Balance and Scale
This weekend was spent cranking out furniture projects, getting together with family, and hitting some nearby auctions.
I picked up some fabulous pieces including this antique scale,
and this balance.
I got them for fabulous prices and I've always wanted to score pieces like these before. I've seen them in photographs adorning beautiful dressers and kitchen scenes and I've been on the hunt ever since.
The balance has amazing patina to it.
There's a label on the side,
and the patent on the face.
I know the hand is crooked but that doesn't both me. I think it adds character!
The balance had a gorgeous brass tortoise shell pan on the left side.
It's missing a few parts, but it still makes for a pretty display piece.
The maker is Henry Troemner from Philadelphia. He was a German immigrant and established his business in 1838. Troemner is still a business today producing precision weights and laboratory equipment!
These pieces were definitely pretty but they were also worn and faded. To brighten up the metal and shine them up a bit, I went for my stash of Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil.
I poured a bit into a cup and used a rag to wipe down the scale first.
It didn't take very much.
The impact was immediate! Look at the top of the scale. The left side has Hemp Oil and the right side is untouched.
It doesn't look terribly different, just shined up and a bit more hydrated.
The balance had the most obvious transformation because the brass was so dulled from age. Just look at the difference that Hemp Oil made!
Doesn't it look so much better now?
If you have old metal pieces at home, I highly recommend using Hemp Oil to give them a fresh spruce!
You can shop for Hemp Oil in 250mL and 500mL sizes in my space at Morgantown Market. These two pieces will also be for sale there. If you're interested, the balance is $52 and the scale is $48. The market is also a part of Berks County's Best Kept Secret Tour and they have lots of special events scheduled. Be sure to stop by June 8th - June 24th!
