Light scuff on blade

[Alex A]

Ive noticed a very faint scuff on one of my swords about an inch and a half long, im sure it wasnt there the last time i looked. Im really careful about where i leave cloths, so i dont think they have picked up any grit, but cant say for sure. I did use these cheap micro-fibre cloths once or twice before i threw them away. I started using a light sewing machine oil about 5 months ago, very runny, not like the usual gloopy gun oil i used before that.

 

The saya is only a few years old, its not a tight fit with the blade. I was thinking that there is either something in the saya or ive wiped down the blade with something i shouldnt have. If there is something in the saya, then maybe the previous gloopy oil did a better job of protecting the blade from what was in there.

 

Anyway, ive ran a pipe cleaner down the saya the best i can, and bought a thicker oil.

 

I dont want to turn this into another thread on oils, i just want to know if anyone else as used standard BREAK FREE CLP without any issues for a number of years?, i think one or two of you guys do. This is the oil i have bought, but got a bit edgy about using it when i read "may be fatal if swallowed" on the bottle, suggests it contains some harsh chemicals.

[Pete Klein]

This is the MSD Sheet for the product: https://www.krollcorp.com/files/forms/B ... -EREVA.pdf

 

By any chance did you place the sword onto a bath towel?

[cabowen]

What are you applying the oil with?

[Alex A]

Hi Pete, cheers for that, an interesting read indeed.

 

I rest the swords on a cushion on the settee. In turn i wipe oil off with alcohol, then dry before re-oiling with clean cloths. I use old white cotton t-shirt

 

Its a straightish line through part of the hamon, looks a bit like a nioi, same colour, but obvious it isnt nioi. I would attach a pic, but too dark now.

 

Im now wondering if it was from the polish or a previous owner and i just havent noticed it until now. Doubt it though.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Im now wondering if it was from the polish or a previous owner and i just havent noticed it until now. Doubt it though.

 

This is a possibility, sometimes desire blinds us until we return to earth. It wouldn't be the first time someone missed something obvious until after the fact.

 

Another possibility is the blade is rubbing against the inside of the saya at some point as it is being drawn out or going back in, especially if the scuff is in the same exact spot and seems to worsen overtime, and you're being careful about everything else.

[Alex A]

Hi Franco, maybe your right about it catching the saya, although there does seem quite a lot of room for the blade to slide in without it catching the sides, difficult to say.

 

It is possible it as always been there. Ive added a pic, looks worse in the light than it appears normally. The saya was made in Japan professionally no more than 3 or 4 years ago. Dont really want to start messing too much with it, the lacquer is perfect.

 

I presume it could be buffed out by a pro polisher easily, il look into it, dont think its worth the hassle though.

 

The mark is only 7.5" from the top of the saya, wish i had one of those slim engineers bore-scopes, would come in handy from time to time. I dont think theres any grit there.

 

Its just one of those things that really pisses me off, especially when ive been so careful, even wear a glove on my right hand so i dont get grease off my hand on the blade when re-oiling.

 

If it was something ive done, let this be a lesson to other folk, you cant be too careful!.

 

As for the BREAK-FREE oil, maybe its risky on these blades, with all the chemicals.

[drbvac]

Because it seems like there are 2 parallel drag marks on the blade it would have to be a pull or push directly along the blade - Is there any chance there was some foreign substance or a piece of cloth with grit - anything on the blade when inserted into the Shirasaya and then it moved or rubbed again on taking it out. I know how annoying these can be - I had one on a blade and it drove me to distraction to the point I eventually sold it .

 

I also had a bad experience over 25 years ago when "I" tried to correct a little similar rub across the yokote - the polishing compound on a cloth - believe it or not - removed the mark - AND THE LINE OF THE YOKOTE> It is such a fine change in direction that even a tiny rounding of the juncture makes it invisible to the eye - now I really noticed it _ Had to get that re-polished 0 not a big deal BUT !

 

Don't touch it

 

BB

[Alex A]

Hi Brian, just spent half an hour looking down the saya with a torch . Pinched an aerial off one of my lads toys (needed something harder than a pipe cleaner) and scraped down the saya where i estimated the bother might be. I tapped the saya out on a piece of paper, a picture below. Feels like grit, sure isnt wood. Whether it was this or not i will never no. Ive gone back to using the more viscous oil i used to use.

 

If anyone knows how much this will cost to put right il be happy to know. It is annoying, best sorting it.

 

Ps, I know there is a pro-polisher in North West UK, if someone knows him, could you please send me the details. Found a number on my phone of a guy in Liverpool, is this the guy?, been years since ive spoke to him.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hi Alex,

 

Suspect from the image posted these scuffs are from contact with the side of the saya. Exactly from when and why may be difficult to determine. These could be from the way the saya was made (not all saya makers are equal as much as we would like to believe), or it could be something about the motion going in and out, or a combination.

[Alex A]

Cheers Franco, i agree. Il have a word with a saya guy i know, see what he can do, sure dont want it to get any worse.

[hxv]

Alex,

 

Once you are sure your saya issue is resolved, it's not expensive to have the scratch touched up be a qualified polisher. Cost will run anywhere from $150-$500 (USD). I had Bob Benson do the work for me, and it was worth it.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Alex A]

Cheers Hoanh, not the end of the world, but something i could do without. Not that i have one, but i sure wouldnt want this to happen on a real expensive sword

[Stephen]

you can lightly dust the blade with some thing that wont line the saya, slide in on mune and back out if dust is streaked its touching.

 

your marks may have been from someone not fallowing proper removal from saya on mune.

[Alex A]

Hi Stephen, whilst inspecting the saya with the torch, i noticed black marks where the mune touches the saya when it slides out. Looking down the saya with the torch, i could just about see similar black marks on the side of the saya, the same side as the scuff. Ive been careful about taking blades out, especially since i got told off for doing it assways about 5 years ago. Theres only me here most of the time, lads here weekends, but he knows better, i hope. An acquaintance i know as also suggested that its the saya is at fault, possibly may even have warped over time. Now waiting to hear from the saya guy, a shame it will have to be split and re-lacquered, more expense.

 

The hidden joys of sword collecting

[Darcy]

A scuff is not worth shedding steel to fix. If every collector makes this decision all the swords will be worn down to toothpicks pretty fast.

 

I'd just take it in stride.

 

Since you mentioned the saya is lacquered (did I get that right) sounds to me like it's not a shirasaya? One of the benefits of shirasaya storage is that in this kind of situation you can just split it and clean it. So what I would recommend is to make sure you have a proper shirasaya if the blade is anything to care about. Better investment than repolishing a blade.

 

Just my two cents.

[Darcy]

Break-free seems to be a combination solvent and oil. I don't know if I would be using such a thing on a regular basis, both for my own health and because you are going to get unknown results with a sword. Maybe it will be excellent... but... if the sword is valuable enough to preserve then why do something potentially risky with it when known methods are perfectly safe and adequate?

 

If anything try it on a $300 ebay junker that you can scrub the rust off of yourself and then test this product over the long haul.

 

Your cleaning with alcohol is not necessary.

 

Just a wipe down with a clean microfiber cloth is all that you need. Then re-oil, and I wouldn't use an old T-shirt but I'd use a dedicated applicator as comes in a standard cleaning kit.

 

If your cloth ever gets contaminated it's going to pass that onto the sword which passes it into the says and the saya creates the scuffs. For this reason you just want to use something small that you can seal up afterwards.

 

And of course... never use my enemy, uchiko.

[Alex A]

Hi Darcy, cheers for the tips, appreciated. The blade is in koshirae, with a modern lacquered saya. My main priority is sorting out the saya. Ive calmed down a bit now, not the end of the world, just one of those things. The scuff looks far worse in the pic then it does in hand. Il sort the saya and i expect this little episode may just end there, il see, an education none the less. For anyone reading, and for future reference, dont just take your blades out, clean, oil, put away. Take a good look for very (and i mean very) faint lines appearing, hopefully catch damage before it escalates.

 

As for break free oil, you summed up my thoughts exactly.

[loiner1965]

The sword polisher you asked for is called John Bolton and he lives in the Wirral near Liverpool

If you cannot get his contact details then I will pm you them but google is your friend

He polished 2 of my swords and was pleased with both of them.

One of them is my kanetoshi katana which if you do a search on here you find it's hand made with ko- itame hada and a beautiful suguhu temper line, this sword always displays a seki stamp on the tang

[Alex A]

Cheers Steve, appreciated. I was put in contact with another polisher a while ago, Mr Norman, hes at the Birmingham arms fair in February. Heading down there myself anyway, hoping he can have quick look at it whilst im there.