Sunrunner Posted October 19, 2003 Posted October 19, 2003 I have just recently recieved a sword (wakizashi, shoto, whatever you wish to call it) as a gift from a friend. He recieved it from his teacher long ago when he practiced Kumdo (sp??) a Korean style of kenjutsu. He had not used it in a very long time and thought it would see better use in my hands. Needless to say that not only am I grateful to have recieved this from my teacher (indeed I consider him such), but I am also in a bind as to how to clean and care for it. The blade has a bit of rust on it and the handle wrapping is pretty moldy. Also, the chord on the saya was being used as a peace-tie to prevent it from being drawn, and I have no idea as to how to properly tie it back to the saya. Currently the sword is wrapped in cloth on a shelf in my room...I take it out once every week or so to make sure that the mold and rust has not gotten worse, and it has not since I've had it...thank the gods. Does anyone know of any reference that can help me in cleaning and caring for this sword properly? Books, websites (I have not been able to find any), or would it be better for me to seek someone in my town that would be better able to handle this? Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks. Sunrunner"train until the art becomes an artless art, flowing from the unconscious."
CsrCrz88 Posted October 19, 2003 Posted October 19, 2003 I had a sword but sold it away. my friend has a collections of them and has cleaners and polisher along with them. i haven't had any experence with the cleaners but they'll probally help with the rust. here a website that has cleaners, polishers, etc that you can order. http://www.gungfu.com/cart-htm/weapons_weapons_accessories_sword_cleaning_kit.htm
tommarker Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 http://www.swordforum.com/ I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
CsrCrz88 Posted October 21, 2003 Posted October 21, 2003 The beauty and the value of the samurai sword are chiefly on the excellence of its flawless polish. The blade should never be touched with the hand because it is dangerous and will lead to eventual rusting. The best way to prevent rust is to keep the sword lightly oiled with lightweight oil because the heavyweight oil will soil the interior of the scabbard by causing dust to collect. Apply oil once a month to the sword if it is kept in a salty atmosphere. If in mountainous areas, the sword should applied with oil once every three months. Do remember to wipe off the old oil from the sword with a soft fabric, such as soft tissue before we reapply the oil to the blade. Then, sprinkle special oil-removing powder or talcum powder on the blade surface. After that, wiping off the powder by a clean before apply the light oil to the blade. Please do not use metal polish on the blade or on the metal mountings, especially the guard (tsuba). Finally, the tang should never be polished because it contains vital information about the maker.
ZR440 Posted October 22, 2003 Posted October 22, 2003 Gun cleaning kits have good cleaners and oils for carbon steel. And they're cheap. It's happy hour somewhere in the world.
Jussi Häkkinen Posted October 23, 2003 Posted October 23, 2003 Fred Lohman has a sword restoration service. You can find him via http://www.japanese-swords.com/ Do not do anything to the rust by yourself without first consulting a professional. Gun cleaning kits may stain the blade (if it is a properly made, forge folded blade) and even cause the rust to become worse. Take some photos from the current condition of the sword. Sword tip, some blade parts (at least the rust parts) and perhaps the handle should be photographed - use a fixed camera and lightning that doesn't reflect straight to the lens. Mr. Lohman might find these useful when estimating the need and price of the restoration (and whether the sword is worth a restoration or not - if not, I'm sure that he can share some tips for restoring the blade). Jussi HäkkinenOkinawan Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate-Do (Kyan Chotoku lineage)TurkuFinland
Sunrunner Posted October 24, 2003 Author Posted October 24, 2003 Thanks for all the tips...I think I will try to contact a professional in the area before trying anything myself, but the suggestions are appreciated nonetheless. My teacher who gave it to me has used the sword in practice, swinging it with fairly strong momentum...but the sword isn't all that impressive and I'm fairly sure that it is just one of the mass produced varieties that are a step above wall-hangers (It's got that "440 Stainless Steel Made In China" marks on the blade), but I feel I should care for it appropriatly anyway. Again thanks for all the suggestions...I will save them for future reference. Sunrunner"train until the art becomes an artless art, flowing from the unconscious."
Jussi Häkkinen Posted October 27, 2003 Posted October 27, 2003 Ah, "stainless steel"...hmm, then you can not do much damage by yourself. I'd say that you can fairly safely use gun cleaning kits - the sword is not a treasure. My earlier answer was made since I thought that you actually may have a classical sword in your hands. However, those were never made of stainless steel. Be careful when swinging the sword. It may have a "rat tail" tang, which makes a sword practically unusable - however, it may still be a good wallhanger. If the sword has the "rat tail" tang, do not use it for cutting anything under any circumstances. Jussi HäkkinenOkinawan Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate-Do (Kyan Chotoku lineage)TurkuFinland
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