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Old 1st October 2019, 11:09 PM   #21
Philip
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ariel

In our ( collectors) case, storing swords within their scabbards invites rust.

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Hi, Ariel

A debatable point. You can't convince the Japanese sword crowd of that, haha.

In my experience, keeping blades clean and oiled inside well-fitted scabbards with clean interior channels (i.e. no accumulated gunk or even deposits of old rust) is the best.

It is important that if made of wood, that the body be made of a timber that is as acid-neutral as possible. No pine or coniferous timber (due to the acidity of sap which those woods are prone to holding in their cellular structure even after a long time) or oak (high in tannic acid). Deciduous woods of species along the lines of alder, poplar, magnolia, etc. are fine, and their relative softness will not scratch or dull the edge. It seems that a lot of traditional cultures realized this. Not only the Japanese, who came to regard the magnolia ( ho -no-ki ) as ideal.

Note that the Mughals also had the concept of a shirasaya or resting scabbard, as Stone comments on in his Glossary, and supported by the large number of Indian swords seen in cloth covered sheaths without metal fittings for wearing, or field use.

The one type of scabbard that seems to be an unfailing rust magnet for blades is the one made entirely of leather. The tannic acid used in the processing of hides in most cultures is responsible. I would not store blades for any extended period in such sheaths.

With any type of scabbard, a blade is best preserved with a protective coating. Some guys like Renaissance wax, which is fine. Others stick to oil (my preference are the Japanese magnolia or clove oils made specifically for blades, I use it on any blade that is "in polish" or etched to reveal watering, no matter what the culture). A little bit goes a long way, it it has a fragrant smell, and it protects for a long time without affecting the wood.
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