Philip Tom's deep understanding of antique arms and armor enables him to offer a level of service which goes far and above that of merely making a piece look "clean and spiffy" in a display case.
Services:
Restoration and appraisal of the antique arms and armor of China, the Islamic world, India, mainland Southeast Asia, and the Philippines, Europe.
Specialties:
-Polishing
-Blade straightening
-Conservation of firearms, sword fittings, and armor
-Restoration and fabrication of hilts and scabbards
"It's our duty, as collectors and martial artists, to preserve the tangible remnants of our past and our traditions for the benefit of future generations. I'm here to help some of these "old soldiers" gain a new lease on life. Please contact me if I can be of assistance."
-Philip Tom
Contact Philip directly at pcalvus@gmail.com
More about Philip Tom
Blade straightening
An essential part of the preparation before polishing, but it can also be done on pieces that do not require a polish. With his extensive experience and using a variety of custom-made tools, Philip can complete some of the most challenging straightening jobs.
Polishing
All blade polishing is done by hand. The goal of bringing into view the beauty and metallurgical character of the steel is coupled with the necessity of maintaining the original contours and dimensions of the blade to the greatest extent possible.
Pattern brought back to life on an old Chinese twist-core saber.
Polishing done on a southern Chinese officer's saber, revealing an inserted hgih carbon edge and heat treatment effects.
Polishing and cleaning of the mounts done on a Qing officer saber.
It was found in a barn in Belgium and was subject to years of neglect.
Some of the pitting had to stay so as to not remove too much steel.
Polishing work on an antique pair of double straightswords, including restoring the original ridge-line and tip profile.
Conservation of firearms, sword fittings, and armor
Philip can significantly improve the look of antique arms by careful cleaning, leaving just the right amount of patina for the piece to retain its historical value. In some cases, he can also restore patina where recent scratches have disturbed a surface.
Rare Brescian gun, ca 1630, with a very early lock in the Spanish style.
Before conservation and restoration.
Lock interior before restoration.
Cleaned lock interior.
Cleaned and repaired stock. All assembled.
Work on a very good longquan jian that suffered serious neglect:
Carefully cleaned the mounts of an early Chinese Longquan straightsword, revealing beautiful silver decoration.
Philip also put new ray-skin over the scabbard which had lost its original covering.
Restoration and fabrication of hilts and scabbards
From simple resting scabbards for blades in full polish, to replacements of antique scabbards covered with leather, velvet or ray-skin. Philip will know exactly what type of scabbard your sword needs. He uses properly cured wood so scabbards will remain straight and perfectly fitting for many years to come.
Ray-skin covered grip and storage scabbard by Philip Tom.
This saber was found with a badly fitting scabbard body that came from a different, 19th-century saber.
Philip made a new wooden scabbard body and covered it with dark green leather, adding its original mounts to complete it.
Fabricated a traditional wooden scabbard for a Moro keris.
Contact
Do you have a piece that needs restoring?