i have a set of samurai swords that i have had for about a year, i have been told by a friend that you are supposed to keep the blades covered in oil so they do not rust. they are all kept in the sheafs and the blades look ok to me, is this true and if so what are you supposed to do.
2007-06-27 00:53:26 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Martial Arts
if this is so what type of oil would i need to use, thanks .
2007-06-27 00:57:00 · update #1
IF THEY ARE REAL:
mineral oil works best.
people often say choji oil because that is "traditional". fact is choji oil is no more than 99% mineral oil with 1% cloves so that mrs. samurai didn't make a hugely embarassing mistake when making dinner for mr. samurai by using mineral oil in his food as they were kept in similar containers- they didn't exactly have plastic or tupperware and adhesive labels back then.
on oiling:
http://swordforum.com/sfu/primer/oiling.html
if your sword says "440 stainless steel" it is fake and you do not have to oil it.
if it seems inexplicably shiny, odds are it is stainless steel, if it is incredibly light it is likely stainless steel as well (most swords however weighted in the 3 lbs range unless they were dai katana or large german zweihanders which weighed a bit more but were generally not more than 5-6 lbs).
2007-06-27 03:37:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi there!
Rust is the major enemy of the Japanese sword blade. The best course of action is to prevent rust rather than to have to remove it. If possible the sword should be kept at relatively constant temperature and humidity. A thin coat of a light, non-acidic lubricating oil is all that is needed. Sword supply shops sell a special oil, CHOJI OIL, for this use. It protects well and has a nice aroma also. The blade should be re-oiled occasionally to prevent the old oil from becoming gummy. Wipe the old oil off with a clean, soft, WHITE cloth or tissue paper. Don't use coloured materials as the oil may cause the col or to "bleed" onto the sword and stain it. Gentle wiping action is all that is required not vigorous rubbing. Don't "soak" the blade with oil, just use a very light coating. Complete sword care kits are available from several sources listed on the Japanese sword web site links page.
Below is a web-site with loads of sword-care hints and tips.
2007-06-27 01:07:05 · answer #2 · answered by Mushin 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As I have use two of mine for actually outside cutting.....clean them afterwards and apply a new light coat of oil....and then don't touch the blade with greasy hands.....seeing as all hands are greasy enough.
The type of oil i use.....veggie oil. It works rather well and most kitchens have them. I'm not talking about PAM but the kind you buy in a bottle.
Seeing as I'm too lazy and poor to go looking for an actual cleaning kit this is how I do it:
1. Clean the blade using a warm water soaked paper towel with Joy dishwashing liquid. Then use a regularly warm water soaked paper towel to wash the soap off.
2. Pour some vegatable oil into a cup and dab a paper towel into it and oil all sides of the blade without touching it with your skin.
3. Now, because of some misunderstanding I had when I was younger, sprinkle flour, yes flour, onto the oiled blade. It soaks up the excess oil. Now go outside and performing the cleaning cut (i forget the name, sue me lol) that samurai would do the shed the blood from their blade. Then wipe the rest of the flour off with a CLEAN towel like most of us have hanging on a peg or the frig handle.
And that's it......the poor man's cleaning and oiling of a sword. lol For the record, none of my swords have rusted using this method.
2007-06-27 03:38:20 · answer #3 · answered by Humanist 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Assuming you are not going to start welding them around outside, and keep them in the house ie dry and warm then they should rust anymore than anything else made of mild steel, i have had on ein the house for years without any Oil and it is fine, if you want to coat them in OiI how about a bit of WD40 sprayed on a wrag and wiped across the blade
2007-06-27 01:13:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
yes you should clean the blade about once a year with oil of cloves
2007-06-27 00:56:40 · answer #5 · answered by David T 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If they still look the same, then chances are they're probably not authentic swords but replicas made from non rusting metal.
2007-06-27 03:04:52 · answer #6 · answered by Shienaran 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Keep them oiled, you only need a light coating.
2007-06-27 00:56:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
3 in 1 sewing machine oil lightly applied every six months or so should keep them tip-top.
2007-06-27 02:49:21 · answer #8 · answered by pm 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋