@Fangeroo Leave the oil on the blade, don't wipe it off. The oil forms a protective coating which prevents oxygen from causing the blade to rust, so you want to make sure that it stays on, lol.
@Jimaera Also why do people take off the handle part and clean the sword?I've watched a video where a guy takes off the handle part,cleans the sword,and puts the handle back on. Why do people do that?
@Fangeroo Because the part of the blade that goes through the tsuka is made of steel just like the rest, and is just as susceptible to rust. If you don't clean it periodically it will start to rust over, which is basically... uh... bad, lol
@Jimaera But he didn't clean it.... He just took off the handle, cleaned the sword (NOT THE HANDLE), and put it back on. How are you supposed to clean it anyways? With a napkin or something lol....
@Fangeroo Lol... all I can think is that he probably forgot. Either that, or he was just showing how to disassemble the tsuka. You clean it the same way you would clean the sharp part of the blade- wipe it down, apply uchiko, wipe it down again and apply new oil.
@MrRyanhancock1234 Lol, sorry to say I don't live in Canada... I would suggest doing some digging online to see if there's a dojo near you that offers shinkendo or iaijutsu. The sword in this video was made by a Chinese smith who specializes in traditional Japanese forging techniques.
Do you live in Ontario by any chance? I need a someone to teach me the sword, I know a little ninjitisu and I teach yoga, I just bought my first katana! :)??/
@GameCritic101 Never, ever use isopropyl or any other rubbing alcohol on a blade. It's a solvent and will corrode the metal. If you're on a budget, you're better off picking up a cheap bottle of mineral oil at your local pharmacy and using that.
How often do i need to clean my sword? BTW thanks for the video. May i ask how much your sword is, because i found a sword like your except the design of the guard.
@RaizoFlyer24 How often you should clean it depends on how frequently you use it. If you're slicing up tatami targets on a daily basis you'll want to give your sword a quick wipe-down with the oilcloth after each use. A more thorough maintenance should be done once every month or two. If the sword is spending most of its time in storage, a full maintenance (taking apart the tsuka and cleaning the tang, etc.) every three months with an extra-thick coating of oil will suffice.
@khaizerklet No, not just any kind of cooking oil- you need to be careful that it has a neutral pH or else it will corrode your blade. I don't know off the top of my head which types of kitchen oils are suitable; generally ANY kind of oil used for cooking would be a last resort for maintaining a blade. Mineral oil is just as cheap at most pharmacies; that would preferable if you can't afford one of the variants specifically meant for steel.
@mightyfinesliceofpie As close to neutral as possible. Water has a neutral pH when it doesn't contain impurities, but a pH of 7 doesn't necessarily mean a substance is water. The point is that coating a blade with anything too acidic or too alkaline will corrode the metal, so it's important to be sure the oil you're using isn't corrosive.
Look, I'm a sword noob and have no idea what I'm doing, so somebody please help me out.
Can any kind of oil work, (because you can use almost any kind of oil for whetstones when you sharpen stuff) because I have none of that shoji oil (I probably misspelled that) and I get the feeling my sword needs maintaining.
@OutlawSprocket Depends on the sword. If you have one of those stainless steel $15 eBay ones, no oil is required. You need oil for anything made of high-carbon steel (which a good-quality sword should be). There are a few different kinds of oil you can use- choji is the best quality but most expensive. There are also a number of generic products marketed simply as "blade oil" which are the cheaper baseline. I've even heard of people using vegetable oil, lol, though I'm not sure I'd do so myself.
I have the kind of oil what is used to keep trombone slides slick, it's not vegetable oil but it isn't choji oil either. But I'm also not entirely sure what quality my sword is. I don't think it's stainless steel but I honestly have no way of knowing. I didn't get it on eBay but bought it in a pawn shop. Maybe the guy who owned it before me got it on eBay. (That would suck) I did own a stainless steel sword earlier and it actually said "440 stainless" on the blade. (cont.)
LOL, good point, please be a voice actor, you've got a really 'main character' type of voice. I think you'd make a perfect dub in jrpgs~ if you're into them
@FrancisHallelujah Lol... seriously? I love 'em, lol, and several other people have told me I sound like a "main character." Is this some kind of conspiracy? XD
@FrancisHallelujah Haha, thanks XD Let's see... you should follow the procedure described in this video once a month or so- maybe twice or more if your sword is getting a lot of heavy use. There are several alternatives to choji oil; you can get what's simply called "blade oil," which is a cheaper and usually synthetic alternative, and you can also use normal mineral oil or even gun oil if that's all you have, lol.
Great tutorial! My husband just got Japanese sword and was interested in maintaining it properly, and you provided a great video for that! Loved the music too :)
Good and all, except you should really pick some different music, haha. Soft core Porn music sort of makes the "Oiling the katana blade" part a little too....well....AWESOME!
Wait, at the end when you put on your Choji Oil, do you wipe off the excess? Or do you just leave it and put it back into the scabbard?
Fangeroo 3 weeks ago
@Fangeroo Leave the oil on the blade, don't wipe it off. The oil forms a protective coating which prevents oxygen from causing the blade to rust, so you want to make sure that it stays on, lol.
Jimaera 3 weeks ago
@Jimaera Also why do people take off the handle part and clean the sword?I've watched a video where a guy takes off the handle part,cleans the sword,and puts the handle back on. Why do people do that?
Fangeroo 3 weeks ago
@Fangeroo Because the part of the blade that goes through the tsuka is made of steel just like the rest, and is just as susceptible to rust. If you don't clean it periodically it will start to rust over, which is basically... uh... bad, lol
Jimaera 3 weeks ago
@Jimaera But he didn't clean it.... He just took off the handle, cleaned the sword (NOT THE HANDLE), and put it back on. How are you supposed to clean it anyways? With a napkin or something lol....
Fangeroo 3 weeks ago
@Fangeroo Lol... all I can think is that he probably forgot. Either that, or he was just showing how to disassemble the tsuka. You clean it the same way you would clean the sharp part of the blade- wipe it down, apply uchiko, wipe it down again and apply new oil.
Jimaera 3 weeks ago
This was great, thanks :)
DoncasterBoy 3 weeks ago
p.s. that is a beautiful peice of steel! its japanese I gather?
MrRyanhancock1234 2 months ago
@MrRyanhancock1234 Lol, sorry to say I don't live in Canada... I would suggest doing some digging online to see if there's a dojo near you that offers shinkendo or iaijutsu. The sword in this video was made by a Chinese smith who specializes in traditional Japanese forging techniques.
Jimaera 2 months ago
Do you live in Ontario by any chance? I need a someone to teach me the sword, I know a little ninjitisu and I teach yoga, I just bought my first katana! :)??/
MrRyanhancock1234 2 months ago
what if i just use rubbing alchohol and some paper towels and clean it in 1 go.
GameCritic101 2 months ago
@GameCritic101 Never, ever use isopropyl or any other rubbing alcohol on a blade. It's a solvent and will corrode the metal. If you're on a budget, you're better off picking up a cheap bottle of mineral oil at your local pharmacy and using that.
Jimaera 2 months ago
How often do i need to clean my sword? BTW thanks for the video. May i ask how much your sword is, because i found a sword like your except the design of the guard.
RaizoFlyer24 2 months ago
@RaizoFlyer24 How often you should clean it depends on how frequently you use it. If you're slicing up tatami targets on a daily basis you'll want to give your sword a quick wipe-down with the oilcloth after each use. A more thorough maintenance should be done once every month or two. If the sword is spending most of its time in storage, a full maintenance (taking apart the tsuka and cleaning the tang, etc.) every three months with an extra-thick coating of oil will suffice.
Jimaera 2 months ago
Your voice is easy to listen to, good information too, nice job mate, nice blades
mrshredstarZ 3 months ago
The hamon on your weapon is quite beautiful.
MrFrost227 3 months ago
can i clean katana using cooking oil?seriously
khaizerklet 3 months ago
@khaizerklet No, not just any kind of cooking oil- you need to be careful that it has a neutral pH or else it will corrode your blade. I don't know off the top of my head which types of kitchen oils are suitable; generally ANY kind of oil used for cooking would be a last resort for maintaining a blade. Mineral oil is just as cheap at most pharmacies; that would preferable if you can't afford one of the variants specifically meant for steel.
Jimaera 3 months ago
@Jimaera ohh thank you sir.so this Mineral oil is available at pharmacies. thank you sir.
anyway. i really like your katana =)
khaizerklet 3 months ago
@Jimaera a neutral PH falue(7)? isn't that water?
mightyfinesliceofpie 2 months ago
@mightyfinesliceofpie As close to neutral as possible. Water has a neutral pH when it doesn't contain impurities, but a pH of 7 doesn't necessarily mean a substance is water. The point is that coating a blade with anything too acidic or too alkaline will corrode the metal, so it's important to be sure the oil you're using isn't corrosive.
Jimaera 2 months ago
@Jimaera Thank you very much ^^
mightyfinesliceofpie 2 months ago
Look, I'm a sword noob and have no idea what I'm doing, so somebody please help me out.
Can any kind of oil work, (because you can use almost any kind of oil for whetstones when you sharpen stuff) because I have none of that shoji oil (I probably misspelled that) and I get the feeling my sword needs maintaining.
Please help someone.
OutlawSprocket 4 months ago
@OutlawSprocket Depends on the sword. If you have one of those stainless steel $15 eBay ones, no oil is required. You need oil for anything made of high-carbon steel (which a good-quality sword should be). There are a few different kinds of oil you can use- choji is the best quality but most expensive. There are also a number of generic products marketed simply as "blade oil" which are the cheaper baseline. I've even heard of people using vegetable oil, lol, though I'm not sure I'd do so myself.
Jimaera 4 months ago
@Jimaera
I have the kind of oil what is used to keep trombone slides slick, it's not vegetable oil but it isn't choji oil either. But I'm also not entirely sure what quality my sword is. I don't think it's stainless steel but I honestly have no way of knowing. I didn't get it on eBay but bought it in a pawn shop. Maybe the guy who owned it before me got it on eBay. (That would suck) I did own a stainless steel sword earlier and it actually said "440 stainless" on the blade. (cont.)
OutlawSprocket 4 months ago
@Jimaera My new sword doesn't say stainless steel on the blade but I still have no way of knowing what it's made of.
(Sorry, I'm probably bugging the hell out of you.)
OutlawSprocket 4 months ago
great stuff man just got one on the weekend this video really helped XD
GREATJOJOMAN 4 months ago
thank you it really helped alot
acookiegodd 6 months ago
This is a cool video, very clear and helpful, but I was looking specifically for handles, but I know how to take care of blades now.
RyanTheEpic 8 months ago
LOL, good point, please be a voice actor, you've got a really 'main character' type of voice. I think you'd make a perfect dub in jrpgs~ if you're into them
FrancisHallelujah 9 months ago
@FrancisHallelujah Lol... seriously? I love 'em, lol, and several other people have told me I sound like a "main character." Is this some kind of conspiracy? XD
Jimaera 9 months ago
@Jimaera XD you should audition for some roles!
few more things, how often should I maintain the sword? and is there alternatives besides using that shoji? oil?
FrancisHallelujah 9 months ago
@FrancisHallelujah Haha, thanks XD Let's see... you should follow the procedure described in this video once a month or so- maybe twice or more if your sword is getting a lot of heavy use. There are several alternatives to choji oil; you can get what's simply called "blade oil," which is a cheaper and usually synthetic alternative, and you can also use normal mineral oil or even gun oil if that's all you have, lol.
Jimaera 9 months ago
@Jimaera Alright, Thanks! You've been a big help!
FrancisHallelujah 9 months ago
hmm.... i should really start talking care of my sword..... so where can i buy a kit like dat >.>?
pinkflowerbaby56 9 months ago
@pinkflowerbaby56 I'll put a link in the description for ya.
Jimaera 9 months ago
@Jimaera and one last thing... r u a voice actor? O-o cuz u sound like one xD
pinkflowerbaby56 9 months ago
@pinkflowerbaby56 Lol... no, but I've always thought it might be a fun profession.
Jimaera 9 months ago
Great tutorial! My husband just got Japanese sword and was interested in maintaining it properly, and you provided a great video for that! Loved the music too :)
dadsgirl99pr 10 months ago
@dadsgirl99pr Thanks, glad you found it helpful! :)
Jimaera 10 months ago
Good and all, except you should really pick some different music, haha. Soft core Porn music sort of makes the "Oiling the katana blade" part a little too....well....AWESOME!
yachainaenterprises 11 months ago
Thanks for the tutorial... I'll have to remember that if I ever buy a Japanese sword of any kind... I've always really liked Katanas ;)
MANNY100123 11 months ago
I was looking for a video like this. Your tutorial on sword cleaning was very thorough. Thank you for sharing.
NinjutsuLives 11 months ago
@NinjutsuLives Glad it helped :)
Jimaera 11 months ago
"i don't use it too often, the yakuza prefer guns now so yeah" lol
dramsted 11 months ago
@dramsted Lol... and hired thugs!
Jimaera 11 months ago