The method I used to use was like this:
I had a campaign folder/book with a section on items. It was a simple list of a #, name, resource/module it came from, who had it at the time, and a cross if they had ID'd it fully.
The players got a card with #, name only (some players would look it up dam it).
Then as they discovered things about it, they would write what they found on the card. If they got a full identification then they would have their card filled out and I could forget about the item.
If they lost their card then I could easily rebuild it except for the properties. I would force them to reidentify the item if they hadn't achieved a cross.
It was my way of making them remember their stuff. Players who forgot their character sheets would play an "average" member of their class as a penalty until I started keeping sheets.
D