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Showing results for 'oiling'.
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Hi everyone, Just wanted to share my thoughts, and confront them with y’all, on what I think is a touchy subject 😃 I bought my first and only nihonto 2.5 years ago, and it will probably remain the only one I’ve got for a while. The reason is that I had not the intention of collecting, but more to get the most authentic piece of Japanese sword I could, meaning a nihonto, preferably koto, from the Muromachi era which I find fascinating. I was able to find one within my budget, but unfortunately the koshirae left a lot to be desired. While the tosogu was really nice, saya was definitely subpar, of poor quality and not even fitting the blade properly. Tsuka had been modified, in the inside, to roughly fit the nakago. To the point where I am convinced the koshirae was not made for this blade… Anyway, as I hate the idea of having something that cannot serve its purpose, even just in theory (in life, in general I mean) I was kind of annoyed by that. So I decided to get a full koshirae be made by a French smith not so far from where I live, to give this blade the mountings it deserves, and to have a nice package. But then I started to think that since it will now have a brand-new - most importantly “safe” - koshirae, why not use it ???? I mean, I have been studying iaïdo since 2006 now, have practiced with a shinken (Chinese, not shinsakuto) and I am very serious about it. The steel iaïto I’m currently using is as good as new, and I have been practicing with it weekly for years. Not a scratch I would notice that was not there before. Compared to my steel iaito, my nihonto’s polish looks similar. Absolutely not “in full polish”, but I would say it’s OK, and definitely a lot of minor scratches. So how would you guys see the fact of actually give a nihonto a purpose, a use, other than looking at it in a once-a-month-while -re-oiling-it fashion? Do you feel it will hinder its preservation? Do you feel this is nonsense and a disrespectful behavior? Get your stones and sticks ready (not your swords!), I'm here 😁😜
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I think I'm over oiling the blade, but since there are a few rust spots already I'm afraid to leave it too dry
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Hello everyone. Just a few question on "proper" oiling of the nihontou:1)What type of material do you use to apply the oil? 2)How do you properly remove the excess oil, and how do you know the aforementioned has been accomplished correctly. I have the all of the bells and whistles for nihontou care, just some of the details I need to clear up. Thank you.
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Hey everyone, Got a blade here that belongs to a local police officer; his father had brought it back from the war. The blade itself is pretty grimy and the nakago had some red rust present. So while I did some work to remove the grime as gently as possible and oiling the blade/removing the red rust, I also took some pictures of the signature. I am unsure if the blade is a showato or gendaito. The hamon was impossible to see. The mounts themselves appeared to be early war: the tsuba was fairly thick, and it had a chuso-style retention clip, with the remains of a fairly nice wrap. Double mekugi-ana. So I am betting on the signature being the best way to tell. Any ideas guys?
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I'm still largely with Darcy in my opinion of not needing to use uchiko. I stated the above to show that proper use very occasionally shouldn't damage swords if done properly and with high grade uchiko. But for the average person, on polished swords, just use the isopropyl alcohol and microfiber cloth method, and a very light oiling. And as seldom as possible. I use uchiko on project blades totally out of polish, that barely show a hamon and are completely stained. The red and black stuff that comes off is incredible. Over months and years, the hamon will appear and rust will stabilize. Oiling is also vital. But stick to these out of polish blades. If it reduces the temptation to grab something more abrasive, then win win. So with uchiko, generally just don't use it on polished swords.
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https://www.jssus.org/ ... see articles > sword care https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/search/?q=oiling&quick=1
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Sword Care/Maintenance: Isopropyl Alcohol
Lewis B replied to Big Jimp's topic in General Nihonto Related Discussion
I thought choji oil was just scented mineral oil and therefore a petroleum byproduct. Tsubaki oil (camellia) I think is a better option. Personally I'm not sure oiling a blade really does that much if the owner is careful to wipe the blade every time it's placed in the saya. I know a collector in Germany who owns multiple Juyo papered Koto swords and has never used oil as part of the routine maintenance and care. I think oiling a blade only makes sense in very humid climates, when living close to the ocean (salt) and when shipping blades especially if air travel is involved. -
Hello sir. Yesterday I was doing the annual re-oiling and inspection of my blades. I had a thought about a cut on one of the Saya, quite deep and clean. It reminds me a lot of the cut on the saya of the "Izumi no Kami Kanesada". Placed exactly in the same place by coincidence. I was wondering if you often encounter this type of mark on Koshirae? If it was rather common or not.
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Doing some sorting today and oiling. Decided to compare two of my wakizashi side by side. One is unpapered suriage, the other is ubu and papered. Both mumei. Very different form. Just thought I’d share to a thread I enjoyed!
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Let's take a step back. First of all, the polish that I have been talking about was a hadori/kesho polish done in the mid 1990's. At that time the standard procedure for care of a newly polished sword was oiling > uchiko > reoil > repeated over and over, over the next 6 months. The polisher obviously knew having carefully and precisely dictated of how to care for the sword over the next coming months exactly what effect the use of uchiko would have on his finish. So, in a sense the final look of his polish was being executed at his direction. However, anyone thinking or believing that the polish wasn't already set needs to have their thinking and understanding examined. Polishing has evolved since that time. Yes, it's still a hadori/kesho polish/finish. However, this newer form I would describe as a finish that follows the hamon in a more precise manner, and it has the effect of unzipping itself to reveal all when viewed correctly. When it comes down to selecting a sword for polish and choosing a polisher it makes sense to go with the best possible.
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Uchiko is dangerous and not needed if one just needs to deoil the blade. The dangers have been overstated. Its a good tool to remove spit, small fresh fingerprints and other things which are not uncommon at shows. It can also be used to purposefully adjust the appearance a bit like softening things like coarse jigane or opening up the gradient within the hamon, if there is no hadori... and I would not use it for such purposes since I lack the understanding. There are polishers who ask for specific "aftercare" regiment, which might include repeated oiling and deoiling with uchiko. Explanations of why vary.
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Hi Mike, What Piers said, maybe a light oiling of the blade but DO NOT clean the tang. Sorry for the over emphasis but the patina on the tang witnesses the blade’s age and should be left as is. Yes, it’s not a military issue blade from the signature. It’s could either be passed down within a family or re-issued after a donation to the war effort. I’m not a military sword guy so others can chip in but appeals went out for blades to be donated to the cause. Sorry, just saw your post of the presentation: fantastic!!
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I had some success removing a stain by the use of repeated oiling, recommended to me by a swordsmith. He didn't mention uchiko, though. -
Hi, I’ve seen a number of threads on oiling but I am still unclear on several points. I live in quite a humid area, mean annual humidity of 83.9% and frequently reaches 100% (during long rains). This may mean different requirements and methods of taking care of nihonto than those mentioned in other posts. My questions are: - Oil needs to removed every once in awhile but how do I remove oil from the nakago? I assume a cloth would rip bits of the nakago or vice versa, and alcohol would trap moisture in its porous structure. - If a blade doesn’t have shirasaya, should I leave it unmounted or in koshirae? - Should tsuba be oiled? - What’s the best method to remove oil? 99.9% Isopropyl alcohol with tissue, microdear or a combination of both?
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Help with authentication of my Sword please.
Brian replied to Nimm_'s topic in Military Swords of Japan
Nice genuine piece, probably with a slightly earlier blade. It had a civilian saya, which they reused for the war, and put the combat cover over it, so it's likely the original one. Don't use anything abrasive on it, but you'll find regular oiling and wiping with clean tissue will improve it a lot. -
Edo Period Corner Part II
Bugyotsuji replied to estcrh's topic in General Nihonto Related Discussion
While I was oiling the blade, bathed in the glorious smell of choji abura, the pluses and minuses became clearer. Yesterday I showed the blade to a nexus of sword artisans. The opinions flew thick and fast. Yes, on the positive side, there is a hamon. One guy commented that ken do seem to sell well, and perhaps contemporary Japanese swordsmiths should be making more of them. One respected elderly swordsmith from Tsuyama avowed that the two blade sides of the ken did not look perfectly symmetrical. One suggested the blade could delaminate during togi. They all questioned the presence of a 'ken' horimono like that along the blade of a ken, especially as the horimono is so long, plus it is only on one side. Could it have been carved to hide something? As they added to the list of things that would need doing, one remarked that it was going to cost me some serious cash to cover everything. Then he added the clincher, "This nakago does not look so old to me." Since I had bought this thing sight-unseen, and the guy had forgotten to give me the torokusho registration card, and I had had to borrow the money to pay for it, I did not sleep very well last night. All week I have been thinking, should I ask for my money back? Would he remember to bring along the torokusho? Should I just sell it, being the 'almost' new owner, and see how much it would fetch? This morning early I made a decision and went to the auction rooms with it. There was the torokusho waiting for me, thank goodness, and I was able to hand back a wad of bills to the kind lender. The guy who sold it to me a week ago must have been surprised to see it floated again so soon. Watching people's movements, it seemed to me that there was some interest in the room. "And the result?", I hear you asking... OK, it was not a clean slate, but the bidding was fairly strong and I made most of my money back again. So the lesson for my gamble was: there really was no need to send good money after bad. The bonus was, I've got the chance of another punt, another day! The bad news is that I never seem to learn my lesson until it comes back and hits me in the face once again. Old age only makes this worse. -
Feeling ashamed for a rust spot
Jesse Luddington replied to Jesse Luddington's topic in General Nihonto Related Discussion
Would oiling it stabilize the rust? I've cleaned it and left a light layer of oil on it. I'm not sure if that is the best way to stabilize it -
Edo Period Corner Part II
Bugyotsuji replied to estcrh's topic in General Nihonto Related Discussion
Thanks Winchester and all. (re ‘ken’ blade above) Today I fashioned a better size and better fitting mekugi out of susu-daké, and I’ve gently brushed off the red rust and given the blade a light chōji oiling. On Sunday I hope to get some concrete feedback at the sword meeting as to the ideal next steps to take. Considering the saya once more, though, I see that I must backtrack on my ‘Lord Kusunoki’ comment above. Apologies. The flowers depicted cannot be chrysanthemums. They are meant to be cherry blossoms and it is raining on the cherry tree trunk where he wrote his famous poem. These are all symbols of Kojima Takanori and the story of his loyalty to the exiled emperor. The 正 ‘straight and true’ character must therefore be an expression of the (later) owner’s simple dedication to the Bushi ideal of loyalty. -
I recently purchased a couple Nihonto and also own a kaigunto, and I want to care for them in the best possible way to preserve their longevity. I attended Mr. Grey Doffin's wonderful care and etiquette lecture at the Token Kai, and the JSS/US packet he handed out has also been useful. However, I had a few quick questions. 1. Grey mentioned using microfiber cloths for removing oil instead of uchiko. Can one also use a microfiber cloth to apply the oil to the swords? Or should that be a clean tissue for application, switch to microfiber when removing the excess, and finally using a microfiber when cleaning everything off for study/appreciation? 2. Gunto - Is the oiling of a gunto the same as a Nihonto? Thank you for the help!
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Grey, thanks for your reply and tip! Took a quick look at your website and i can see you are deeply immersed in the sword thing-- neat. Some questions if you don't mind: Can you tell me what is the powder the guy uses in the embedded video in my posting? What specific oil is best to use? Would some sort of solvent (if any) be good to use on the blade to remove any contamination from acids or such from people touching the blade w/ ungloved hands, before re-oiling? Any other tips or recommended things to do for care and maintenance? I think from now on i will only handle the sword w/ gloved hands, either cotton or nitrile- good practice? fyi, i have attached 3 pics of the Gunto. Thanks, dwp
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How to remove green corrosion?
Franco D replied to Yumso's topic in General Nihonto Related Discussion
For clarification/explanation, my bad. Yes, you are not oiling your fittings. Sword oil is used during the process of arresting the verdigris. In the end, when satisfied that the verdigris is completely gone and not coming back, I clean the final surface with the alcohol. Regards -
How to remove green corrosion?
Franco D replied to Yumso's topic in General Nihonto Related Discussion
The problem here is oiling and toothbrushing while possibly removing some of the verdigris may not solve the problem nor achieve the result desired. The kashira shows signs (at least to me) of having been exposed and damaged by something chemically corrosive. It needs more attention than simple cleaning, like professional help. The shitadome on the kashira look embedded with verdigris. Proper cleaning will require removing them for cleaning. Unless all of the green is removed and properly treated there will be a good chance that over time it will come back. Getting oil and/or water on and soaked into the ito during the cleaning process may only make the problems become worse. While the fuchi/kashira may be Nara school fittings, the damaged kashira may bring the effort to save them into question. Since the fuchi is apart it can be cleaned. I would begin by using a soft wooden toothpick to very gently scrape and loosen the verdigris. Then, using a soft cotton Q-tip dipped in anti-hydrous isopropyl alcohol wipe away the loosened verdigris. Repeat that process until gone. The, once you're convinced the surface is clean, again, using a soft tipped Q-tip apply a thin film of good neutral light sword oil. It is always wise to do a test spot somewhere inconspicuous to be sure what you're applying is safe and is not doing any harm. p.s. change soiled Q-tips, do not reuse once soiled. On a personal note, it looks to me as if this entire tsuka and wrap needs to be redone. Regards -
Thanks for the reply&advice everyone. I'll not try vinegar. So basically repeating "small amount of oil use(or maybe not using is the best?) -> gentle brushing -> wipe with paper towel" until I get rid of green right? Under images are what they look like right now after some oiling & toothbrushing. Thanks, Yoon
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How to remove green corrosion?
ROKUJURO replied to Yumso's topic in General Nihonto Related Discussion
Yoon, welcome to the NMB forum! Oiling is the wrong way, too! 'Green corrosion' can occur on copper-alloyed metals as a result of a chemical reaction with fatty substances. As Franco said, you will probably damage the TOSOGU with chemical treatments, so go slow in this case! You do not want to damage the patina, which is important. I would recommend a careful cleaning with a toothbrush and a clean cotton rag right now. Cheap KOSHIRAE usually need a lot of competent work to restore them which is why they are not expensive. -
Hello, I'd appreciate some guidance on how long I can safely leave blades in shirasaya without re-oiling them. Usually I do this quite regularly, but I only currently have one functional hand and as such will need to either coach my wife through the process or arrange for a friend to visit to carry out the maintenance. I might end up sending my collection of blades to a friend, to take care of them for the time being. I realise that climatic factors and the like will affect this, but all the same, I would appreciate some ballpark estimates from your own experience. If anyone is curious, I can share what happened, but it's not directly relevant to the thread. Thank you. Mark
