garbage finds

Noted. I will take a very gentle, non-rubbing, no brush, mostly dry dabbing approach to cleaning the tsuka-ito. Inspecting as to look for possible damage. Less is more in this case so that it is better to leave it more dirty than clean as a professional restoration would be ideal so, don't screw up anything that can't be undone. If you think about it this sword made it through a war, a transit to America, 80 years of who knows but likely storage as the blade is undamaged, the compaction unit in a garbage truck, and a large loader grapple. It was 40 feet away from a industrial sheer shredder and it will now be placed on the wall of a conference room. This sword is a survivor! This has been a great response from a passionate community of individuals and I greatly appreciate all the information and history you have so kindly provided. I will take some before and after pictures of the cleaning and provide an update. Thank you all again! Jeff

10-4, NO steam cleaning! I guess my biggest concern for cleaning wasn't with the blade so much as the handle which was damp and stinky when it came in. Again, I fully understand this is not an artifact, but for display purposes as an educational piece on the valuable items we find in the trash, it would be nice if the handle and scabbard were detailed somewhat. Garbage juice can be corrosive and is certinly invasive to nooks and crannies. Would the isopropyl alcohol be ok to use on the handle?

Wow! Thank you all so much! The history aspect holds the most value to me, I will never stop being amazed at the things people put in their garbage can and throw away. The problem now is should I try to clean it with maybe a steam cleaner, because it has garbage juice on it, sad fact. We have a conference room that I would like to put it in with some of the history that you have kindly provided.

Hello, Thank you to whomever can provide additional information. This was found today at our garbage site. We get swords from time to time, most are just newly made junk but this one certainly feels different. Total length is 35 1/8" and blade is about 26 1/8". Can anyone provide additional information in terms of history or value?