German m1917 rifle grenade - RESTORE??

[dano1917]

I was looking around on the web making some October purchases today and came across this relic German m1917 rifle grenade found on Somme. I was pondering on the idea of restoration, and can't decide. I already have a nice m1917 German rifle grenade so I don't have to have a good representive piece. Restoration would not be too tough but still can't decide. What I did decide was to leave it up to fellow BOCN members. Cast your opinion, and whether I restore it or not will be on the outcome of voting. Will do a final count when the grenade arrives from across the pond....Dano

 

[paul the grenade]

looks like the centre tube the bullet travels though is missing.:tinysmile_cry_t4:
i would leave it mate unless it is really cheap!
paul

 

[JustinF]

If you leave it as it is you have a nice comparision against your good one.

I can guess where you brought it from - im going down to their new shop in the morning

Justin

 

[dano1917]

1917 Rifle Grenade

I bought it not because I needed one, but because of the history that came with it. This one was found near La Boiselle on Somme Salient, which means the world to me. Almost every "relic condition" piece that is in my collection I know where it was found. I prefer relics from the Somme and Verdun, two of the most tragic battle sites of all time. Have really been wanting a relic grenade from The Argonne Forest, but have not found one as of yet. The price was cheap enough and I catalog where my relics were originally found. To me I get a better sense of history knowing where an item came from...Dano

 

[JustinF]

I agree - its the history that makes the item so special.

 

[18pounder]

if it was mine mate i would restore it! and even make my own parts to finish it!!
come on dude, go for it!!!

 

[dano1917]

yea or nay

I know what you mean Justin. Knowing where an item is from gives me a sense of being there when i'm holding the item. I'd not have bought this grenade without that bit of information. Score seems to be tied 1 to 1 for now, can't wait to see outcome of opinions. 18pounder, I am kind of leaning toward restoration now but again the BOCN members will decide

 

[Jolly Green]

Go for it Dano. Bring it back to it's former beauty.

 

[grenades]

I would clear him with the help of the electrolysis.To take off only rust.

 

[sgtlynn]

If you restore it, then IMHO, some of the history is lost...... do only enough to prevent further deterioration....

 

[Fragman]

Hi Dano,

A number of years back I brought a couple of relic No15's that were found at Ypres. I acid dipped them, worked the threads until the filling plugs screwed in and out freely, filled in all the pitting and painted them up to look brand new. At that time they were very hard to find in NZ and worth the effort. The thing is, I've since brought half a dozen really nice ones and wish I'd left them as relics.

If you like the history of the item, and have a nice one already, my vote goes to leaving it as it is.

Cheers
Colin

 

[Millsman]

Dano

I agree with Grenades in post 9 and Colin in 12. Conservation not restoration. If it is a true battlefield relic then leave it pretty must as is but stop any future corrosion.

John

 

[Grenadier]

Oil bath. Toothbrush cleanup. Tops. Gonna try and get some dirt from at least one of those places on my next jaunt.

Melted wax is better by my opinion.

 

[dano1917]

better than expected

This m1917 German rifle grenade arrived in todays post and I am overjoyed. I only paid 15gbp for it and was supposed to be getting a busted up relic. The seller emailed me the day after I bought it and told me the one I bought had been stolen at a show and he would send me a better one (thanks guys at dugup). Well I almost crapped my pants when I opened the package and needless to say there will be no restoring on this one. The lettering on top piece of grenade reads AWK which I would guess to be the maker and is actually better than the '17 German rifle grenade that was already in my collection. There is a god. One thing still miffs me, It'll be 2010 in a couple of days and it takes 85 days to get a pkg surface mail from England.......Dano

 

[paul the grenade]

you got a bargain there dan. well done.
I spoke to a friend of mine who works in the post office and apparently all surface mail to the USA has to go to the special sorting office on Mars! so that will explain the long delay in getting it:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
Cheers, Paul.

 

[18pounder]

This m1917 German rifle grenade arrived in todays post and I am overjoyed. I only paid 15gbp for it and was supposed to be getting a busted up relic. The seller emailed me the day after I bought it and told me the one I bought had been stolen at a show and he would send me a better one (thanks guys at dugup). Well I almost crapped my pants when I opened the package and needless to say there will be no restoring on this one. The lettering on top piece of grenade reads AWK which I would guess to be the maker and is actually better than the '17 German rifle grenade that was already in my collection. There is a god. One thing still miffs me, It'll be 2010 in a couple of days and it takes 85 days to get a pkg surface mail from England.......Dano

danno
great find.
you seem to have some of my luck recently.
i often buy rerlics because i dont have the money to do anything else.
they still bring me joy.
some collectors are abit snobby of relics,but i havent found it on BOCN.

hey danno,can you show all of your relics please?
regards

 

[dano1917]

relics

I'm glad you brought that up 18pounder. I actually prefer relics because when I hold it I get a sense of it having been "there". Then icing on the cake is when you know where it was found. I was tickled to get the relic smle charger with cartridges that was found in Belgium by smle2009. I just decided to put up a pic in the trench as about 1/2 of it is relics...Dano

 

[18pounder]

I'm glad you brought that up 18pounder. I actually prefer relics because when I hold it I get a sense of it having been "there". Then icing on the cake is when you know where it was found. I was tickled to get the relic smle charger with cartridges that was found in Belgium by smle2009. I just decided to put up a pic in the trench as about 1/2 of it is relics...Dano

the association is very important to me too.
I dont see much point in just collection stuff i know nothing about.
Alot of my stuff has a story behind it.

Even some of the shrapnell balls,shell splinters,grenade spoons and small arms rounds i have found,i know exsactly where i have found them and the reason why they were there.
There is alot more stuff to find and photograph.

Aghhh Danno, a trip together to some of the places i know and you would love it.
Every where you look (in some parts) there is history all around,from old bukers to preseved trenches.

Have you thought about saving up to go on a organised battlefield tour?
you can download your own daily plan/ guides from the net too.

You would love it:tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[dano1917]

the association is very important to me too.
I dont see much point in just collection stuff i know nothing about.
Alot of my stuff has a story behind it.

Even some of the shrapnell balls,shell splinters,grenade spoons and small arms rounds i have found,i know exsactly where i have found them and the reason why they were there.
There is alot more stuff to find and photograph.

Aghhh Danno, a trip together to some of the places i know and you would love it.
Every where you look (in some parts) there is history all around,from old bukers to preseved trenches.

Have you thought about saving up to go on a organised battlefield tour?
you can download your own daily plan/ guides from the net too.

You would love it:tinysmile_fatgrin_t

Well said 18pounder, as I feel the same way about relics. Nothing would please me more than a trip to Europe (never been) but as morbid as it sounds i'll have to wait for a rich relative to check out! I'm not much on guided tours but would love to get in the field and do some looking. I liken it to looking for sunken treasure on a shipwreck. Maybe in the next few years. I threw in a pic of my favorite relic, a German Dopp Z/c92 fuze on a 15cm nose cone. When I get a relic sometimes I will paint, clean or otherwise try to make it look better, but at times as is the case with this fuze I just like it so damn much I won't even mess with it. How about a pic or 2 of your relics. All the best...Dano

 

[18pounder]

Hello Danno

I'm always in a moral dilemma.
Should i take the odd momento or not?
Am i stealing or preserving relics?
Would some people and rightly so, think i'm a grave robber?

Stuff that i have found,i have come across without hunting for it.
Ive literally fell over it,or found it whilst i have say down somewhere for a rest after walking.
I have never really liked the idea of poking around around the ground,let alone digging.
Am i being too sentimental,i dont know i'm just not comfortable with it.

I enjoy with interest looking at images of people locating stuff from battlefields,but i dont feel happy really.
I wonder what these people do with human remains.
I have had an answer to that question and the person said ''we never dig near human remains''
-how do these folk know they are about to dig up remains before they have dug?

Small remains dont show up on geophis scans.
Ive said it a million times,battlefields are often mass graves and should be left alone.
Saying that, my relic granatwerfer was a bought relic so who knows where that came from.
I'm in two minds.
One part of me says these things are sacred to the men who used them and they should stay in the soil for others to see.
Other half says,take them i'm doing the farmers a good service and preserving them as a record.
Sometimes i think f**k it,i respect these lost souls and the stuff i have is just iron.

Blimy i'm ranting sorry.
Anyway here is a few of my bits.

The mills,rod grenade,wire,splinters,cap badge,mills spoon i have found on the surface in france and belgium.
(polygon wood area,verdun,ypres.)
Found most of the splinters near to the le grande mine near albert,so i remember the area and the history of the british detonating mines under the german positions with this battlefield rubbish.
On my last trip i never took any photos,which was a bit stupid!!
Ive left some stuff in belgium as i couldnt bring it over here.

The granatwerfer was bought and is in the process of being restored after a rust dip.
The Frence Fouge was given to me and is in early stages of restoration after having been dipped to remove rust before the metal filler comes out.

Thats about it really

I have to repeat this mantra though

I never touch anything that looks like it could be dangerous.
The mils body was totally empty when i found it with day light shining through it and the rod gren the same.

hope your still awake