Hello,I plan to mount a sword on my wall in my basement study. I don't want to mount it upstairs (non-negotiable).The basement situation is relevant because basements are more humid than upstairs. I run my dehumidifier non-stop downstairs in the room where the sword will go and maintain a humidity of 30%. Will I fuck up my sword if I keep it downstairs or will my dehumidifier work well? I live in a region with relatively low humidity. I plan to apply oil/wax to the blade every now and again (if you have tips please let me know).Thanks. And yes, I know a sword on the wall is chick repellant but Indon't care so no need to tell me.
How humid is it in the basement normally? 30% is relatively dry
>>65027757I think it gets to 50% max without the dehumidifier running
>>65027753coat it in some kind of preservative wax like tool wax or renaissance wax or something and it'll be fine, wipe and renew the coating every 4-6 months, sooner if you notice any rust spots. sword steel isn't that rust prone even at 50% humidity, usually. there are tool steels that are more prone to rust and they live just fine in basements as long as they have some kind of protective coating.
>>65027765and worst case scenario, the rust will be a powdery surface rust that can easily be polished away with any metal polish.
>>65027765Thank you. Might you be able to recommend particular product(s)?
>>65027761You don’t need a dehumidifier to safely store it. Museums store swords at relative humidity of 40-50%
>>65027778Oh damn, ok. That's good to know.
>>65027775specifically, lee valley/veritas (same company) conservator/tool wax, protecTool wax, a silicone lubricant spray like A80, anti-corrosion emitters if it is being stored in a drawer or container, Renaissance Wax is a favourite among blade collectors too. really, even a thin coating of gun oil or gun grease will protect it for 1-2 months before any kind of rust develops.
>>65027790Thanks very much. I plan to display it without the scabbard so I'll look into Renaissance wax
>>65027794without the scabbard, your chances of it rusting at 50% humidity as long as it has a thin coating of anything along those products are next to zero unless it gets splashed with water. most blades I've had rust were due to the scabbard lol
>>65027796Ok.Again, I really appreciate the help. May your blades shine blemish-free for eternity!
>>6502776140-50% humidity doesn't require dehumidifying. If you aren't every going above 50%, you're just wasting electricity.
>>65027790Is there an order in which to apply these products? Like which one goes on first, second, etc.?Also I hear hanging vertically makes the oil descend due to gravity, how will this affect the sword and how can i minimize any issues?
>>65030670do not apply all of them, just one of them will be enough. Clean the sword with isopropyl alcohol or acetone (don't get acetone on anything plastic or wood if you can help it, certainly not on leather or scabbard) or mineral spirits, then apply a thin coating of any of those products, let it sit for a minute, then wipe it with a clean dry cloth. That's it. The next application (1-6 months), you won't even need to wipe it with solvent first, just wipe the oil or grease and reapply, some like renaissance wax will last years.
>>65030874Perfect thanks
>>65027753Ask your mom nicely to let you keep your sword upstairs.
>>65027761Damn man do you live in the desert or something
>>65027753Put some oil on it. There's a lot of good anti-rust oils and even ordinary WD-40 will help a little. >>65027765This.
>>65027765>renaissance waxCan vouch for Renaissance Wax. Only parts on my swords that have ever rusted have been pommels. Which I would typically just clean with a Hoppes #9 gun cloth. Or rust remover pads when they would spot up. Blades and guards all got the R Wax. Without digging out my sword care kit, 1 polishing/cleaning session with Renaissance Wax is good for 6-12 months+ depending on frequency of usage. Mine get a moderate amount of usage and a twice a year polishing seems more than adequate. All you need is a soft linen cloth to apply it. And all you need is a dime to quarter sized "dollop" of wax to treat your blade. Dime Dollop = daggers up to arming or shorter long swordsQuarter Dollop = anything larger than a longer long sword (I.E. great swords, odachi, 2h scimitars, daos, etc)Just factor in the surface area of your blade and any other metal parts you want to apply it to and you should do fine. I've had the same 65ml cannister of Renaissance Wax for close to a decade now and have barely put a dent in it. I had a collection of over a dozen swords and daggers of various sizes and dimensions. I will 110% back Renaissance Wax.
You might not even need to worry about wax. It might be safer if you want to set it and forget it, but if you wanna play around with it every now and again just oiling it down will work. I've never waxed any of my swords and they're all pretty rust free despite heavy use. All I do with mine is wipe em down with an oiled rag every now and again, Hoppes is the oil I use.Pic rel my most heavily used sword that hasn't been wiped down in a few months and just hangs on my wall when not in use
