I almost posted this question on Kent's message about the Derogy he has that was polished on the inside (!) as well as the outside, but I don't want to hijack his thread.

What do you think? I have this nice brass lens (a Wollensak Vitax No. 2 that I was asking about in another thread) that has a patina that is pretty even. My impulse is just to leave it alone. But I am also (as a former tall ship deckhand on the Exy Johnson) a sucker for polished brass, and a part of me really wants to break out the Brasso.

I know how long it takes for a new patina to form on a boat (not long). This is the first un-lacquered brass lens I've owned. How long for a patina to reform on a lens that will be used in the studio and the field? Does anyone want to weigh in with their own opinions about whether or not these old lenses should be polished?