Sword cleaning - mistakes to avoid

[Yvain]

After some years of trials and errors, here is my personal method for weapons cleaning :

-Remove grease, dirt, and potential varnish with a paper towel soaked with alcohol (90° proof), keeping the blade point down so it doesn't seep under the handle, until the paper towels come back clean. Then dry the blade.

-Remove active rust (red/orange) with 0000 steel wool dunked in fluid neutral oil (almond works well). This should be enough to remove active rust, without damaging patina (won't remove stable black oxydation and won't scratch the metal).

-If there is deep pitting, I use a brass brush, again with a bit of oil. The brass brush will be able to remove active rust in the pitting, without scratching the steel.

-After any active rust is removed, I clean the blade with alcohol again, then apply a very thin coat of neutral fluid oil.

-Leather : if in good question, I just dust it with a cloth and leave it alone ; if dry, I use neatsfoot oil (real one, not an imitation), this is imho the best choice, since neatsfoot oil contains a lot of keratin that will strengthen the leather.

-Wood : again, if in good condition, I just wipe it with a cloth ; if dry, I use flaxseed oil.

-Brass / copper : just a wipe with a cloth to preserve patina, rubbed with an alcohol soaked paper towel if dirty.


I'm personally against the use of power tools (for obvious reason), but also against mineral oil, which is used and recommended a lot by American collectors. Contrarily to natural oils, mineral oil create an impervious barrier on metal and can trap moisture under it, leading to rust development. It is also unsuitable for organic materials, as it won't moisture them properly, leading to drying and cracks. For somewhat similar reasons, I'm against the use of wax, which can again trap moisture under it, and will later age into an ugly and hard to remove gunk.

[Interested Party]

Yvain, What grade of almond oil? Culinary or beauty supply?

What about for the care of horn? Any suggestions out there?

[Sajen]

Sorry, my view is completely different. I don't know what sort of sword John has shown but it looks Indo-Persian. When it's a good sword there can be hidden wootz under the patina, I personally would call it corrosion.
There are people who would pay a lot of money to receive a polished and etched blade. It takes a lot of time and energy to bring a blade back to life. I personally would clean such a blade! Just my opinion!
I also clean in most cases brass, copper and silver, it soon becomes dull again.

[Sajen]

But never use power tools, avoid them!

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Interested Party

Yvain,
What about for the care of horn? Any suggestions out there?

Horn I rub and clean with linseed oil, it prevents the horn from cracking and it can close cracks and also ivory cracks.

[werecow]

I have a yataghan that has a horn hilt that was literally crumbling to dust when I picked it up, with small pieces coming out along the spine covering. Soaking it in neatsfoot oil for a day gave the grip a firm feel again and stopped more dust from running out.

[Yvain]

@Interested Party, I don't think grade matters, as long as there isn't any additives in it, I've used sunflower seed oil successfully for cleaning!



Regarding horn, as @werecrow said, I also use neatsfoot oil. The collagen (not keratin, my bad!) will bind with it and strengthen it (it will not fix splits though, of course).

[mariusgmioc]

I do not use anything but mineral oil. All plant-based and animal oils alter their properties quite fast and may even become rancid.

I spoke with very reputed Japanese swords dealers and they also recommend mineral oil as it is much more stable in time.

[mariusgmioc]

For cleaning/de-greasing a blade, white spirit and occasionally aceton are much more effective than alcohol as they effectively dissolve and remove all types of grease and wax.

[Marius66]

Hello,
Sesam oil is good too