Hello, what I can see from the pics both hewers are orignal ones. The leader hewer (ALCOSO) seems to be the rarer full-aluminum-hilt (no plating) variant.
Regards,
Interesting Wotan, I don’t think I’ve encountered such an item.
Hello Billy , yes, they are rare but I have seen some of them.
How do I preserve these? They are very dirty.
Most dirt is desirable patination! Not on the leader´s hilt because aluminum cannot patinate. Let them alone! Only very few drops of a good weapon oil on the blade which is also wiped away with a clean cloth does all.
If you have access to "Renaissance Wax" (a special professional preservation product) you can use it instead of the weapon oil.
But be always careful not to damage the patination.
Some parts (eg the pebbled middle field of the scabbard) are artificially (factory) patinated which is very desirable. As said, only some preservation for the blade and let all other parts as they are.
This is the look of the hewers after 70+ years so they easily will survive the next 70+ years with not more harm if let alone.
Regards,
