Sword Care & Maintanance

[kyprosc]

Can anyone recomend any good websites providing information on sword care and maintanance. I know that yo should oil & dust (to remove excess oil) but what are oils & materials can be used to do this.

Also any information on Sagio tying etc

I have just purchased an Iaito - so i am not sure how i should care for it.

many thanks
Kypros Charalambous:D

[tonpo]

dont need a website ill tell u right here how to maintain a sword.
this is the way i do it...so if anyone has any other ways feel free to add on:

i have 3 separate pieces of rice paper. one to do the initial wipe down, one to wipe off powder, and one to wipe off oil. i recommend u do the same. Also, all that choji is, is mineral oil, with a few drops of clove oil for scent. So if you dont have choji, u can just go to any drug store, and ask them for some Mineral Oil. Oh and also, you should have a separate paper/cloth for the actual oil, of course. and you want to take the 3 rice papers (if thats what your using) and crush them and wrinkle them and basically just crumple them until they develop a soft feel, as regular rice paper is too stiff and hard for this purpose.

first, fold your first piece of paper until lengthwise its enuf to encompass both blade sides if you fold it over spine of the sword. you want to cup the paper in the webbing of your thumb and pointer finger. start at the base, and with minor pressure move up to the tip with your initial wipe. repeat.

step 2, take your powder and tap it up and down on both sides of the blade, then take your 2nd piece of rice paper, and repeat the wiping process described in the first step. repeat if you wish.

then take the oil cloth (with oil on it of course) and wipe it along the blade in the same manner and motion as before, until y ou have sufficient oil on the blade. then take the 3rd piece of rice paper and repeat the wiping motion described previously, until there is a very thin layer of oil on the whole blade. NOT TOO MUCH, just a light layer....

i also find it helpful to tap the saya upside down in case there are any wood shreds in it..before i put the blade back in...

i hope thats complete enuf.!

[Soulend]

Mr. Baillo hit the nail on the head, but I wanted to add a couple of things:

You can get good sword maintenance kits, choji oil, and uchiko (powder) balls from Bugei (http://www.bugei.com) in addition to a number of other places. If you remove the tsuka, do not oil the nakago and put the tsuka back on..it can jeopardize(rot) the wood inside. This of course is if your iaito has a steel blade. I have never owned an alloy or aluminum bladed sword, but I would imagine that it wouldn't require quite so much attention to corrosion as steel does.

Here's a good place for tips on maintenance: Care of Iaito (http://www.nosyuiaido.com/cat/ex-care.htm)

On the sageo, I would ask your sensei. Different ryu tie it different ways (I assume you mean tying it to your obi when in use). If you mean a decorative knot, check these out:

http://pages.prodigy.net/tlbuck/tsuka/sageo.jpg

http://www.japanese-swords.com/pages/tying_sageo.htm

[Ric Flinn]

If it is an aluminum-alloy iaito (most are) then it shouldn't require very much care; lots of people never maintain them at all. Personally all I do is wipe the blade with a soft cloth or tissue, and then put on a little choji oil to make it smoother for noto. Plain mineral oil (like knife sharpening oil) works well too. Don't use uchiko powder, since it is too abrasive for the soft metal.

Ric Flinn

[kyprosc]

thanks for all your comments and the links to various sites.
kypros