How to Care for a Display Sword, Axe, Spear or Shield

A display piece needs very little looking after, but it does need some. Most of the damage a sword, axe or spear suffers on a wall comes from three things: fingerprints, damp and neglect. Ten minutes every few months keeps all three away. Here is how.

Handle it the right way

• Treat every blade as sharp, whether or not the edge has been sharpened.
• Hold it by the grip, and support the blade with a soft cloth rather than your bare hand.
• When you wipe a blade, wipe from the spine towards the edge, never along the edge with your fingers. Cut-resistant gloves are cheap and worth having.
• Keep it out of reach of children, and put it back on its mount when you've finished.

Wipe away fingerprints

Skin leaves behind moisture, salt and oils, and on bright metal a fingerprint can turn into a mark within days. Every time a piece has been handled, wipe the metal over with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. That single habit prevents most problems.

Keep a thin film of oil on the metal

A very thin coat of oil keeps moisture off steel. Put a few drops on a cloth, wipe it along the blade and over any bare metal fittings, then wipe off the excess — you want a film you can barely see, not a sticky layer that collects dust.

• Use a light mineral oil, a purpose-made sword or gun oil, or a microcrystalline wax.
• Avoid cooking oils: they can turn rancid and gummy over time.
• Re-oil every two to three months, and more often in a damp room or a coastal home.

Watch the humidity

Damp is what turns a mark into rust. A room that's comfortable for people is usually fine for a sword; a cold outside wall, a basement, a bathroom or a kitchen is not. If a piece lives in a display case, add a sachet of silica gel and change it when it's spent. If you store pieces away, wrap them in a dry cloth rather than sealing them in plastic, which can trap condensation against the metal.

If you find a spot of rust

Light orange surface spots are common and easy to deal with if you catch them early.

1. Put a little oil on the spot and let it sit for a few minutes.
2. Rub gently with a soft cloth. If that doesn't lift it, use a very fine abrasive — 0000 steel wool or a non-woven polishing pad — with light pressure, working along the length of the blade.
3. Test on a small, hidden area first. Etched, darkened or patterned blades can lose their design if polished hard, so on those go gently and stop as soon as the spot is gone.
4. Wipe clean, then re-oil.

Deep or spreading rust, or any doubt about a patterned or coloured finish, is a job to ask about before you start. Message us and we'll help.

Scabbards and sheaths

• Don't store a blade in a leather scabbard or sheath for months at a time. Leather holds moisture against the metal; display the blade out of the scabbard, or take it out and check it regularly.
• Clean leather with a barely damp cloth and let it dry naturally, away from heat.
• Every so often, work in a little leather conditioner to stop it drying out and cracking.
• Keep wooden scabbards dry, and dust them with a soft cloth.

Grips, fittings and wooden handles

• Cord and leather grip wraps should be kept dry. Don't soak them; if one gets wet, let it dry slowly at room temperature.
• Gold-tone, brass-tone and silver-tone fittings are often a finish over another metal. Wipe them with a soft cloth only — metal polish and abrasives can wear the finish away.
• Wooden handles and spear shafts benefit from an occasional wipe with a little furniture wax or oil, buffed off.

Shields

• Hang a wooden shield away from direct sun, radiators and damp walls; wood moves with heat and humidity.
• Dust carved detail with a soft, dry brush. Don't use water or household sprays.
• If the wood looks dry, a thin coat of clear furniture wax, buffed gently, brings back the finish.
• Check the hanger and the wall fixing once in a while.

A care routine that takes ten minutes

1. After handling: wipe the metal with a dry cloth.
2. Every two to three months: check for spots, re-oil the metal, dust the wood and leather.
3. Twice a year: condition leather, wax wooden handles and shields, and check every wall fixing.

Hanging a new piece? Read how to display a sword at home, or browse the whole collection.