[Stu C]

I'm about to move from Western Australia to Brisbane and need to get my swords packed and prepped for shipping and a possible period of storage (up to a couple of months). I have the original wooden crates that each sword was shipped in (except for one of them for which I need to knock a crate together). My question is really about what to coat the swords in for shipping, bearing in mind I don't know how long they will be stored for and also taking into account Queensland can be quite humid during the summer. I normally keep them coated in Ballistol which works well, but it is fairly light and seems to need regular re-application. I'm thinking that some kind of heavier mineral oil would be better as a coating during shipping/storage. It really just needs to be a reliable barrier until it can be wiped off at the other end. Any advice appreciated!

Stu

[Jody A]

I live in a very humid coastal rain forest and keep my swords coated in Ballistol while in storage in my open wall cabinet (no glass) or in their original cardboard shipping containers. My sharp sword has sometimes gone 4 months without a reapplication, and I've had no problems with rust, even after some visitors have "handled" it with bare hands without recoating it. The reason is that Ballistol doesn't lose its protective capabilities in water, is also mildly alkaline so it neutralizes mild acids such as found in sweat on fingers and hands, and is said to remain stable for 30 years plus. I think you should be ok with an extra coating of Ballistol before you ship/store.

Here's a website with this information and more in it.


http://www.firehawktech.com/v/vspfiles/V4_Backup/b^firearms.asp

[Stu C]