The Armour Archive

what do some of you experienced metal weapons fighters do to keep your blades rust free?

when rust does start to form what then?

Halvgrimr

If the blade already has some rust on it, I use NeverDull and Metal Glo to clean it.
To help preserve it I lightly oil it.
Couple of do's and don'ts.
Don't keep you sword in the scabbard during storage.
Do keep it it oiled.
Do wipe finger prints as soon as possible.
Don't let Jeff J. near your good stuff, it might diasappear.


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"As long as there are fanatics there will always be heretics"
http://www.caerdubh.com

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Winterfell:
<B>
Couple of do's and don'ts.
Don't keep you sword in the scabbard during storage.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

--really?
how interesting.
I hoped to incorporate a wool/fleece lining in the scabbard I need to build on the notion that if the wool is oiled it should keep the blade oiled too.

Halvgrimr

If you don't mind the greasy look of it, Crisco or other vegetable shortening works pretty well. Rub on with a paper towel. This is probably best for storing the blade.

I use it on kitchen knives, too. The idea is that it won't come off as easily as light mineral oil or olive oil, both of which I have seen recommended for blade coating.

The reason for not storing in a scabbard is that any moisture is trapped in there with the blade. Even a small amount can do some real damage in short order if contained. On a practical level, you also won't notice the rust as quickly if the blade is stored away in a scabbard, as opposed to being out where it can be seen.

-Patrick

All I do is polish the blade with a white rouge and stick it in the scabbard. I've never gotten any rust regardless of whether it has been fleece-lined, wood or leather. Blades left out collect dust, then rust forms around that. We have a dry house (electric baseboard heat) so perhaps that is why it's not a problem. Then again, I only have 17 swords including del Tins, Paul Binns, Highland Steele, MRL & Starfire, so perhaps its too small of an example to draw conclusions from.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Winterfell:
<B>Don't let Jeff J. near your good stuff, it might diasappear.

</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ya, I steal people's rusty gear at events and polish it...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Halvgrim:
<B> --really?
how interesting.
I hoped to incorporate a wool/fleece lining in the scabbard I need to build on the notion that if the wool is oiled it should keep the blade oiled too.

Halvgrimr

</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I made a scabbard with wool blanket lining years ago. I oiled it, and oil the blade occasionally before putting it away (light machine oil). I've never had any trouble with the blade rusting as a result, even after storage for two years - it's only the pommel and crossguard, and my other sword, that are a mess as a result of exposure to air, dust and moisture.

Still, as with all things, it's best to use common sense, store the scabbard in a dry place and check and oil the blade from time to time.

Some leathers, made into scabbards, can discolor blades---rather, the tannins and other chemicals in them can do so. Other leathers are fine. Some woods can likewise be bad for blades; others are fine. Alas, unless you make them yourself and know which are which you cannot predict the results, and speaking for myself I am not willing to risk damage to my swords when the whole issue can be avoided by not storing them sheathed.

The ones I use regularly I oil, using plain mineral oil, sometimes gun oil. The ones one display or stored most of the time I use neutral ( clear ) shoe polish on; it won't let dust pierce its moisture barrier and wick moisture through to the steel as oil will.

Everytime I see rust on my hand and a half I take a grinder to it. After six months I now have a really cool hand and a half dagger!
I would seriously agree with the never-dull and metal glo. You just have to be anal with your steel (ouch) in cleaning it after your friends finger it.

bah, i know what you mean. i hate cleaning my katana's blade every time my friends check it out, how do they manage to get so many finger prints on it?!?!

cmon ppl, the hilt, hold it by the hilt ppl! thats what it there for.

Yeah but a sword just ain't real until I can put my grubby mitts all over the blade.


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"As long as there are fanatics there will always be heretics"
http://www.caerdubh.com

I've been using the stainless steel cleaner, the intended purpose of it is to use it to kleen fingerprints and things of stainless fridges and such, it also leaves a coating to protect the surface from further finger printing.

Needs to be put on after the metal has been cleaned/polished, don't thikn it would help in the metal was already rusty.

I've used it on my handaxe head as a kind of experiment seems to be working well, definately stops finger print rust, havent done anything dumb like leaving it in a puddle, but it does spend a bit of time outdoors.

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-Karl
http://member.melbpc.org.au/~kja/

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Winterfell:
<B>Don't keep you sword in the scabbard during storage.
Do keep it it oiled.
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

How about keeping your sword inside a scabbard which you have lightly soaked the inside in oil? Thats what I'm going to do when I make a scabbard.

Wyrm.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Wyrmspleen:
<B> How about keeping your sword inside a scabbard which you have lightly soaked the inside in oil? Thats what I'm going to do when I make a scabbard.

Wyrm.

</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

See my post above.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Michael B:
<B> See my post above.

</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I got to stop skipping messages...

My scabbard is fleece-lined, and had a coating of olive oil on the fleece. Every time my sword is drawn from (or put in) my scabbard, it gets a light coating of oil. The sword stays stored in the scabbard, and the only place that has problems with rust are the pommel and hilt.

The blade looks nearly as good as when I first got it.

I use a 3M green scrubby with a little 3 in 1 machine oil on it.

Some rapier fighters keep their swords in a capped pvc tube. They find that they develope rust a lot more than those who store them in open ended tubes or scabbards.

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Guy Dawkins