To allow you to respect the tradition, the Webmartial shop presents you the maintenance of weapons, ancient way in China, still used today by craftsmen of Long Quan. There are five steps : clean (1), rub (2.3), lubricate (4), maintenance of fittings (5), maintenance of scarbard (6).
1. Cleaning the blade of a weapon. Use a cotton cloth, a finette or a piece of deer skin to remove the remaining oil and dust. Then clean the blade with a cotton thread and put a little oil on the whole blade. 3 minutes later, pick up the cotton tissu to clean the blade in the round-trip direction for 30-45 minutes until heated. The goal is to remove surface impurities and trigger chemical reactions of phosphonium and calcium. This action also generates magnetism, which has the effect of filling the "pores" of the blade. This step should be carried out with great concentration.
2. Put a large towel on the table and place the sword on it. Wrap a small piece of wood (about 1 × 3 × 12cm) into a fabric, then rub the blade with the larger fabric surface until it becomes warm. The Chinese call this stage "Pan Jian".
3. Put some powder on the blade and continue rubbing for 15 minutes. The aim is to remove the scratches and increase the rate of contraction of the "pores" of the blade.
To perform steps 2 and 3, you must remain calm. In Chinese culture, it is even considered to be an excellent way of cultivating the body (Xiu Shen 修身) and maintaining vitality (Yang Xing 养 性).
4. It is not necessary to apply oil to the blade for daily maintenance. However, before storing your weapon, a thin layer of maintenance oil must be applied to isolate it from the air.
5. Weapon fittigs are often made of metal such as silver, gold, copper, brass or metal alloy. The majority of the fittings are made of copper or brass, it is especially necessary to avoid metals contact with gas. Hand sweat can cause corrosion. Use a cotton tissu, a finette or a piece of deer skin to clean the fittings.
6. If your weapon has a scabbard, depending on the materials used, we give the different maintenance methods :
1) Wood scabbard :
Always clean the scabbard in the direction of the wood striations at least twice a year. Apply walnut oil to the scabbard in early spring and early fall (frequency depends on temperature and humidity). If you live in a place with a very variable temperature throughout the year, it is necessary, in order to avoid cracking of the wood, according to the old method, to use wax to maintain your wooden scabbard. Here is the method : melt a piece of wax and put it on the scabbard, bring it near the fire and rub it with a cotton cloth in the direction of the streaks of the wood. Keep it away from the fire and continue to clean it until it gets warm and the wax has penetrated the wood.
2) Leather sheath :
Do not put the weapon in the leather sheath to store it. Store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Do not use animal oil to maintain the leather sheath. If you live in a humid place, we advise you to use beeswax.
3) Scabbard covered with fish skin :
Whale fat is recommended to maintain this kind of scabbard.
☞ According to tradition, for a new weapon, sword or saber, for example, it is necessary to carry out maintenance for the blade every day or every 3 days, or at least once a week for one year. In the 2 nd year, maintenance can be done every 15 days. In the 3rd year, the maintenance period can be extended to 25 days and, from the 4th year, to one month. With this method to maintain your weapon, a wonderful purple and green color will gradually emerge from the surface of the blade. You should then continue to maintain the blade for about six months. It will be covered with a thin layer of natural carbon protection, and will not rust. Then the maintenance is complete.
