Hi, I am posting pictures of a sword (in very rough shape) that belonged to my mother. I have no idea where it came from; she mentioned the handle was made from ray skin and that it was from WWII. She has passed away, and the sword was stored in a basement for some time. There appears to be white mold growing on some of the broken sections in the scabbard. I want to clean the mold off, but I do not know what the outside of the scabbard is made from and I am worried about using something like vinegar or alcohol if it will damage it further. I would like to clean it up and prevent further damage if possible. If anyone can tell me what the coating over the wood is made from or how to properly clean it I would be grateful. Thank you.
The first picture is an example of the mold. I’ve included a few more if it helps to date the sword/determine the outer coating on the scabbard, but there is a lot of dust/damage.
