Splinted Shoulders

Brand:

Epic Armory

Universe:

Sovereign

Materials:

Mild Steel: 1mm/19 gauge, full grain leather

Position:

Shoulders

Product type:

Shoulder armor

Maintenance

Epic Armory metalwork products should be treated with acid-free wax or quality vegetable oil and stored in a dry place. Metal armor containing leather parts would require separate leather care. Read the "Leather Straps and Accessories" section below for leather cleaning and maintenance using leather care products.

Degrease and prepare your armor for use

When you open your armor, you may be overwhelmed by the smell of grease and oil. The oil has been applied to protect your armor during storage and transport. Use a degreasing product or mineral spirits and a dry cloth or paper towels to remove all the oil from the plate armor pieces. It's a little more difficult to remove all the oil from chain mail links, but it can be done the same way. Wipe off as much as you can with a dry cloth, and with the remaining oil, you can degrease the chain mail with mineral spirits or another solvent by spraying it on the links. You can also choose to completely submerge your chain mail in a degreasing product and use your hands to agitate the metal in the solution; this will completely remove all the oil and grease from your links. After removing the oil, be sure to dry the armor thoroughly. Bright, warm sunlight is excellent for drying your armor, but you can also use a hair dryer or heat gun to speed up the process. Be careful not to overheat any piece of leather when using a heat gun.

Cleaning

Moisture is the enemy of armor and chain mail. If your armor gets wet, it's important to dry it thoroughly as soon as possible. After handling, use, or after six months of storage or display, all metal should be wiped with a clean cloth. Lightly oil the cleaned surface with a quality, acid-free vegetable oil. Alternatively, you can apply a coat of wax to the entire surface of the exposed metal. Let the wax dry for a couple of hours, then lightly buff it with a soft cloth.

Prevention and elimination of rust

Store your armor in a dry place and check it every two months for signs of rust. If you find any, remove it by gently rubbing the affected area with a mildly abrasive pad moistened with wax or quality acid-free vegetable oil. Epic Dark products are specially treated to resist rust, but should still be treated with oil and stored in a dry place.

Leather belts and accessories

Clean them by removing dirt with a stiff brush, then gently scrub with leather soap and a clean, damp cloth until the leather appears clean. Remove the soap with a separate damp cloth to clean any soap residue, and then use a dry cloth to wipe away any remaining water from the leather.

You should always condition leather after cleaning it, as the soap will have removed some of its natural oils. Treat the leather with mink oil, olive oil, or beeswax using a clean cloth, gently rubbing a small amount of oil or wax into the leather in circles. Allow the leather to soak in the oil before wiping it with a final clean cloth to remove excess residue.