Greetings from a new member. I have a Newhouse #5 Bear Trap. From my limited research I believe it is referred to as the “Patent Date Model”. I know zero about its history. I picked it up a Community Wide Garage Sale and the seller had no information about it. The Trap shows considerable signs of exposure and pitting. I am seeking suggestions as to how to curtail or prevent further deterioration, preferably some type of liquid solution that will not result in oily or sticky surfaces or negatively affect the traps eye appeal. Thanks in Advance. Eclectic Collector.

Just keep it out of the elements and it’ll never change

Post this on the Trap Collecting Forum . You can find it at the top of the page. You might have better luck

I'm pretty sure you shouldn't do anything to it if you want preserve it's value.

welcome , man I would love to find one of them.

Following as I have this same trap in good shape.

Spray it down with wd40 and rub it in with a soft rag.
The condition is not the best but a lot better than some.

I would wax and dye it with black walnut hulls and hang it on a wall with the families mounts and tanned furs. .

But that is just me. It will turn it black and preserve it.

Very nice find. I would love to have one myself .

^^^ bad advice,unless you just want to keep it.Dying will destroy the patina and lower value considerably.

sprat it with a can of clear lacquer

Just keep it inside.

Bad advice - will lower the value. But maybe the owner of the trap doesn’t care.

Knew a trap and tool collector that spray painted his entire collection bright silver. When told the paint lowered the value of the items, he said he didn’t care. He liked the way they looked.

leave it be and keep it indoors. You could spray it with lubricant if it gets alot of Moisture in the air them wipe it down. Otherwise I would keep it in the house and leave it.

At that point what else could he say, can't admit he messed up so...

He should be thoroughly confused by now

It'll probably never mean more to anyone else other than you. What a great find, and memory!

It looks like any patina it may have had has already been destroyed. It looks like someone de-rusted it with vinegar or some other type of acid. That's too bad. If it were me, I'd let it sit out in the weather and regain a light coat of rust, then, maybe a rub down with WD40.

I posted pictures

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/8060857/lacquer-on-old-trap#Post8060857

wire brush / steel wool and WD-40 is what most use and look great .