Back to
Sword Maintenance
How to use this kit
Sword Care: Caution - the blade of your
sword may be extremely sharp and may cause serious injury if used
inappropriately. Make sure that the blade edge is never in a position
where it could injure you or others. Never clean or oil the blade with the
edge toward you. Avoid touching the edge at all times. Use discretion and
common sense when working around others. Only competent adults should use
these types of weapons.
Unsheathing or sheathing the sword:
The blade fits into the scabbard firmly to
avoid accidental unsheathing. Do not unsheathe the blade by simply pulling
the handle and the scabbard apart. Improper unsheathing can result in or
wear to the scabbard throat and is dangerous. To correctly unsheathe the
blade, hold the wrapped section of the scabbard with your left hand (edge
side up) and the handle with your right hand. With your left thumb, push
the guard away from the throat of the scabbard. When the friction
resistance is broken, slide the blade gently from the scabbard, ensuring
the back of the blade, not the edge, contains the scabbard during
withdrawal. This avoids inadvertently dulling the blade and cutting the
scabbard.
To re-sheath the blade, hold the sword in
your right hand, edge up and the scabbard by the wrapped section with the
left hand, making sure that the scabbard is curving in the same direction
as the blade. Carefully insert the tip of the blade into the throat of the
scabbard and gently slide the scabbard and blade together, again making
sure that the back of the blade, not the edge, is in contact with the
scabbard. You will feel resistance when the guard is within approximately
one inch of the scabbard, and slightly firmer push will then be needed to
fully seat the blade.
Always store your sword horizontally with
the edge side up. This prevents the edge from bearing on the scabbard and
preserves the condition of both. If the fit between the scabbard and the
sword become loose through usage, please refer to the care instructions
provided with your sword for details on a refitting.
Contents of the maintenance
sword care kit:
(1) Cotton Cloth
(2) Powder Ball (for applying polishing powder
to blade)
(3) Blade oil
(4) Rice Paper (used to clean oil from the
blade, polishing and spreading cloth)
(5) Brass Hammer (used for removing and
installing bamboo pins in the grip)
Sword care and maintaining your sword:
The scabbard of your sword is finished with
many coats of black lacquer. To preserve the sheen, the scabbard needs
only to be wiped occasionally with a very soft cloth. Handle the scabbard
only by holding the wrapped section, otherwise fine scratches caused by
handling the lacquered sections will dull the finish.
Sword care and blade maintenance is very important to
preserve the finish. The maintenance kit allows you to maintain your blade
in the same way as original pieces are maintained. Blade maintenance
should be performed at least every three months and any time the blade is
touched (skin oils will cause rapid corrosion of fine steels.)
Sword care and blade maintenance:
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.)
Tap the powder ball lightly against the
blade every two inches or so along its length, dusting the blade very
lightly with powder. (Note: when using the ball for the first time, you
may need to tap the ball against the blade a number of times to "start"
the powder flow through the fabric of the ball.) Then use a clean piece of
rice paper or cotton cloth to carefully rub over the powder to polish the
blade. Repeat until both sides of the blade have been polished and the
powder is removed.
Apply a few drops of oil along the length
of each side of the blade and use a clean piece of rice paper or cotton
cloth to spread oil evenly over the blade. Be sure not to touch the blade
again before re-sheathing.
| 
