sword maintenance

DHB the cutter

DHB the cutter

Joined
Jan 26, 2002
Messages
89
Hello everyone,

My favorite kind of swords are the japanese style (because I practice iai do), but I also like the rapiers, the medieval, the scimitar/shamshir and others. I`d like to know some tips in sword cleaning and maintenance (with the japanese I know and use the Nippon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai orientations), but I have my doubts like: can I use the choji oil in a rapier or a viking sword? The damascus need to be oiled? Any tip will be welcome...


:D
 
I'm not very well versed in Euro sword maintenance but here's a few tips.

The oil is intended to protect the blade from rust. Whether you are talking about fairly high alloys like A2 or simple steels like 1050, you are going to want to use at least SOMETHING to protect it. Choji is a very simple oil and it smells pretty nice, and it works well to keep steel rust-free.

However, with some European swords there may be a minor problem. One of the reasons you can oil Japanese style blades fairly liberally is because you dismount it completely before oiling the blade, and you don't oil the tang. You don't have to worry about affixed parts and crevices where oil will gunk up over time. With European swords, you don't always have the option of simply taking it apart and oiling down the parts necessary, then putting it back together. Oil can seep down into little cracks and gaps and collect dust, dirt, and grime over time, and that certainly won't help your sword's appearance!

If you CAN dismantle the entire thing, oil like Choji or some gun oils are plenty good. However, if it's all stuck together...there may be other alternatives. I've heard of some people something called tuf-cloth with reasonable results. I've also heard of some other methods, but I think I best leave the more complete answers to people who own and care for Euro swords.
 
Thank you Robert,

You mentioned some good points and answered others, and let`s see what the people who have them will tell us ...;)

Greetings!!!
 
I have several diffent styles of swords, from Japanese, to Euro, to rapiers. I use mineral oil, mixed with a few drops of clove oil(cause I like the smell). I just use a clean rag, and apply a light coat of oil to the blades, and any other parts that need them, like the quillons and stuff of the rapier. I've never had any problem with oil gunking up on any parts or anything.

BryanH
 
And now, to forever cement my reputation as a "Bad Influence" I suggest you let the Western swords rust!

Don't oil them at all. When rust develops, clean it off with 2000 grit sandpaper. This removes the rust, but leaves a very nice "patina" on the steel.

To me, there's nothing worse than an unblemished western blade. Soldiers and Swordsmen of the period carried their swords daily in any sort of weather. This means they got rusty. Sure, they were cleaned off, but perfect and unblemished blades were the sign of a rich Fop's"court sword." (The period equivalent of a "wall hanger.")

My most often used sword looks like hell and I love it that way.

Of course, that's just me. YMMV.
:D
 
i would have to go with a mix of clove oil and some sort of mineral oil. (as stated)
and i know that a few of the people here simply use one of the gun cleaning oils (again as stated)

but i have to agree with ken, some swords just dont scream out to be cleaned ..
wiping them down .. taking the the rust back with some soft steel wool or the like .. its all that is needed to keep it alive.

but most things will work .. i have never had problems with swords gunking up a great deal .. unless you load the blade with too much oil... i find it only need a very light coat.

there are other things that can be used .. i know that people use lanolin for the length of a blade .. it has natural properties of holding the steel well ..
but it depends on what you want .. how much you are going to use it ... or what you want it to look like.
and of course what the steel is made from.

and the opinion of the person you are talking to
:D

D.
 
I must confess that I usually cover a sword with silicon spray when I will use the sword again soon, and not let it rest some days (in this last case I use choji that is a mixture of mineral oil (99-98%) and clove oil (1-2%), because if I will let the sword without use some time I trust more in this kind of oil).

Has anyone, like me, used silicon when has a little of laziness in using oil and would use it frequently ? I do this at about five years, and never find any rust it the swords I use it sometimes... I start to do this by recommendation of a cutler here in Brazil, but never read anything about it. Any comments ???

Another point, in the site of Krys Cutlery they show camellia oil to use in the swords, has any of you been using it ? What does it goes ?


:cool:
 
DHB,
I usually don't use heavy oils. I generally use soft dry cloths
after use and a light wiping with the Sentry or Tough Cloth types.
One of the really important things to consider is your storage area.
I have a large room that is the most climate stable in the house.
So far I have had great luck this way.
 
And just to clarify to any of the readers out there who didn't know...the mixture of clove oil (<5%) to mineral oil is choji oil. It's sometimes called just clove oil...but that's not good to use on traditional blades.

Here's a thought for some though...If you like the aroma of camellia oil, you can use it instead of clove oil in the mix. Neither would be out of place, and both smell rather nice.
 
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