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Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey
Actually, I sort of half agree with Ariel.
My usual treatment for a keris blade is a thorough drench with WD40, I allow that to dry off overnight, it leaves a very light deposit on the blade, then I paint the blade with sandalwood @ 45% + kenongo @ 5% + medicinal paraffin @ 50%, all these percentages are approximate. Then I wrap the blade in a plastic sleeve. Blades treated in this way will remain protected for years without further attention.
However, if I were to ignore tradition and were to be charged with providing the best protection possible, I would use a high quality modern gun oil + controlled humidity and temperature + storage on glass or perhaps perspex.
The thing about WD40 is that it penetrates:- it gets into the grain of the metal, into places that the heavier oils just don't reach, but sit in little gobs on top of the pore, I've seen this under a microscope, and often it seems that our heavier bodied oils provide their protection by sealing a pore by coagulation over its opening, but not by coating the actual surface of the indentation of the pore.
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Well... I like WD-40 for cleaning and removing old gunk from blades. In a lot of ways it's unbeatable.
But- it has some long term effects that are problematic.
1. It slowly dries and attracts dust, which in turn attracts moisture. Years ago I would use it to coat highly polished hammers after I use them. (I'm a silversmith.) Six months or so later, they were dried and a light coating of rust is in place of the WD-40. I now use RIG gun grease. It's very thick, and I carefully heat the hammer before I put it up and apply it with a brush, or simply dip the faces into the grease. The heat liquefies it and it runs off, cooling into a protective coating that is easily wiped of with a WD-40 moistened rag. But, and I've been at this for about twenty years, if I use a particular hammer that has not been used in a while, the head, while not rusted, has taken on a dark tone. Still polished smooth, but not silvery. Does not affect the surface one bit.
2. Now, since I'm from New Orleans, we had a little event here 9 years ago that most of you might remember. I was deeply involved in restoring flooded objects for years after, including some of my own things. Sword and knife blades that were flooded, (and some were submerged for weeks), that were protected with oil, (any type) did not do well at all. The oil washed away and rust took over, almost to the point of if the blade was not oiled at all. The difference was minimal. Blades, or anything else of ferrous nature, that were hot waxed came out with minimal damage. A cleaning and renewal of the wax was enough. This is not based on a few unique situations, but is how it came out in every situation.
So, I realize that culturally it is traditional to use different types of oils on blades, and for light protection it might be OK. But, for true, almost foolproof protection, my money goes on wax coatings.
I get to work on my own things rarely. (It's a case of the shoemaker's children always going without shoes.)
I wax them, period.