Restoring a rusty sword.

How to clean up a sword when it’s already too late.

You will need:

• Sandpaper in various grits from 150 - 600


• A sanding block


• Methylated spirits


• clean rags


• Several patient hours

Use a heavy grade of sandpaper - perhaps 150 grit if the blade is in a real mess. Stroke down the blade until most of the heaviest rust is removed. This will leave scratches on the steel as well as cleaning off the rust. Then take the next grade of sandpaper - 250 grit, and stroke across the blade until the rest of the obvious rust is removed and the scratches down the blade have all been removed.

You now have an almost rustless blade with smaller scratches going across the blade but no deep ones going down. Keep using the sandpaper in progressively higher grit numbers. Alternate stroke directions with down and across. The higher the number on the paper, the finer the grade. The reason for alternating stroke direction with the next level up is to remove the previous scratches until the grade is fine enough for it not to matter.When you get to about 500-600 grit, stop.

When the blade is clean and as shiny as the day it was forged, clean it off with methylated spirits and a soft rag. let it dry. Put a small amount of Renaissance wax on a soft cloth, and rub it all over the steel. Don’t make it too thick, or that will gunk up your scabbard as well.

Leave the wax to set a bit and then take another soft cloth and polish it. It’s as easy as that. You won’t have to rewax it every time you touch it. Renaissance Wax is the most practical modern solution I’ve found for swords that are touched often and used against steel.

Finding equipment

It’s easy to get Renaissance wax. It’s used for preserving things in museums. Type it into your search browser and you’ll find it.

Sandpaper in various grits can be obtained from big hardware stores, specialist woodworking suppliers, or (where I got mine) specialist car shops. They use it for detailing and polishing paint jobs. This is where you will find the finest grades if you want to highly polish a collection sword.

Methylated spirits - any hardware store or department store.

Good luck in your restoration.