Sword Cleaning

How to use a Sword Cleaning Kit 

Blade maintenance is very important to preserve the finish of your sword. The use of a maintenance kit allows you to maintain your blade in the same way as original pieces were (and still are) maintained. Blade maintenance should be performed at least every three months and any time the blade is touched. This is because skin oils will cause rapid corrosion of fine steel blades.

Contents of the Maintenance Kit:

1. Cotton Cloth

2. Powder Ball, for applying polishing powder to blade

3. Blade oil - Japanese choji clove oil

4. Rice Paper, for cleaning oil from blade, polishing and spreading oil on blade

5. Brass Hammer, for removing and installing bamboo pins in grip. While this tool is a traditional part of the maintenance kit, we strongly recommend against disassembly of the Katana as the bamboo pins will wear, resulting in a loose grip.

The clove oil’s primary purpose is to prevent rusting, as low alloy plain Carbon steel can rust from water, moisture, blood, etc. Oil is made of 99% mineral oil and only 1% of clove oil for fragrance. Japanese choji clove oil has worked for centuries and is completely time-proven.

NOTE: Do not use clove oil from a pharmacy because this is pure clove oil and your sword will rust!

Procedure:

First, use a sheet of rice paper to remove oil from any previous maintenance, holding the edge away from you and working very carefully to avoid injury. (Note: if you wish to save the rice paper, a soft cotton cloth may be substituted).

Then tap the powder ball lightly against the blade every two inches or so along its length, dusting the blade very lightly with powder. (Note: when using the ball for the first time, you may need to tap the ball against the blade a number of times to start the powder flow through the fabric of the ball.)

Then use a clean piece of rice paper or cotton cloth to carefully rub over the powder and polish the blade. Repeat until both sides of the blade have been polished and the powder removed.

Apply a few drops of oil along the length of each side of the blade and use a clean piece of rice paper or cotton cloth to spread the oil evenly over the blade. Be sure not to touch the blade again before re-sheathing.

You can buy a Sword Cleaning Kit from Kyudokai.org just drop us a line for details http://www.kyudokai.org