of things to cause the collector of weapons to grumble, for if he be wise he will add to his treasures when a bargain is to be had, but not when specimens are dear. The process makes collecting a somewhat slow business, but it enables us to get together a whole host of interesting things at a very small cost.
A few weeks ago the writer spent an afternoon in going round to the antique shops in a certain quarter of London. Here are some of the prices which he was asked, and which he considers were out of reason. For a rifle used by Kruger's men, £5; worth at the most half this sum. For a rifle and bayonet said to have been used at Waterloo, £1. For a sixteenth-century sword, 5s. The sword was so heavy that it would have almost fetched this price as old metal. For an eighteenth-century flint-lock, not in good condition, £20. Needless to add, that while the writer was not impelled to purchase the flint-lock, he snapped up the sword eagerly.
The collector of weapons must be very careful how he stores his treasures. To leave, say, a bayonet where it can be handled by children is almost a criminal act; to buy a firearm and not examine the charging chamber immediately is, if anything, a trifle more unscrupulous. Thoughtlessness has accounted for a good many tragedies, and so it ought to be the determination of the curio-hunter to see that his treasures are stored out of harm's way. Swords, bayonets, rifles, and other lengthy weapons are conveniently kept on the walls of living-rooms, and if placed horizontally and fairly high up are safe and ornamental. Smaller things, such as daggers and pistols, are better preserved in glass cases. Steel implements which, when exposed continuously to the air, are apt to deteriorate, should be carefully cleaned and then coated with a thin layer of copal varnish. If the varnish be painted on sparingly and no patches are left uncoated, the metal will remain bright permanently, and only require an occasional dusting. If the specimen which is to be treated is rusty, it should be carefully gone over previously with emery, but should it have a chased, engraved, or damascened surface, it will be advisable to soak it in benzine for a week or more, and then give it a rubbing until a sufficient polish has been obtained.
A SOUTH AFRICAN POM-POM SHELL AND A MARTINI-HENRI CARTRIDGE.