Caring For your Katana: A brief guide to cleaning your blade

Jun 01, 2008 BY admin, LEAVE A COMMENT

Whether you’re a collector of Japanese swords, or a budo practitioner, proper maintenance of your swords is paramount to keeping them in good shape. It would be a shame to have that new katana, which cost you $1000, to become useless because of rust or a cracking handle. Fortunately proper sword care is not difficult, and it needn’t take hours of your time.

If you use your sword, you should clean the blade after every use. Every time you touch the blade of your samurai sword, your fingers leave behind salts and oils that can promote rust. If you are a collector, you should clean your katana ever 3 weeks, or anytime you handle the blade of the sword. Cleaning your blade will only take you a few minutes, but the time spent will add years to the life of your blade.

WHAT NOT TO DO
Before we talk about how to clean your blade, let’s talk about some things you shouldn’t do.

  1. Never attempt to sharpen your blade. The use of abrasive sharpeners or grinding wheels can utterly destroy your blade. It takes special tools and training to sharpen a samurai sword.
  2. Do not use abrasive cleaner or chemical cleaners on your blade. They will damage the blade. This includes metal cleaners, polishes, and chemical based cleaners. Really you should only use the tools provided in a proper maintenance kit.
  3. Do not directly handle the blade of your sword when cleaning (especially when reapplying the oil). Use a cloth to hold the blade instead. Care should be taken since this can make the blade slippery.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR BLADE
To begin with you should purchase a sword maintenance kit. A traditional kit includes blade oil, rice papers, an oiling cloth, a powder ball, and a brass awl and hammer. For blade cleaning we will be using the oil, papers, cloth and powder ball.

With your maintenance kit in hand, it is time to get started:

  1. Remove the old oil from your blade with a sheet of rice paper.
  2. Tap the powder ball against the blade every two inches or so. This will lightly coat the blade with power. You may need to tap the ball a few times to get the powder flowing through the fabric.
  3. Use a clean piece of rice paper or a cotton cloth to rub over the powder. Repeat this until both sides of the blade are clean and polished.
  4. Apply a few drops of oil to each side of the blade. Use a clean rice paper or a cotton cloth to spread the oil evenly over the blade.

With your blade clean re-sheath your sword and rest assured that that beautiful katana will stay free of rust until the next time cleaning is required. Proper sword maintenance really is important to extend the life of your katana.

Pcitures will follow by end of the week..just give me a minute …or two :o

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  • alex

    how often should it be cleaned
    i have an old sword definately more than 50 years old,
    it was prone to rust beneath the handle so how often should i do a full clean or even just the blade??
    any one please mail me
    alexjm @ gmail . com

  • alex

    woops im silly didnt read it all properly
    but when cleaning the “tang” bit inside the handle how often should the mekugi “peg” be replaced for a new one? every time?

  • heresiarch

    NEVER EVER EVER clean the tang of an old sword. Ever. Really. You shouldn’t even clean the tang of a new sword.

    The rust on the tang is one of the ways they date old swords, so cleaning it will reduce the value of an old sword tremendously.

  • admin

    Right…stay of your tang :o

    As far as the mekugi peg, just check every now and than to be sure it’s still ok to practise with but usually they are very solid and they don’t need to be replaced very often.

    Dave

  • tinez

    what oil do you use on the blade after its been polished?

  • SWAY

    RECENTLY BOUGHT A SWORD. I KATANA SHOGUN IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING.. I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE POWDER BALL, RICE PAPER AND OIL.. BUT I ALSO HAVE TWO TIMBER RODS ABOUT 3CM LONG AND A BRASS WHAT LOOKS LIKE A SMALL HAMMER. THE HANDLE SCREWS OFF AND THE OTHER END HAS A BLUNT SPIKE. ANY IDEAS?

  • callum

    nope i was wondering that

  • Greg

    With regard to callum and sway’s question, i believe the small spike is used as a punch to be tapped by the hammer to remove the handle pegs – I use it to clean the tang (inner metal part of blade handle) – but pay attention to what heresiarch said ablout older swords and diminishing their value.

  • Greg

    Oh yes, perhaps the timber rods are supplied to make new handle pegs. Both the pegs and the hammer remarks made by me are just guesses, please don’t curse me if I’m wrong.

  • lewis titus

    i made the mistake and entrusted my brother with two swords with a value of 3,ooo.oo for the both.i left clear instructions on how to care for them.i was out of town for 8 mo. i did not no that he also left for 3.5 mo.he put the items in the basement ,all the heat was off so his bill wouldnt become large;i now have spots of rust on both blades and in spots thru-out the length of each sword on both sides;some have eaten into the steel.they i assume are worthless,tell me something positive,please.

  • http://myspace.com/goseejoey Joseph

    This is for “lewis titus” and his request for positive news.

    Well lewis, i have some!!! You can clean rust off of a sword! (btw- for any ppl out there who wanna give any comments that are mean- just know i have put in a good 10 years on straight studying swords). I would recommend using”Metal Glo” polishing paste. it takes rust right off. as for the rust that is set in… use a VERY VERY fine steel wool, yes i know, scratching your sword isnt exacly what you had in mind… but trust me… it works- i used this on a sword that was a $12,000 Folded steel Katana. Anyway- the soft VERY VERY fne steel wool is just if the paste dosnt work. The kind of steel you will need will be in the 0000 steel grade range. go to a steel place, or order online. anyway, they are not worthless, remember, they had better swords back in the middle ages and before—-and the swords were kept for a long time. if you have any other questions, please email me at Godlydrumming@yahoo.com

    And my last bit of advice……………. Never entrust someone who has no experiance with swords with a sword!!! and if they are 3000 ea… well, your just stupid for that! lol but its ok. The point is…. your swords will not be worth as much, but it is fixable- depending how bad the rust is.

  • dskull

    I am only starting out my sword collection but am really getting into it. Does anyone have any tips on what to look for when buying a good sturdy sword?

  • http://myspace.com/goseejoey Joseph

    well, it really depends on what KIND of sword your looking for. if your wanting a “wall hanger sword” (which means its not smart to take it of the wall and swing it around to much) or a “battle ready sword (which means… trees beware..). I would recommend battle ready, because they will last longer (assuming you take care of them) but wall hangers dont require NEARLY as much attention. This is a GREAAAAAT website for buying online swords http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/

  • Simon

    So basically the powder you speak of removes fine surface rust? Is that correct?… I have a ‘battle ready’ katana made in Hong Kong (lol) and it has developed a little bit of surface rust. Does anyone know if its possible to buy these katana maintenence kits in martial arts supply stores here in Queensland?

  • admin

    It rather takes small scratches away than removing rust. Not sure if you can buy them in Queensland but there must be some shops over there where you can get them :o

    As Joseph points out, we don’t talk about nihonto here so polishing paste and very fine steel wool will be fine to remove the rust on your blade.

  • http://myspace.com/goseejoey Joseph

    Simon,

    Metal glo (assuming that is what you are talking about) is a polish that can help prevent rust.. but if you put that on a sword, and use a very vine steel wool (0000 grade or under) on it.. the rust should come out. NOTE: After a certain amount of time, rust cannot be taken out of the steel, because it has set in.. and after that, microscopic cracks begin to appear in your sword (of course you can’t see them… but they are there). Thus, it will (again…over time) destroy your sword, so handle rust as soon as possible.

    As to if you can buy them in Queensland, I don’t know. I am not familiar with the geography of the area, so i don’t know what places sell what. HOWEVER, you can buy all of this stuff online at various websites.

  • Cynthia

    I bought a katana off a friend when he needed so money. But its not in good condition, he decided to cut tree branches with it and the bark and possibly sap is on the blade how can i clean this off?

  • kenan k

    Hey I’m 14 and I have a vast sword collection about 30+ pieces including 15 japanese katanas, it was started by my grandfather and he left it to me when he died and I have the basics of cleaning and I know all of their components and I do kendo but y is there wax inside the scabbard of the katana? Because I have to wipe it of every time I have to draw my sword to show my friends or when I want to show my sensei, and does anyine know how I can stop the wax from stucking to my blade?

  • admin

    @Kenkan : usually there’s no wax inside but it’s possible that too much grease/wax is stocking up in your saya. What kind of product are you using to oil your blade ?

    Dave

  • kenan k

    mineral oil, I just buy a traditional cleaning kit. So I don’t know the exact type of oil

  • Tracey Rainey

    My sword is taken care of very well, I clean it and oil it and I’ve never cut anything with it. On the mune of the blade it wants to rust in the same place every time its put in the saya and on display? and this takes place in only 1 week and thats with a clean oiled blade. It must be the saya doing this and this is a 9 year old sword and it hasn’t always done this, so my question is what do I do??? Help I love my sword but this seems to be getting worse!!

  • woodro

    What kind of ‘cotton cloth’ would y’all recommend for cleaning the blade in place of the rice paper? considering the economy right now, trying to save every penny and all lol

  • Joseph

    @Tracy Rainey

    Storing your sword in its saya is actually hard on the blade. Moister builds up, and rust will start to form. The best way to display a sword is out of the saya. If you must display the sword in it’s saya (i think it looks better) then you need to oil it a lot more. Make sure your not just coating the blade, as then you’ll get moister from that, and it will damage the saya. If you can get a thick grease, and but that on the blade, it will do wonders. Also, if rust is building up in one location, that generally means there is rust in the blade. You need to get fine, fine steel wires and rub it. If you can get it professionally done it would be better. I believe ColdSteel is one company that will do it for you.

    @woodro

    Honestly, anything soft works. Rice paper is soft, yet grainy enough to actually rub oil against the blade. Diaper cloths (i think that’s what they are called.) work very well. Just find a cloth that is not ruff, but not “flat”. Some hand rags are acceptable because they are grainy, yet extremely soft.

  • woodro

    Thanks Joseph, good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.

  • Laurie

    I had unintetionally left my sword packed away for too long (time flies), won’t make that mistake again. It was coated with oil (from the kit) but still developed some small rust spots).

    My sword has been done with a special polish so that you can see the fold lines in the blade. Any abrasive cleaner will ruin the look of your sword, possibly destroying the hamon, or at least leaving big ugly scratches on it.

    I used CLR (calcium, lime, rust) to clean and treat the rust spots first with cotton buds. I then cleaned the whole blade with CLR and wiped it all off. I then polished the whole blade with Brasso metal polish, which will not scratch a shiny steel surface (I tested it on a kitchen pot first), and wiped it all off. To finish, of course, I oiled the blade.

    Discovering those spots gave me a heart attack, so you can be sure I will keep a closer eye on it. Although CLR is acid based and actually treats the rust, the rust may still come back.

  • Brooke

    Ok, so I have my grandfathers WWII samurai swords. They are in terrible shape! I want to sell them how would you suggest I clean them. I need something heavy duty, as they have been packed up since 1944. Any suggestions?

  • Quinnon

    Ok, so i just got this brand new katana. I already know NOT to EVER touch the blade without a cloth in between(obviously it says in the article), but how long, if you want to keep your katana in the condition you bought it in, about how long should you wait to re-oil and just generally maintain your sword periodically?

  • Quinnon

     Also Brooke, I would suggest you don’t even sell your swords. If you’ve got sons (wouldn’t really know, not a stalker) and you think they’re responsible enough, pass them on to them. Chances are they would love it, and you can’t put a price on history. Best thing to do would be go to a professional, they would know how to properly restore the swords without destroying the value of them, but i would try someone like Smokey Mountain Knife Works if you live somewhere in the surrounding States of Tennessee. Otherwise, keep checking this site, I guess. (sorry but I have to know this) Also, are there 2? if so, is one a katana and one a wakizashi?

  • Dave

    It depends a bit on the ‘storage circumstances’ but just make sure there’s always a very thin coat of oil covering the blade..

  • My_Blood_Is_Black

    Can we use this same technique on all blades or is this specifically for katana? I’m a blade collector of all types, and I found this extremely useful for my tachi, but can it be used on say fantasy knives and Renaissance swords?

  • McKenzee Chestnut

    Is there a way you can sharpen your sword at home with the right stone? Me and my dad are big on blades and guns, so we have good stones to use. If so, what kind of stone would you need plus oil, and is it smart to do it at home or would it be better to take it to a professional.

  • Anonymous

    If it’s a low end / cheap one you can alwyas check this tutorial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkegWu5aGw0 and give it a try but as with most things in life.. there are skilled people/experts out there who can achieve something far better (without screwing up) than what you can do :)