WW2 Militaria shelf-life?

[Sabrejet]

WW2 is now more than 70 years behind us. The artefacts from that war which many of us collect are rapidly ageing, year on year. Much of it has stood the test of time very well in terms of appearance and condition, but I've noticed that some have a tendency to deteriorate naturally. Of course, the kind of storage such items have endured these past 70 years or so has a major effect on their condition. We've all seen liners with rotted suspensions, webbing with rusted hardware and clothing with damp-mold or moth damage etc., mostly as the result of poor storage. However, I've noticed that items with a rubber content have tendency to crack, shrivel, stiffen...or all three. For example, oxygen and gas masks, earphone cups and rubber soles etc. Also, old leather can suffer badly, becoming dry, cracked and brittle. How many of us have broken liner chinstraps simple by easing them over the helmet rim?! Recently, I picked up my leather binoculars case which, at a glance is in really good shape, but the strap broke! (now fixed!) Another not unusual occurance is for eyelets or snaps to be torn out of their mounts where the webbing or leather has been weakened. Sometimes the build up of verdigris has invisibly eaten away the supporting fabric...etc., etc. We can't hold back time nor halt natural decomposition of materials. I just wondered what your experiences in relation to this have been...and what, if anything, you do to prevent it.

[Jack's Son]

........... We can't hold back time nor halt natural decomposition of materials. I just wondered what your experiences in relation to this have been...and what, if anything, you do to prevent it.

Lately I've been buying heavy artillery pieces.

With fresh paint every now and then and some machine oil, you're set to go for years!

[littlebuddy]

I don't know as much on this subject as others Ian , but I do try and "AIR " my cloth flight clothing as and when I can , having done this a couple of times now ,I have noticed that the "odours" have become less pungent !!

 

If you think about it , this gear wasn't meant to last even a quarter of what it has lasted all ready !! so its not doing too bad considering !

 

I cant honestly see my shearlings lasting another 70 years though !!

 

LB

[littlebuddy]

Lately I've been buying heavy artillery pieces.

With fresh paint every now and then and some machine oil, you're set to go for years!

Good idea JS !! WD40 is a great lube !! and there is a lot of metal in those pieces for the rust to get through before they are doomed !!!

[Jack's Son]

Good idea JS !! WD40 is a great lube !! and there is a lot of metal in those pieces for the rust to get through before they are doomed !!!

I figure I have a lift time of enjoyment with only one coat of paint, and a few coats of oil! Maybe my kid's life too.

[jonesy1275]

It was only tonight that I was looking at one of my officers tunics which is currently on a mannequin. It's nigh on perfect and I had a quick thought to myself that , wow I'm looking at something worn seventy years ago.

 

It's my duty now to ensure it stays in the same condition for years to come. Even though I like to display my Troop Carrier tunics, I fear that natural UV light might be slowly deteriorating them, so unfortunately they will be put in suit bags.

[Wharfmaster]

I use only SHELL Lube Oil in my Tank.

 

Don't ya just love Rotella T (Trademark) !!!

 

 

W

[Sabrejet]

Exposure to harsh light is a killer! I have a clothes rail which holds about 30 assorted uniforms and which is permanently covered with an all-enveloping white cotton dust sheet. However, unbeknown to myself, one time when I removed a uniform, a small section of the sleeve of a nice, fully patched 60s dated M-A1 was left exposed. When I noticed this several weeks later it was too late! The exposed area of sage green nylon had turned a brownish shade! I was not a happy camper! Remember...when it comes to vintage uniforms, light is not your friend!!

[Sabrejet]

Also...elasticated straps invariably lose their elasticity...or, in the case of '44 helmet bands, stiffen up! Beware too, when pulling at both leather or cotton bootlaces because although they might look serviceable, it's not unusual for them to break!

[Wharfmaster]

Also...elasticated straps invariably lose their elasticity...or, in the case of '44 helmet bands, stiffen up! Beware too, when pulling at both leather or cotton bootlaces because although they might look serviceable, it's not unusual for them to break!

 

I have a WW1 German gas mask that still has some spring in the straps after almost 100 years. You wonder what the heck they used to make it !

 

 

W

[Sabrejet]

Lately I've been buying heavy artillery pieces.

With fresh paint every now and then and some machine oil, you're set to go for years!

 

Hey JS...something tells me you aren't taking this thread terribly seriously! BTW....I do like your new avatar!

[Third Herd]

I was issued a pair of pilot sunglasses back in 1970, I drove a truck as part of my job and they were authorized. I could get either the sun glasses or clip-on sun glasses. I had just bought my own prescription sun glasses while home on leave. I picked the sun glasses to put in my collection, they stayed in their case and in their box packed away. A couple years ago I took them out and the plastic on the ear pieces had crumbled into dust. The prescription sun glasses were the same as the issued ones, same manufacturer and numbers had sat in a drawer for years were fine. A second pair I was issued and gave my Dad, sat in their case and box were also in fine condition. You never know what will happen to stuff as it ages.

[etienne]

I was issued a pair of pilot sunglasses back in 1970, I drove a truck as part of my job and they were authorized. I could get either the sun glasses or clip-on sun glasses. I had just bought my own prescription sun glasses while home on leave. I picked the sun glasses to put in my collection, they stayed in their case and in their box packed away. A couple years ago I took them out and the plastic on the ear pieces had crumbled into dust. The prescription sun glasses were the same as the issued ones, same manufacturer and numbers had sat in a drawer for years were fine. A second pair I was issued and gave my Dad, sat in their case and box were also in fine condition. You never know what will happen to stuff as it ages.

 

Hello,

 

plastic is often sensible to UV radiation and if you wear the glasses on a regular basis, they were exposed and the result is not that surprizing ... the glasses sitting in cases didn't see the sunlight, hence their fine condition. Just my 2 cents.

 

E

[Third Herd]

The Prescription pair that I wore for a few years are fine, it was a pair that I was issued and left their case and issue box that had the problem.

[AAF_Collection]

The best thing any collector can do if concerned about preserving the items in their care is study conservation. More research is being done all the time in many areas, and in some cases what was taken as good practice in the past is now viewed as harmful.

 

Matt.

[BOLO]

my bayonet collection has a very long shelf life, the more aging the better the patina, just wipe them down with a little oil once in a while and store them in a safe dry place with low humidty

 

the liners on my M1917A1 helmets are very dry and stiff and one is dry rotted, I keep them wrapped up in boxes when they are not on display

[Acadien359]

All valid questions and suggestions out there, guys, and one I've thought about quite a bit lately myself. Several things I've learned in about 35 years of collecting militaria...[1] as mentioned in several posts above, leather and rubber items are ticking time bombs. At some point the rubber will discolor at best, and get hard as a rock at the worst. A good friend [and fellow USMF member] and I have recently had this discussion regarding WW2 US gas masks, which were originally made in a light grey rubber, which tends to turn a dark OD green color over the years. And I found out the hard way about 20 years ago, no matter how good the rubber soles look on a pair of WW2 GI footwear, DO NOT try and wear them. Nothing's more sickening that hearing the "snap" of a sole cracking while you're walking around in that really nice pair of service shoes [personal experience speaking here]. [2] Where you have web gear stacked on top of each other in a storage box, try and wrap the steel snap hooks in plastic or something similar so they don't leave rust stains on any fabric they come in contact with. [3] Any web gear that has a removeable leather part [specifically, M1910/M1928 haversack carriers], remove that leather part and store it separately so it doesn't leave a matching stain on the fabric. [4] Leave all lift-dot and any other metal snaps unsnapped. Didn't mean to get long winded, but hope this helps out.

[m1ashooter]

A great question. Thanks for all the great answers.

[Sabrejet]

As has been mentioned, rubber items are particularly prone to natural deterioration. For example, I've got an O2 mask which was quite minty when I acquired it. Now, almost twenty years later,although it's still in generally good shape, there is evidence of cracking/ crazing in some areas, albeit slight, but in 5 -10 years time...who knows?!

[Thor996]

Exposure to harsh light is a killer! I have a clothes rail which holds about 30 assorted uniforms and which is permanently covered with an all-enveloping white cotton dust sheet. However, unbeknown to myself, one time when I removed a uniform, a small section of the sleeve of a nice, fully patched 60s dated M-A1 was left exposed. When I noticed this several weeks later it was too late! The exposed area of sage green nylon had turned a brownish shade! I was not a happy camper! Remember...when it comes to vintage uniforms, light is not your friend!!

 

The same thing can happen to ephemera too- harsh light WILL fade and destroy stuff; so be careful where you hang that old cool item Eugene!!

 

Also be sure to take those old letters OUT of the envelope and put them into archival sleeves [non polyvinylchloride] -pencil fades and ink can destroy and acid paper crumbles. I make scans of my most valuable and non replaceable items.

 

I too have learned the hard way

 

just my thoughts.

[Brig]

I think it's important to remember, as stated, this stuff was never designed to last an eternity. It's only through science, luck, and trial & error that we have found ways to slow down and in some cases even halt deterioration of certain materials

 

A lot of people may want to compare it to ancients artifacts...but the ancient Egyptians kept this and that preserved for thousands of years! Keep in mind the best ancient preservations are either natural (ores, stone, gold, etc), or were preserved with the intention of last for eternity and are found in tombs of kings and other important people. Some things just weren't made to last, and some things made of newer materials at the time where no one had any way to judge how long they'd last

 

Of course, there are things we can do as collectors to slow down and inhibit the process, however there are things we realistically cannot due to cost and space, things that museums are about the only ones who can sustain

 

I use a dehumidifier in the summer, keep the air circulating via fan, and my collection room happens to be the one with the least temperature variation in the house as luck would have it. I store photos and documents in acid free sleeves with acid free paper backings. I was my hands before I handle my collection. I keep the shades down in my moto room and the lights off when not in there, and the uniforms hanging in the dark closet. Easy, cost affordable measures one can take. Of course, I'm fortunate to have a spare bedroom to house my collection. As much as I'd like it in the living room, it's probably best that I don't since lights go on and off, doors open and close, it's attached to my kitchen which emits fumes and aromas, and I have 2 dogs.