Katana Sword Cleaning Guide. Sword maintenance tips and bad ideas. How to clean a Japanese samurai sword properly. Saya cleaning tips.
Katana sword cleaning
Katana has to be inspected on a regular basis to prevent rust. Here is a short katana cleaning guide helping to understand blade cleaning basics.
Katana cleaning set contains:
Uchiko: cleaning powder ball. Silk ball filled with natural finish stone (Awase Toishi) in a powder form.
Choji oil: Blade oil.
Nuguigami: Rice paper used for removing old oil and dust.
Soft cloth is used to create a thin oil film on the blade.
Mekugi nuki: Brass awl and peg hammer. It is used for mekugi removal to dismantle handle.
Katana blade cleaning guide
1. Remove your katana sword from saya (sheath) and put saya aside.
2. Hold the katana carefully. Put away your fingers out of its edge. Use cloth or paper to protect your hands from an injury and protect the katana from touching it by your fingers.
3. Clean off the old oil and debris by the rice paper.
4. Use Uchiko to tap powder along the length of the blade to create a thin film of powder. Do it every 1-2 inches.
5. Use an another rice paper to clean the powder. Do it softly.
6. Inspect the blade.
7. Repeat the process if necessary.
8. Use eye dropper to place oil drops along the blade on the both sides. You can also use a pen if you have no eye dropper.
9. Use a soft cloth to create a thin oil film along the blade. It protects the blade steel from oxygen causing the corrosion.
10. Put the katana back into saya.
It is better idea to store your katana horizontally than vertically. If you store the sword vertically the oil film ends in an oil pond in the bottom part of saya.
If you have no original choji oil you can use a normal gun or machine oil.
Sword cleaning frequency
Oil film protects katana blade from rust. Rust is caused by oxygen which is presented in water (cutting PET bottles filled by water), in the air etc.
It is recommended to clean the katana blade every few months if you store it properly. Do it more often if you live in a humid area. Katana has to be inspected and cleaned after each cutting. Cutting PET bottles filled by water is not the best idea for your sword.
Be careful if you cut living branches as hazel tree etc and do not foget to celan your sword then.
Saya cleaning guide
1. Remove the dust from saya by a soft cloth.
2. Potect the laquered say by vax from outside.
3. Put a fine cotton cloth on a long piece of steel and clean the saya from inside.
A common saya is well protected by many layers of a laquer. The problem usually comes from inside. The saya soak up the oil from katana blade. It is a good idea to substitute your say after some time.
Katana cleaning: Bad ideas
Do not use an aggressive chemicals to clean your katana blade! It can remove dirt easily but it can also speed up the corrossion process.
Do not clean your katana if you are distracted, ill or even drunk! It needs precission, focus and patience.
The blade and tips are very sharp so do not hold blade in your hands. Use cloth to hold the blade to prevent an injury or put it on a table or on the ground. Try to protect its tip by using an another cloth or paper.
Do not even try to polish or sharpen your blade with an abrasive sharpener.
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