Steel sword

I am a conservation student currently conserving a 1906 steel
British Cavalry officer's sword.  The sword has been stored in poor
conditions and is quite corroded.  I have cleaned the upper
corrosion layers off and will soon apply a layer of micro
crystalline wax.  I want to package it with silica gel when I am
finished treating it, but there is also shagreen on the handle and
leather on the scabbard.  I know that low relative humidities are
detrimental to shagreen and leather, but I am also worried about the
metal deteriorating further and would like to keep it as dry as
possible.  Has anyone come across this problem or have any advice
about dealing with this kind of thing?

Brittany Bishop
Conservation student at Durham University, Durham, UK
Training placement at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
Wiltshire, UK


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:42
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 8, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-42-025
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