This article is taken from my book – World Swords 1400-1945.  An Illustrated Price Guide for Collectors.  To order a copy please get to Here.

Acme Tips for the Care and Preservation of Antiquarian Swords

The care and preservation of antique swords and edged weapons is non an easy job.  Here are some Height Tips for their proper care and preservation.

The offset thing to remember is that the correct care and preservation of a sword is not an easy chore.  Many a fine sword has been ruined by overzealous cleaning and poor attempts at amateur "restoration". Information technology is sometimes better to just leave your sword alone and accept its current condition rather than botch the chore and make it look even worse!

If you are new to this field of collecting and you have a sword that requires intendance and preservation, the basic dominion is:

If you are not sure about how to preserve your antiquarian sword and don't feel confident that you lot have the necessary skills to complete the job to a competent degree – ask someone who does!

This "someone" might be a fellow collector with past experience of restoration or maybe a dealer who volition exist able to tell you whether they know someone who can make a professional job of it.   As fourth dimension goes by and your experience of collecting increases, you will run into people at fairs, auctions and even on the net, who can offer sound advice and bespeak you lot in the right direction.  Remember that they will be speaking from years of experience, including mistakes that they themselves made at the first – I include myself in that listing!

Use an Practiced Restorer

If the restoration task is complex, it is e'er better to manus over your sword to an expert restorer. Adept restorers can be found through word of mouth via dealers and collectors, and some annunciate through related militaria journals and magazines.  There is likewise a lively circle of dealers and collectors who speak to each other through internet spider web sites devoted to collecting edged weapons and they are e'er more than happy to exchange tips and contacts.  An splendid and friendly antiquarian sword web site that I regularly use for help and communication is www.swordforum.com.  There is usually somebody on the forum who can aid.

Investing in your Antique Sword

You might think that afterward digging deep, saving up and paying a considerable sum for your sword, the very terminal thing that you lot would wish to do is spend even more than cash after you accept handed over your hard-earned money.

This mental attitude is wrong.  If you lot intend to go on, preserve and build a fine collection of antique armed services swords and edged weapons, extra money spent on their on-going preservation will prove to be a sound and ultimately wise investment over the coming years.

Don't Worry – You tin try it Yourself!

Please be aware that I certainly do not mean to frighten away the collector past saying that they cannot or should not do whatever kind of preservation work on their antique sword.  Far from information technology.  An expert is normally required when there are circuitous or detailed areas of preservation or restoration work.  This is peculiarly so when the sword has to be taken apart or cleaved parts need to exist repaired or replaced.

I have visited too many auction houses and antique arms shows in my time and witnessed at first manus the results of amateurish botched repairs to blades, hilts, grips and scabbards.

Basic Emergency Repairs

Here are some basic emergency repairs that are relatively simple to undertake but vital if wishing to stem the ravages of fourth dimension, and ensure that the sword does not deteriorate any further and touch on on its value and your investment.

Blades, Metal Scabbards and Fittings

One of the fundamental problems that you lot a collector of antique swords normally encounters concerns the accumulation of corrosion e.thousand. rust.

The use of a Suspension Free oil which dislodges the rust is recommended. In the U.k., we have products such equally WD40 and at that place are equivalents both in the USA and worldwide.

Notation:   don't always use these oils on blades with blue and gilt ornamentation equally information technology has been known to loosen the gilding and that would be a catastrophic and irretrievable situation.  Personally, I would avert any major contact with a bluish and gilt bract but alcohol or kerosene is calorie-free enough to clean these delicate blades.  When completely wiped make clean a roofing of fine carabellum wax can exist applied.  This provides a protective seal which keeps out damaging moisture.

Specialist Waxes for Antiquarian Swords

There are a number of specialist waxes on the market for the preservation of the metalwork on antique swords and edged weapons. I tin recommend Museum Wax or Renaissance/Becketts Wax.  All of these specialist products are available from hardware or gun supply shops, and a quick trawl through the internet will also locate a number of merchants who can probably supply postal service order.  1 jar is usually enough to final a very long time.

Vaseline petroleum jelly or pure mineral oil/gel will likewise protect the blade from future moisture.  It is important to note that you volition need to inspect the sword on a regular basis (at least every month) to come across if any rust or corrosion has returned.

Some swords have very heavy areas of deep rust where the use of a Interruption Free might not be very effective and other options demand to be considered.

In these cases, a very fine abrasive might be an choice, but you must decide whether the blade carving or hilt/scabbard plating might actually exist damaged or worn away past this abrasive method.

How exercise you want the Sword to Look?

Ultimately, it all comes downwardly to how you desire the sword to await and there are some collectors who cannot resist removing the age or patina of a sword because they believe that a highly polished sword is more attractive.  That is their personal choice.

Thankfully, there are not a great number of these individuals but the result of this arroyo is that yous will continue to see swords that accept been polished to a gleaming state and I am afraid at that place is very little that y'all tin can do to render its character other than wait many years for the polish to dull!

Do not let this exist a reason not to buy a particular sword.  I would rather acquire a highly polished but rare slice, than none at all!

Constant Handling of the Sword

Constant and irresponsible handling of an antique sword will ultimately endanger its status, especially when moisture from easily comes into regular contact with the bract or hilts.  Any collector of antique Japanese swords will evidence to the permanent damage done to a valuable blade that can event from finger marks that have not been immediately removed.  It might exist a proficient idea to learn a pair of lint free cotton gloves that will ensures that the sword is kept dry when treatment.

NOTE:  invest in a couple of pairs.  This ensures that there is a spare pair on manus when that inquisitive friend or family unit member pays a visit to see your drove.

Hilts, Scabbards and Leather or Fishskin Grips

A soft bristle toothbrush and some ammonia detergent or soapy water is quite effective in rooting out dirt and crud from recesses in both sword hilts and scabbard mounts.  Remember to avoid being also vigorous and avoid losing whatever of the original gilding – do not use any abrasives in this area.

Leather care Products

Use a adept leather care production on grips and scabbards to avoid them drying out and and then becoming brittle or flaky.  Your leather care product should have a high wax content every bit this will act every bit an excellent long term anti-drying sealant.  Regular inspection of leather fittings should besides exist done in conjunction with the inspection of the metal parts.  For the care of fishskin grips I recommend a piddling infant oil to allow the material to breathe again.  Do not rub besides difficult on these grips as they can be very flaky and pieces can easily become detached.

Displaying Antiquarian Swords

Try not to brandish your swords with leather scabbards or grips too near areas of extreme heat, particularly central heating radiators.  This will dry out leather scabbards and grips and probably cause them to compress. I might be stating the obvious but straight sunlight will never exist advantageous to an antique sword.

© Care and Preservation of Your Antique Swords commodity by Harvey Withers – www.militariahub.com

Not to be reproduced without prior agreement.