What you are most likely seeing is not dirt but a coating of old varnish applied by a previous owner. If you look closely right above the rattan you will see a small darkened area left from where I had sealed the rattan from the exposed antler before I removed the varnish from it. The entire sword was covered in a thick coating of it when it first arrived. I removed it all from the blade as well but was leery of trying to remove it from the woven section of the hilt for fear of causing damage to either the rattan or resin. If you could possibly recommend a safe way to remove it without causing any damage I would be very grateful for the information.
Best,
Robert
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