something strange happened to my masayuki...

[kusunokimasahige]

Hello All.......

 

well you all saw the photos of my "gimei" masayuki in WWII mountings and

i have taken good care of it, oiling it from time to time with proper oil for nihonto...

 

now...... i took my masayuki out to a re-enactment to show to some people, and we slept outside, the katana safely tucked away in a car.......

 

on the day we left, i wiped the blade clean with a soft cloth, and being without my cleaning kit, i sprayed the blade with WD-40 oil..........

 

guess my surprise when i got home and took my blade out.....

 

i all of a sudden can see the Hamon !!!!!! now what happened i do not know, and only in a certain angle with the right light the Hamon stands out clearly..

 

Since i still dont have the money to go to a good Togishi, i will wipe the blade again (without using the powder ball) and put the proper oil back on it...

 

does anyone of you know what this WD-40 might have brought about?

is it the thin ness of the oil which attaches itself to the temper line?

 

i dont understand at all........ but am happy to finally have seen the hamon line..

 

KM

[Darcy]

WD-40 is actually mostly a solvent rather than a lubricating agent. The solvent helps it penetrate and dissolve old gunk, and the lubricating agent then remains behind.

 

The solvent in the case of WD-40 is mineral spirits.

 

So your sword is probably coated with something that is on the blade like a wax and is interfering with the light. When you are using your cleaning kit you are not getting it off, when you sprayed it with WD-40 you dissolved it somewhat.

 

The lubricating agent of WD-40 is mineral oil, which is what we use to oil swords anyway. So I think you are pretty safe if you want to go back and use WD-40 to attempt to get the rest of the gunk off, however you may want to instead use mineral spirits (which you can get at any hardware store or home depot). Use in a well ventilated area and use gloves.

 

I'm interested in your results so please post...

[kusunokimasahige]

Thank you very much for that info Darcy! it sure is very helpful!

 

i will see what i can come up with...

 

even though its faint, the trace is definetely there....

 

KM

[kusunokimasahige]

Darcy, i cant seem to take good photoghraphs....

 

sorry but as soon as i have more info i will post it!

 

KM