Cleaning

[TomS]

Be very careful if you try to clean the plated parts of a pen. I had a gold plated Sierra with a slightly darkened clip, and I used a "mild" metal cleaner on it, and it totally removed all the gold plating. I guess I'm lucky it wasn't a higher end kit.
Tom

 

[Lenny]

Be very careful if you try to clean the plated parts of a pen. I had a gold plated Sierra with a slightly darkened clip, and I used a "mild" metal cleaner on it, and it totally removed all the gold plating. I guess I'm lucky it wasn't a higher end kit.
Tom

Most likely if it were a higher end kit it would have been fine. Generally the plating is better the nore expensive the kit!

 

[TomS]

What would be a safe thing to use to clean hardware? It looked like and old fingerprint on mine, and the oil left behind was turning dark. I tried a damp cloth, but that didn't do anything.
Tom

 

[Mark]

I believe you would be looking for a cleaner that utilizes a chemical cut as opposed to an abrasive cut. Correct?

Something along the line of Jewelers Rouge.

 

[lazyguy]

I believe you would be looking for a cleaner that utilizes a chemical cut as opposed to an abrasive cut. Correct?

Something along the line of Jewelers Rouge.

Jewelers Rouge is ferric oxide and is abrasive.

 

[mredburn]

Would a jewelers polishing cloth like Blitz do the trick or maybe Brasso?

 

[mbroberg]

Would a jewelers polishing cloth like Blitz do the trick or maybe Brasso?

I'm not sure about the jeweler's cloth, but Brasso WILL take the plating off. DAMHIKT

 

[toddlajoie]

More than likely, if the fingerprint was turning dark, it had already damaged/removed the finish underneath. FPs seem rather harmless (at least to those not worried about the FBI Crime Lab) but over time can be quite corrosive. You probably were not going to get it off without removing the finish anyway, depending on the quality/thickness of the plating.