Hello my friends

Hello my friends
me name is Julien i have a 28y old
im a beginner in this wonderful world of samurai art blade :)
i buy my firts sword from the ww2 on http://www.onihonto.com/Kai_Gunto.html
with Jon .. a really good guy ..
but my question is ..if i want to keep my blade clean and valuable for many years, did the best solution is to goo for a good polish now or just keeping all original gonna be more valuable later
..so just clean the blade 1 time 2-3 month with the oil gonna be ok and i dont have to touch the polish
if i have to polish did you have good place for that in canada quebec ??
i realy love the history of the ww2 and specifically japan
i start my mini collection about 1 years ago and i think this is not fininsh, the are to many good and beautiful piece was made in this period

the website here is were good for a beginner like me for understand the swordsmith and signature of the art maker i love it

thks my friends long live to nihonto club

Best regards

no polish

Hi Julien,
Definitely looks like a better-than-average GUNTOu. I like it.
My recommendation:
There is no reason to polish a blade like this.
It is NOT POSSIBLE to polish this blade in Japan, because with a Seki stamp it cannot be imported through Japanese Customs (it is a "weapon", not "art").
Also, a real polish is Very Expensive ($2000 or more). If someone says they can polish it for much cheaper, they are probably not qualified, and you should NOT let them touch your blade.
Also, polishing a WWII blade will NOT increase its value. The value would actually go down, because militaria collectors want "original condition".

Pete

oil

Regarding oil:
I recommend using a high-quality gun oil.
Why gun oil? Because gun collectors have the same goals as sword collectors: it is a very expensive piece of carbon steel, and the oil must not change the appearance of the metal, or attract dust, or become "sticky", etc.
Do NOT use cheap oil, or vegetable oil, or common "motor oil".
Go to a gun store, and ask "What oil would you use on a Very Expensive Antique gun?". The brand I use is "Break Free" (I use it on my guns, also).
Be sure that you do NOT buy a "gun cleaning SOLVENT" - those have powerful chemicals in them that you don't want.

Some collectors will say that you must use the traditional Japanese-style "choji oil". It is fine to use it, but you should know that it is made of mostly modern oil, with a little bit of choji (clove oil) added to make it smell good. So you're paying a lot for something that is probably not as good as a high-quality gun oil. But it does smell nice :-) .

Use only a LITTLE oil - a few drops on a soft cloth is enough for the whole blade. If you can see droplets of oil on the blade, you're using too much.
For the cloth: I recommend plain, white, 100% cotton flannel. Buy a piece at a fabric store, and cut it into 2" squares. Use each piece only once, and throw it away. Oil only the main part of the blade - do not oil the nakago (tang), or any other metal parts.
For a "real Nihonto", some collectors will say that you must use the traditional Japanese cleaning paper. But white cotton flannel works better, and is much cheaper.

Regarding the saya (scabbard): If you suspect that there is dirt inside it, then it's best to NOT put the blade back into the saya. Traditionally, the saya could be split open and cleaned, but that is very difficult... Remember that anything that touches the blade can cause a rust spot, especially if you live in a humid climate. A saya for a traditional blade only touches the blade at a small spot near the tip - the rest of the blade must NOT touch the wood.

Someday, when you get an older traditionally-made Nihonto, there are some more things that you should learn to take care of it properly. But with a GUNTOu, things are simpler.

Pete

Wow thks for your quick answer

Wow thks for your quick answer Pete and for your precious time that help me soo much
i realy want to improve my knowledge everyday , i dont want too make a mistake before buying or doing someting very bad
i was not thinking that ww2 blade was considering weapon and not art from japanese too :(
sorry about that
thks again
love this area
best regards