Removing rust from a sword.

The idea is to prevent rust rather than have to remove it, but if your cutting or training sword already has some rust on it, this needs to be done first. 

1. Wipe your blade carefully with a soft cloth and a little fine mineral oil, to make sure it is reasonably clean.


2. Assuming this is light rust just beginning to form, wrap some 300 grit sandpaper around a sanding block, hold your sword by the handle, with the blade up on a block, such as a wooden board.


3. Stroke the sandpaper in the same direction over the rust spot until it is removed. Try not to go too much beyond the spot of rust to avoid scratching other areas of the blade. If the spot is quite small, you can wrap the sandpaper over the end of a pencil.


4. When the rust is removed, remove the scratches by using a higher grit sandpaper in the opposite dierection ie, if you went down, go across with the next paper, then down with the next higher grade, and then across, etc, until you have polished up to about 600 grit. There should be no evidence of scratches left.


5. Continue this process on any other spots of rust until the sword is clean again.


6. Wipe the blade with methylated spirits or some other rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth. This will remove all traces of old oil and any other dust or dirt from the blade.


7. Use a fine mineral oil or another sword oil on a different soft cloth to recoat the blade.