Choji oil

This is an oil mixture of 99% mineral oil, 1% clove oil. If this is not available, pure mineral oil or some non-corrosive gun oils are acceptable, such as Remington. Do not use any form of vegetable oil, as they are chemically active and will 'gunk up' over time and damage the scabbard. Choji oil has been used for hundreds of years, and remains the best option.

Uchiko Powder

Uchiko powder is made from the stones used to sharpen and polish Japanese swords, ground up into a fine white powder and contained within a silk or cotton ball. There is no acceptable substitute for uchiko powder, although it is thankfully far more widely available than in the past.

Tissue paper

Although a somewhat obvious item, it is necessary to make certain that the paper you choose is both soft and as lint-free as possible. Avoid scented or otherwise impregnated tissue, as the chemicals within them attack blade steel. Similarly, recycled tissue can cause more harm than good, as its composition and roughness are highly variable. Human skin heals, steel blades do not.

Sword Maintenance

1. Brass Awl and hammer to dismantle the sword
2. Rice paper for cleaning oil from the blade, polishing and spreading oil on the blade
3. Uchiko (powder ball), the pad contains non-abrasive powder that absorbs extra cleaning oil
4. Bottle of choji oil, to prevent rusting
5. Plastic container to store oiled cloth

Before you begin - Caution: The blade of your katana is extremely sharp and may cause serious injury. Make sure that the blade edge is never in a position where it could injure yourself or others.

Before performing sword maintenance, it is necessary to properly prepare the blade. Remove the blade from its scabbard and fully dismantle and remove all the fittings if possible.

You must remove all of the old oil from the blade surface before re-applying any new oil.

Take some tissue paper, and fold it over a few times. Wrap this around the blade, on the unsharpened edge, and slowly wipe from handle to tip, applying gentle pressure to both sides. Repeat this until no oil is visible.

Inspection

A close inspection for signs of rust or damage must be performed each time the blade is oiled, as it is not uncommon (particularly among martial arts blades) for scars and burrs to form on the blade, in which rust finds a home very quickly. Similarly, it is at high-stress points such as the `sweet spot' (point of harmonic resonance on the blade) and the tang (the part of the blade that extends down into the handle) that stress fractures or points of weakness form, from simple metal fatigue. Look for flare-ups of rust, which if caught early should simply wipe off during cleaning. If it is more persistent it may require more rigorous cleaning with uchiko powder, and in the worst case the attention of a professional polisher. Points of weakness occur where the crystalline structure of the steel develops a fault, and are visible as areas where the blade looks twisted or distorted somehow, usually in linear structures. This could be the death of the blade; upon discovery of such artifacts immediately seek consultation before using the blade again. Similarly, while scratches are merely cosmetic and can be ignored, burrs or nicks in the blade can be extremely dangerous to use. Burrs in particular are very dangerous, as they can cause serious damage to both swordsman (they can slice skin with ease) and sword if they go unnoticed for any length of time. Once again, professional consultation is recommended.

Cleaning

First, use a sheet of rice paper to remove oil from previous maintenance, holding the edge away from you and working very carefully to avoid injury. (Note: if you wish to save the rice paper, a soft cotton cloth may be substituted).

The next step is to apply the uchiko powder; as it is made from the finest stones used to polish swords it is mildly abrasive, so be careful not to rub too hard or you may destroy the polish already present. Take the ball (you will notice that uchiko powder is only available bound in a ball) by its handle, and firmly tap the blade all the way along. Depending on the construction of the ball, this will release either a small or large amount of powder, so adjust accordingly. You are aiming for a fine, barely visible even coating along the blade. Ensure that you apply powder to the tang also, as neglecting this can cause rust to `creep' up out of the handle whilst the blades are in storage, which can fast become a serious problem.

Once you have applied the powder, wipe gently, again from tang to tip. If there are any small stains or clouds on the blade from moisture or grease it is a good idea to wipe them away, as the powder will greatly assist in their removal. The powder will also absorb and remove any small amounts of oil left on the blade. I stress that caution is required here, as a small misjudgement in pressure can result in a heartbreaking mess of tiny scratches rather than the clean finish you are after. Repeat with both sides of the blade, and the blade spine.

Do not inhale the powder.

(If oil and powder is not enough to remove debries adhered to the blade, you can use a paper towel wetted with either water or solvents to clean the blade surface. thoroughly dry, and repeat the maintanence process from the beginning).

Apply a few drops of oil along the length of each side of the blade and use a piece of rice paper or cotton cloth to spread the oil evenly over the blade. Be sure not to touch the blade again before resheathing.

Stain Removal & Polishing

1. Stain Removal - Should your sword be stained or show beginning signs of rusting, there are a few things you can do to restore the condition of your blade to its original.

If the stains are light, try using a pencil eraser to see if the stains can be removed. This only works for very very light stainings.

For heavier stains, you will need to use wet sandpaper between 600 and 900 grit (depending on the particular blade) to take off the staining. Sand it wet and parallel to the blade until the stains have disappeared, then dry thoroughly and re-oil immediately.

Should the blade become so corroded that 600-900 grit sandpaper does not work, your blade probably have developed some pitting. Most minor pittings only effect the blade cosmetically, should the pitting be extensive, you may want to consider retiring the blade and find a replacement.

2. Polishing - If you want to give your blade a higher level of polish, there are several things that you can do and several that you should not do.

DO NOT USE A MECHNICAL BUFFING WHEEL - Though this may seem like a quick and simple solution, the cutting edge and niku of the blade can be adversely effected by machine buffing. At minimum, you will take away some material on the cutting edge and dull the blade.... It may not be noticable initially, but it will reduce the cutting ability of your sword. (You will start to notice when your rate of successful cuts diminish.

We recommend a hybrid polish if you absolutely must repolish your sword. This is done by using progressively finer and finer sandpaper (starting from about 900 grit to 1500 grit), wet sanded parallel to the blade on the MUNE of the sword ONLY. Then finally finishing off with light hand buffing using a compound such as Metal-Glo.

Oiling

Genuine swords have a habit of rusting very quickly. In museum displays swords do not appear to rust, but that is because they are frequently coated in archival preservation wax. Although a perfect rust barrier, such wax is highly inappropriate for battle sword use as it impedes easy passage of the blade within the scabbard, an undesirable result for reasons I hope are self-evident. Samurai prevented this by coating their blades in choji oil, which as previously stated is mineral oil mixed with a small amount of clove oil. It should be noted that mineral oil is just as good as choji oil, there is no advantage of one over the other. The prevailing theory for the use of choji oil is that when placed in a ceramic urn as they would have been in ancient times, mineral oil looks extremely similar to cooking oil. Neither carry odour or colour, and both can be used for cooking. The unpleasant surprise comes when we consider that pure mineral oil is sold in pharmacies as a laxative agent; thus the fairly unpleasant scent of cloves was added to the oil to aid easy recognition to prevent certain undesirable after-dinner consequences.
Only a very thin coating of oil is required to protect the sword, but the entire blade must be properly covered. Rust from one spot can creep beneath an inadequate oil coating into the surrounding area. Apply one or two drops of oil to a clean flannel cloth or more tissue paper, and dab along the length of the blade, using more oil where required. Then take the tissue and spread the oil out from those areas to cover the blade in its entirety. Hold the blade up to some light to check for areas you have missed. Remember there should only be a coating of oil, there should be no free-running drops anywhere as they will soak into the scabbard wood and could cause damage. Repeat this procedure for the opposite face of the blade, and the blade spine. It is less necessary to oil the tang, as this may cause blade slippage, but a little around where the handle would meet the blade is a good idea.

Storage
As important as cleaning the blade is how you store it. Once you have fully reassembled the blade, choose somewhere as dark and cool as possible. Avoid moist areas such as airing cupboards or non-insulated attic rooms, especially for long-term storage. If you do not use your blade very often, you may wish to invest in shirasaya mountings, also known as storage scabbards. Shirasaya are without guards or adornments, and resemble plain varnished, shaped wood. They are designed to be taken apart for cleaning but not for combat, as they are simply two halves of wood held together by rice glue. If your blade has historic or expensive furnishings then shirasaya will also help preserve these artifacts, by allowing their safe storage elsewhere and cutting down on the wear and tear of regular dismantling.
If these steps are followed regularly your sword, whatever its origins, will last many times longer than it would otherwise. If you are in possession of a signed blade, a sword made by a recognised smith, it is almost essential that you keep the blade in good condition. If your sword is a historic blade from the Shinto or Meiji periods it could be argued that you are somewhat obliged to take good care of the sword.

Ronin Swords provides Australia with battle ready swords and weapons constructed of quality steel, able to maintain a traditional edge.Ronin Swords has a vast range of swords available. We, at Ronin swords Australia, believe in bringing you the best possible sword blades for the best prices.I have been using swords for over 17 years and I regularly trial and test new swords to determine those that are of a high enough quality to add to our lines. All our swords and weapons are fully functional and my suppliers are world- renowned. Many of these swords have been tested by me and recommended by many others.

My suppliers of Japenese Katana are famous for their quality and I personally recommend them.All Ronin Swords Australia Japanese Katana are fully hand sharpened and well balanced unless otherwise specified. I provide many different styles of Katana and swords to suit all collectors and martial artists tastes.

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