[Craig Peters]

[Jörg W.]

I remember to have some polish powder (horrible expensive afaik) that i used to polish metal units of analytical apparatus at work. But trying on my precious is kind of risky. I finally need a training sword (to train WMA and maintenance ^^)

It seems like the opinions about WD40 do vary. Maybe I will try 3-in-1, Ballistol or a Breakfree.

[Patrick Kelly]

[Addison C. de Lisle]

To clean my sword I do the following procedure:

1) Rub the entire blade/crosspiece/pommel with 0000 steel wool

2) Windex

3) Nevr-Dull Wadding polish. This comes in a round container, and is filled with cotton that has the compound soaked into it. I have seen this stuff take off some severe rusting on an antique oil can.

3) Wipe off with a paper towel

4) Use Tuf Cloth. This is a cloth that you wipe the metal with, then wipe off again lightly with a rag. I like this better than oil because it's slightly less messy and lasts longer.

This is once a month. After cutting, I only use the Tuf Cloth.

Good luck!

[Jared Smith]

I like to use "gun oil" as it is basically just light machine oil without solvents and cleaners such as in WD-40 and other combination cleaner oils. It is specifically made for storage if one thinks about it. Light and pure grades of similar oils (for guns, clocks, etc.) are fairly pricey, but a little goes a long way.

I routinely allow visitors (wide range with unknown acidity of sweat) to handle the swords (did so yesterday in fact) when showing them off and really do not have any significant rust problems as long as I wipe them with a seasoned rag around once per month.

[Jonathan Blair]

Water Displacement solution, 40th attempt (WD40) is a water displacement solution and as such can arrest the spread of rust. Per the MSDS, it contains 45-50% Aliphatic Petroleum Distillates (aka mineral spirits), 15-25% Petroleum Base Oil, 12-15% LVP Hydrocarbon Fluid, 2-3% Carbon Dioxide, and 10% "Non-hazardous" Ingredients. It has a flash point of 131F and a boiling point of 323F minimum. http://www.wd40.com/Brands/pdfs/msds-wd40_aerosol.us.pdf
It is exothermic in nature due to the aliphatic compounds, but it evaporates very quickly. It also attracts dust which can trap moisture, and because of its high evaporation rate it might leave blades unprotected and susceptible to rust in more humid environments. Mileage may vary.

[Elling Polden]

Time to make people cringe...

Since we use our weapons for sparring twice a week, outdoors except for the wintertime (when its to dark to practice outside in the afternoon), we have a pretty lazis faire relationship to rust.
Your weapons will rust, to some degree or another. A training with rain can leave a unoiled almost completely brown.
Some weapons stand up to rain better than others. Most reach a "stable" state, where they are slightly darkened, but do not get any worse unless it really pours.
Since we see our weapons as tools rather than collectors items, keeping them in pristine condition isn't really a priority.

[Sean Belair]

this my sound strange but are you keeping the sword in the box it came in?
i had allot of trouble with my albion gaddjalt because while i was away i left it in the box. now its out of the box and i havent had any trouble, and ive been handleing it evory day.

[Geoff Wood]

[Christian Henry Tobler]

Hello Ryan et. al.,

I used to use car wax on my arms and armour. It was very protective, but I found the residue left behind in nooks and crannies to be unsightly. Now I use Renaissance Wax, which to me is worth every penny - it dries clear and leaves a very tough protective coating. All my gear is protected with it now and has been rust free for quite some time.

Again, car waxes will work - the Ren Wax just seems to be a cut above.

All the best,

Christian

[Michael Edelson]

Hi all,

I have yet to try Ren Wax, though I've been curious about it for some time, but I have very good luck preventing rust with a simple oil cloth. I keep a saturated cloth in an air tight container, usually a babyfood jar. Every day that I handle a sword, I wipe it down with this cloth. I also have a larger cloth in a bigger jar for armor.

I use Choji oil, because of the smell...it helps me determine when the cloth needs another few drops of oil. When you apply choji oil to a blade, the intensity of the smell tells you how much oil you're actually putting on. You can use any oil this way, of course, but the Choji oil smell is a lot more pleasant than other stuff I've used, such as 3 in 1 or CLP. Although I've had a few instances of light staining when I neglect to oil a sword I've handled, I generally have no problems with rust. For wall-hung display swords, I've found that oiling them once every few weeks is sufficient in my climate. For swords that are handled often, I may wipe them down several times a day, or once every few days, depending on what I do with them. Wiping a sword takes a few seconds and is more fun than bothersome.

About Ren Wax...does it hold up well to handling? And if so, how do you know when it's been worn away? I always thought that Ren Wax was for display pieces that are not handled often.

[Addison C. de Lisle]

I've been storing my Crecy in the box it came in for almost a year now and haven't noticed any problems, but I'm going to stop now....thanks for the heads-up

[Michal Plezia]

To stop my metal items(mainly armour)from rusting I use full syntetic car engine oil (of course brand new not from the engine )But they are items for combat and reenacting not collectible.Anyway I had no problem with long storage-no rust.Only problem is that oil is very sticky and it is necesary to remove dust before use or keep it under cover.

[James A. Vargscarr]

I'm so glad not be be the first person recommending Tuf Cloth in a rust prevention thread for a change - great to hear you're a convert too Addison

Go with Marine Tuf Cloth to be safe, since your rust issue sounds pretty severe. Clean the oil off your sword with alcohol or Windex, then give it a good rub down with Tuf Cloth. Wait for 60 seconds, then rub off the excess with a clean cloth until your sword shines. It'll look and feel like there's nothing there and won't rub off like wax, but you shouldn't see rust forming ever again. Apply a new coat after every hard use. You don't need to remove the old coat before every application, and the protection will build up over time.

If you try the Tuf Cloth, do please post here to let us know how it works for you. I'm convinced that every sword enthusiast having rust issues would use this product if it was more widely discussed. I've yet to hear a bad word about it, and it really is the simplest solution. No mess, no fuss.

[Aaron J. Cergol]

HI,
I heard somewhere that this was done in period-correct me if I'm wrong though.

I heard that they used to use LANOLIN (Spelling?) which is the oil from the wool of a sheep or other like animal. I know there are sources on the web for it I will look some up for you. I've heard of people using it nowadays and having good results. It's the equivilent to a thick oil.

hope this helps,

Aaron

[Steve Grisetti]

[Bryce Felperin]

[Bryce Felperin]

[Addison C. de Lisle]

[James A. Vargscarr]