Swordcare in ancient times and nowadays

[Martin]

Hi all,

 

I was wondering how the good old Samurai treated their swords and what methods they applied to preserve them. Did they always put a thin coat of oil on them like we do nowadays or weren´t their swords so well looked after?

Does somebody have any information on this?

 

In fact I sometimes think that it´s quite difficult to judge if the amount of oil I put on the blade is enough or not. Are there any helpful experiences made by anybody? I presently wipe the blade with an oil soaked tissue and after that I wipe it again with a fresh one. But I still have the impression that there is more oil on some areas than there is on others.

 

By the way the surface of my newest blade shows a rainbow colored sheen after reoiling it. On other swords (in old polish) I couldn´t notice this - so does this maybe indicate a fresh, recent polish?

 

I hope not to have asked too much at once...

 

cheers,

Martin

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

IMHO as early as the beginning of XIII c. the appreciation and consequently the care for NihonTo was already high. Gotoba is quiet an evidence of this :

http://www.sho-shin.com/gotoba.htm

 

Chushingura, that's a mid-Edo product, shows in all its variants that

a rusted blade was linked to a (morally) doomed Samurai. We can suggest that at this time they cared swords the same way we do today,

even if it's debated the level of polishing it was available at that time and so the activities that were visible on the blade.

 

I think that the care of swords evolved during the centuries, but already from the very beginning the golden rules were the same, oil, uchiko, periodical care, respect. I've no evidences of this.

 

Sorry, can't say more...

[Grey Doffin]

The NBTHK/American Branch has a thorough care and etiquette brochure on line that discusses oiling technique. You will find it here: http://www.nbthk-ab.org/Etiquette.htm

Take care, Grey

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

They clearly and correctly state how to deal with elaborated horimono, but I still wonder why they don't highligh that the inside of a Hi should be cleaned the reverse way, from kissaki to nakago, to avoid a change in polishing at the very end of the groove.

 

Am I the only one to be tought to act this way ?