Here’s a tip: Buy a full suit of armor only if you can guarantee its proper care. Whether it be functional armor or decorative armor, only care and maintenance can keep them shining for a long time. And you’d want them to have a long life considering most don’t come cheap. So, how do you maintain armor? The following are some basic methods.

The armor that is shipped to you will be wrapped in plastic and have grease on it. So, the first step is to remove the plastic and more importantly the grease with a solvent. Once the cleaned surface is dry, apply wax on the armor. (There are plenty of good solvents and armor wax available online/in stores so research is required.) Remember that a little TLC at the beginning will save you a lot of heartache later. Also, this is just the initial cleaning. You have to make sure that your armor gets cleaned every once in a while.

When not in use, store the armor in a dry place. If it happens to get wet, dry it as quickly as possible. Moisture leads to rust and nothing spoils armor quite like rust. Also, don’t assume that all rust is visible to the eye. Big spots can be seen from a distance. But small spots can be missed easily and lead to corrosion, so it is imperative that you check your armor closely and thoroughly at least once every two months. If you’ve used the armor, the first thing to do is to remove dirt and grime. Then buff it properly with wax, especially spots where coating has rubbed off.

Museum Replicas has an amazing collection of suits of authentic armor. Pick one today and walk away with a classic you can enjoy for a long time.