Just the other day I used 1500 grit sandpaper to remove the rust from my three Albion swords which had begun to accumulate rust. After having sanded them down, (using water with the sandpaper, but I did frequently wipe the blades clean), I gave them a healthy application of gun oil. However, looking at my swords today, just over a week after I sanded and oiled them, they look as bad or worse than they did before I removed the rust. Any idea why this might be? I live in a semi-arid climate, so humidity is not a significant factor.

Not sure what would be causing it, but try removing the rust with a dry rub down with steel wool, followed by some metal polish, and seal it by wiping with a silicon gun/reel cloth. Thats what I did when I noticed a rusty palm print on the pommel of one of my swords...

I did the same thing on one of my sword and it did not do that and i live in a humid place...what could it be...

Hi Craig,

I suggest that you use car wax next time. I've been using Turtle Wax for a while now and it does a good job at preventing rust.

'Fluid Film', available at John Deere dealers, is the best rust preventer I know of, and I have tried MANY things. It's what I use on my swords and armour, and it can get pretty humid around Albany NY in the summer. I still use 'Simoniz' on the stuff collectors send me to work on, though, since they have that preference.

I sometimes use the grey ScotchBrite with gun bore cleaner. This is a pretty thorough cleaning if you have removed all visibile rust and are still treating it with bore solvent. Keep in mind, the solvent is intended to work on high pressure barrels that may absorb gun powder as deeply as 0.030" into the metal. In such a case, you would normally use it several days in a row on the barrel. Then follow up with a coat of oil when you are sure it is cleaned. Anyway, I have not had the problem of the rust comming "roaring back" in short periods.

I do live in a humid SouthEast U.S. climate where condensation is dripping off the household windows in the early morning hours..

I use 3M sanding pads or a rust eraser followed by a good polish with a good metal paste polish. Then I coat liberally with Renaissance Wax. I've been doing it for awhile now and have had little or no problems. I find that what the sanding pads and rust eraser miss, the polish tends to catch. It also makes it look nicer after the sanding.

Our Renaissance Faire guild does demos and lets patrons hold some weapons a lot, so cleaning and waxing after every faire becomes second nature to me after awhile. In the end, it's just like cleaning your guns after firing them. ;-)