Thanks for your thoughts guys. Learning about the salt and vinegar method was very interesting. I will be adding it to my bag of tricks for sure.
In regards to the authenticity of the piece I am quite confident that it is a true antique example. This form with the stylized guard is well documented and appears to fall under the "later Qing era" category. That being said, its my opinion that this broad designation leaves a lot to be desired in telling the story of this sword and its past. These types of jian have really left me with a lot of questions. Related to their place of origin I have read others say they are from the Longquan area in the southwest part of Zhejiang Province. I have also read others theorize they were used by Chinese gentry as symbols of Chinese cultural identity in a Manchu governed country. As much as I appreciate hearing this and its potential for truth, I have yet to find out what evidence led others to these ideas. Honestly thats just the tip of the iceberg. For me the world of antique Chinese weapons is just one question after another. Of course thats the fun of it.
I am still sitting on the fence on how to move forward with the clean-up. I agree with the other voices that the salt and vinegar method is a big step. I would personally prefer some middle ground between where it is now and the method just mentioned. I have another example I will photograph that is right at the happy medium I like. I will do my best to post some additional pictures of both pieces later today.
In the mean time here are a couple photos of an old jian that someone went all the way on with the clean up. I think it looks pretty nice. If you were to rub your face with your fingers and then rub down the fittings periodically the brass would mellow quite nicely after a couple years.
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