Cleaning your Vintage Fishing Lures
Cleaning Vintage Fishing Lures
Acquiring a great set of vintage fishing lures is an exciting part of our hobby and what makes it so much fun. However, proper cleaning methods can be difficult to properly use because of the age and delicate nature of the pieces in our collections. Cleaning methods appropriate to one type of lure finish or material may cause damage to another type. Remember that the goal of cleaning is to maintain the current condition and appearance of your vintage fishing lures while attempting to stop or slow down any deterioration.
If you have any doubts as to whether or not you know exactly what you are doing, then just don’t do anything special to your collection. Just keep them dusted with a soft and dry non-abrasive cloth. It is better to leave them as they are than to cause damage that cannot be corrected.
If you are ready to try other cleaning on your lures, then start with some low value lures. It is a good idea to even buy one or two low value items specifically to try out your methods so that if you damage something, the value lost isn’t significant. Many lures have been ruined by improper cleaning methods so
practice first before trying to clean any valuable lures yourself.
Don’t perform any disassembly on a vintage lure during cleaning. Leave hooks, eyes, and any other metal pieces attached. The paint or finish could be chipped or damaged during removal. Using anything with water is not a good idea on older lures as the water could cause the wood to swell if there is any cracking or it could cause the paint to flake off. The water could also speed corrosion or rust on any metal parts. Also do not use alcohol or anything with alcohol in the ingredients to avoid damage to the paint or finish.
If there is any rusting on the metal parts, then fine steel wool can very carefully be used to gently brush away the rust. It is extremely important to not let the steel wool touch the painted areas to avoid damaging them. Do this slowly and gently, and if there is stubborn rust, it may not come off with this technique.
For routine cleaning of any fur or feather pieces on your lure, a small hand vacuum at the lowest power setting can be used. Do not use this if there is any fragility or brittleness on the pieces or without a very low power setting. If you are unsure, then merely use a small soft brush to lightly brush these areas. Keep the vacuum away from any areas with loose paint or flaking.
These methods can help you maintain your collection of vintage fishing lures in their present condition for years to come. Just remember to use them with care and caution.
Additional tips:
If using cotton balls (not recommended) be cautious of hanging in hooks, loose paint, or wood cracks.
If handling particularly old or valuable antique fishing lures, you may want to wear latex gloves to avoid oils from your skin causing surface damage.
Avoid solvents and any other abrasive or corrosive material that could damage the lure.
Do not try to repaint or otherwise “touch up” your vintage fishing lure. This will decrease not increase the lure value.
