My hobby is (also) collecting antique swords

As you might be able to tell by my username, I post swords. In order to post swords, you must first collect those swords.

Sometimes not just collecting - but also conserving, documenting, restoring, and educating.

Sometimes it means using tiny polymer picks to remove the verdegris from bronze hilts, in order to prevent further decay and highlight the beauty below.

Sometimes a restorative etch reveals more than you bargained for, and completely transforms your understanding of an artefact.

Sometimes, collecting antique swords means performing restorative etching in order to reveal patterns in the steel, without also removing signs of age. A delicate balance requiring the use of gentle, repeated applications of weak acids.

Sometimes it means painstakingly assembling composite images and 3d scans with absurd levels of detail (I recommend zooming in on this one).

Sometimes, collecting antique swords necessitates studying the metallurgical phenomena in the steel, in order to identify the origins and age of the sword.