With proper care and feeding, your Angel Sword weapon will continue to perform as a functional work of art for generations to come. Unlike most modern blades that use stainless steel, blades from Angel Sword are made from high carbon tool steels. When combined with our patented Therma-Cycle processing, the steels we use allow us to boast — and prove — that we make the toughest, high-hardness swords and knives in the world. Alas, our blades can and will rust if they are not given regular love and attention.
Never put a wet or dirty blade back into its sheath, instead, wipe the blade off after each use with a clean cloth. Take care to wipe all fingerprints, water, and dirt from the entire weapon. It is best to keep the blade dry and lightly oiled.
Blade Oiling
Always keep the blade lightly wiped down with oil. We recommend any quality machine oil for this purpose and use 10W40 motor oil (organic or synthetic) available at any automotive store or your local big-box store. Japanese sword oil, available through us or any martial arts supply store, is a bit more expensive but works extremely well. DO NOT use motor oil or Japanese sword oil on a blade that comes in contact with food or drink. Instead, we recommend use of refined clove oil or extra virgin olive oil.
Metal Polishing
Polishing a blade is much like polishing silver to remove the tarnish. We recommend any fine metal polish that is available at your local hardware store. We have had positive experiences with MAAS, Flitz, and Simichrome. Squeeze a small amount of polish on the blade and rub in with fingers or a cloth. The polish will turn dark as it absorbs dirt, oils and tarnish from the blade. Wipe all the polish off until the blade appearance goes from cloudy to a mirror finish. Buff the blade with a soft cloth (flannel or a diaper). Please don’t polish a blued or blackened blade!
Edge Sharpening
The high carbon steels that we use hold and edge for an extended period of time and use. Most of the time a leather strop is sufficient to restore the edge, however, when resharpening is needed please contact us for details. We provide resharpening services for our blades at all three renaissance festivals we attend as well as through our forge and rarely charge more than a beer, two in a rush job, for the job. If you are going to sharpen the blade yourself, please use quality stones. We recommend either a Japanese water stone or an Arkansas sharpening stone. Check with a local martial arts supply store or a local knife shop for availability.
Wooden Hilts and Scabbards
Care for your wooden hilt as you do any piece of fine wooden furniture. The wood dries out with use and must be oiled using a fine furniture oil such as Old English. Do not use furniture wax or any oil containing wax or sealant as these will make the weapon slippery — a very risky venture! Shake some oil onto a soft cloth and lightly wipe down the wood with the cloth. Let the oil soak into the wood and then wipe off excess oil with a clean, dry cloth or paper towel.
Wire Wrapped Hilts and
Decorative Metal Work
Care for your wire wrapped hilts and decorative metalwork as you do for your blade, making sure to remove all of the polish from between the individual strands of wire or in detailed grooves. A soft toothbrush makes a useful tool for this purpose.
Long Term Storage
If a blade is stored for more than a few weeks, do not store it in the sheath. Wipe the blade down heavily with blade oil, wipe the wood down with furniture oil and store in a cool, clean and dry location.
