This sword care includes: 1) Brass awl and hammer to easily dismantle the sword (particularly katana) 2) Rice paper for cleaning oil from blade, polishing and spreading oil on the blade. 3) Extra large powder ball to absorb oil on the blade. 4) Bottle of choji oil to prevent rusting. 5) Plastic container to store an oiled cloth. It comes in a wooden box.

Care & Handling of Your Katana & Swords Maintaining your Katana: The scabbard of your Katana is finished in many coats of black lacquer. To preserve the sheen, the scabbard needs only to be wiped occasionally with a very soft cloth. Handle the scabbard only by holding the wrapped section; otherwise fine scratches caused by handling the lacquered sections will dull the finish. Blade maintenance is very important to preserve the finish. The maintenance kit allows you to maintain your blade the same way as original pieces were (and are) maintained. Blade maintenance should be performed at least every three months and any time the blade is touched (skin oil will cause rapid corrosion of fine steels). Blade Maintenance First, use a sheet of rice paper to remove oil from previous maintenance, holding the edge away from you and working very carefully to avoid injury. (Note: if you wish to save the rice paper, a soft cotton cloth may be substituted) Then tap the powder ball lightly against the blade every two inches or so along its length, dusting the blade very lightly with powder. (Note: when using the ball for the first time, you may need to tap the ball against the blade a few times to “start” the powder flow through the fabric of the ball.) Then use a clean piece of rice paper or cotton cloth to carefully rub over the powder to polish the blade. Repeat until both sides of the blade have been polished and the powder is removed. Do not inhale the powder. Apply a few drops of oil along the length of each side of the blade and use a piece of rice paper or cotton cloth to spread the oil evenly over the blade. Be sure not to touch the blade again before resheathing. NOTE: If you have rust, etc - try using a soft buffing wheel with the black compound. You can also go to the auto parts store and get ‘mag wheel cleaner’ (Eagle 1 is a good brand) or use Metal Glo with finegrade steel wool. Remember to gently use the steel wool in a brushing stroke parallel to the grain of the steel (the direction of the lines in the steel). Warning - rubbing in circles or across the grain will scratch the steel. If your sword is not a Katana - look at it carefully to determine the direction of the grain. With some swords, the grain runs from the middle (fuller) towards the sharp edges on both sides.