Best way to keep carbon steel swords looking great?
cry_wolf asked:
I Have a pretty extensive weapons collection. I mostly have 14-century replicas, axes,swords,daggers,flails, crossbows ect. Anyway I use WD40 to keep my carbon steel swords and axes from rusting. It leaves it abit sloppy and can become abit drippy. Is there anything you'd recommend thats better?
Tags: sog knives, samurai swords, fantasy sword, movie sword, utility knives
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:38 pm
You could try a thin smear of silicone grease, which is clear and water repellent, or a quick wipe with chainsaw bar oil, which can spread thinly but sticks to the surface really well. But in the old days they used elbow grease and plenty of it, burnishing the surface until it was gleaming.
January 5th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Lightly coating them with Vasoline might be an idea.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Yes.
Take the blades to a local gunsmith and have them hot blued.
Then use a thick motor oil over the bluing.
If you’ve never seen swords with blued blades, you’re really missing out.
What a great look!
If you then neatly sharpen the edges back to bright,
the two-tone effect is even more stunning.
January 9th, 2009 at 6:00 am
All of the answers above are adequate, though I wouldn’t recommend the bluing process for anything really old or anything that is not made of fine high-carbon steel, which many replicas are not- they are low-carbon, cheaper mild steel alloys.
What you should use is what the experts and museums use- It’s called Renaissance Wax. It polishes and protects and is the best product out there for what you’re looking for.
Look here:
January 11th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Get some little kids to lick them, their saliva will do wonders….
xox
January 12th, 2009 at 9:54 am
i would suggest a oil based polish every couple of weeks or so. That should leave a thin protective layer as well as leaving them looking shiny.
Or little kid’s saliva