Hi all

In my collection I have (amongst other items) the UC Sting sword (regular stainless steel-edition), UC Helm of Isildur, UC Gondorian Infantry Helmet, and the Aragorn's vambraces made by Windlass Steelcraft (the last mentioned one is not stainless steel unlike the UC products). Most of the items I have had for 2-3 years now, but over that period of time I have not taken as good care of them as I guess I ought to have done. The other night I discovered a few spots of rust on the vambraces. Luckily, there is nothing on the stainless steel-sword and helmets made by United Cutlery.

Because of this discovery that I have made I would like to know how to take proper care of my products.
I know the topic has been discussed before, and I have read some of the old topics, but I would just like to be completely sure what products to use and how exactly to use them so that I do not damage my products.

To make the thread less confusing I will divide my questions into six:

1: I guess that I need to oil my products, especially the non-stainless steel products (i.e. the vambraces), but is it also necessary with the stainless steel United Cutlery-products? As far as I remember the helmets were oiled when I got them, but the sword was not (I think).

2: I have read some of the older posts about the subject and some of the products mentioned are WD40 and Hanwei Sword oil. Which one should I apply to the products in my collection? And can the Hanwei sword oil be used on helmets though it is meant for swords? Or will the more cheaper WD40 be just fine for my products? I just don't want to damage my helmets etc. and the painting on it in any way.

3: How exactly do I apply the protective product to the sword/helmets/vambraces and in what order? (whether it is WD40 or Hanwei sword oil or something else).
Should I spray the oil/WD40/whatever directly onto the sword/helmet or should I spray it onto a soft cloth and then wipe the helmets etc. with the oily cloth? And should I let the oil sit on the helmet/sword/vambraces until my next treatment or should I wipe it off again right after applying it? And should I do something else before/after putting oil/WD40/whatever on?
Basically, I would just like to know exactly how to apply it, from start to finish, and in what order I should perform the steps.

4: The soft cloth – is that some special form of cloth or is it just like a regular one that you would use for housecleaning?

5: If I were to buy the UC scabbard for Sting, would I also need to take care of the few pieces of metal on that?

6: Other things I should be aware of?

Hope you will take the time to answer my questions - thanks!

Hi Simons,

I think you'll find several varying preferences for the care of such items, but here's my take on your questions.

As far as the stainless swords, it is not necessary to put anything on them as they are stainless. They are not going to rust. However you will see what I do in the answer to you other items below.

As for things like the helmets, I suggest a product called Renaissance Wax. It is from England, and is a wax used by many fine museums on all sorts of antiquities. You'll find many here on the Forum who use and swear by it. I also use it on all of my swords, including the stainless ones. I have never done any cutting with my swords. Believe it or not, not even my sharpest fully functional high carbon steel katanas have ever struck anything. Since I do not do any cutting I prefer the Renaissance Wax, as I can apply it once and do not have to worry about cleaning them and re-applying oil every few weeks. As for the stainless swords, I simply use it to keep a nice shine and protect from finger prints, etc. I have the Gondorian helmet, which I used the Renaissance Wax on. You'll find it protects these items long term, as I said, without the need to clean and re-apply regularly.

Another couple of products, both by United Cutlery, are Metal Glo and the Metal Glo Magic Cloth. The first is great for cleaning/polishing just about any metal and the second is touted as having over 1,000 cleaning/polishing uses. A great quick polishing-protecting solution.

A company named Flitz makes a nice kit that containes a polish creme, a cleaner, a wax and a cloth. It is the Flitz Gun/Knife Care Kit.

Should you decide to go the oil method, I ould not suggest the WD-40, as it tends to evaporate. Stick with the sword oils like the Hanwei.

The cloth.... a simple soft cotton cloth will sufice.

The Sting scabbard.... the metal parts are all cast metal and will not require any special care, but if you wish the Renaissance Wax of the Metal Glo would be great protectants.

That's my two cents.......spend it well!

Thank you very much for your answer, Steel Servant!

I've also noticed in some of the previous posts about the subject of rust/maintanence that Renaissance Wax is mentioned quite a few times, so I will definitely try that. I was always under the impression that the helmets were made out of stainless steel, too, but after having read your post I have just discovered that they are not. So I will definitely try and use that product on the helmets!

When applying the wax the the helmets, do I simply wipe of any old wax/oil, then put on the new wax, and then finally buff the wax gently all around the helmets with a soft cloth?

One thing troubles me, though: I went to Wikipedia to read about the wax where it is also mentioned that the wax is used by museums etc. However, it also said: "Wax coatings are known to be susceptible to accumulations of dust and lint. They may also obscure some fine detail.". Now, the thing that troubles me is the "obscuring of fine detail". Is this something to worry about when applying to the helmets (and possibly the Sting sword)?

Once again, thank you very much for your answer!

[quote=""SimonS""]Thank you very much for your answer, Steel Servant!

I've also noticed in some of the previous posts about the subject of rust/maintanence that Renaissance Wax is mentioned quite a few times, so I will definitely try that. I was always under the impression that the helmets were made out of stainless steel, too, but after having read your post I have just discovered that they are not. So I will definitely try and use that product on the helmets!

When applying the wax the the helmets, do I simply wipe of any old wax/oil, then put on the new wax, and then finally buff the wax gently all around the helmets with a soft cloth?

One thing troubles me, though: I went to Wikipedia to read about the wax where it is also mentioned that the wax is used by museums etc. However, it also said: "Wax coatings are known to be susceptible to accumulations of dust and lint. They may also obscure some fine detail.". Now, the thing that troubles me is the "obscuring of fine detail". Is this something to worry about when applying to the helmets (and possibly the Sting sword)?

Once again, thank you very much for your answer![/quote]

hey,

From what I've heard, putting the wax on the sword should be fine as long as you wipe it down afterwords and take the time to get it into the details. As for the helms I am sure a member on here said its better to use a thin coat of oil instead because the wax may build up in the more ornate areas of the helmet because you will find it hard to wipe any excess wax away.

Hope that has helped

The Renaissance Wax can be a bit of a bugger to get polished out to a shine, especially on porous or not so smooth surfaces. The smoother the surface, the faster it polishes out to a shine. Here is what I do when I use the wax, but BE CAREFUL. It's not such a problem on elongated flat surfaces like a sword blade, but on surfaces with shapes, details and pointed or protruding edges you should be careful. I put a large dome style buffing wheel on my cordless drill. after applying, I wipe of the excess wax as much as possible by hand, then run the buffing wheel over it. I usually have the drill set at a lower RPM, the screw driving setting or metal drilling, not on high for wood drilling. Be very mindfull of the direction of the wheel rotation as it could easily grab onto a protrusion, like the ends of the wing feathers on the Gondorian helmet, and bend them. try to run in a direction where it rotates across and away from edges like that, not into it. This will alow you the get any excess wax out of crevaces. Just be patient and take your time. Something with as much detail as those helmets take time and attention, but then you'l never have to mess with it again.

I've never had an issue with it dulling the appearance of surfaces or attracting any dust. I would guess that is cases where the user failed to buff it to a polish and left dull wax buid-up on.

And yes....definitely get all the old oil cleaned off thoroughly or you will have a mess on your hands. You need to be applying the wax to clean bare metal. I find a product like Goof Off works well to clean oils and other residue off. DO NOT use Goo Gone. That is oil based and actually leaves an oily residue.

Hope that helps.

I'm just going to offer my take on these issues.
Let's begin with marketing products; all too often companies make their proclamations of superiority, and they're just selling the same stuff at a higher price.

Stainless steel comes in many different grades, and ALL stainless steel will rust. The highest grades are meant for salt water applications (but still rust). Stainless is very rust resistant because of chrome and nickel added to the steel.

It is true that wax can become a dust collector IF the majority of the product is not polished away (it's the residue that creates this problem). The nooks and crannies issue is easily handled if you use a terry cloth (cotton towel material), or a natural bristle brush, followed by the terry cloth. I highly recommend you use wax wherever leather is adjacent to the metal. Oils can be corrosive to leather. I NEVER apply product directly to the surface I'm protecting, always apply the protectant to the cloth and wipe it on (this gives you control of application).

WD-40 is an anti-moisture formula, it is used by mechanics who spray it onto, and into the caps and rotors of their old fashioned ignition points of their ignition distributors. Ask any machinist who use e xp ensive calibration tools how they keep in their tools in their boxes, and they'll tell you plain and simple, oil is oil, and oil protects all steel. 3 in One household oil will work as well as Hanwei oil at a fraction of the cost.

Renaissance wax may be used by many museums, but Johnson's paste wax will do just fine for these items (again, at a fraction of the cost).

Finally, this isn't rocket science like some will lead yo to believe. I've cared for my car, worked with (and still have) all my raw metal precision tools, and after decades of ZERO usage (stored without climate control), they are not rusting.

+1 on avoiding the WD40. It evaporates very quickly (as does RemOil).

I use Ballistol for lubricating and protecting firearms and works very well.

If you are worried about renaissance wax build up on the intricate metal surfaces, you could always use isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol to clean it off.

Although be careful of some united cutlery products that have a clear coat on them because you would strip the clear coat protection off. For example, The UC Anduril hilt has a clear coat on it. If you use organic solvent on it, you would strip off the protective clear coat. But then again, those parts are already protected from corrosion so you could simply use some hand soap to just wipe it clean.

Thank you all very much for your answers!

Judging from your replies, it seems that both wax and oil could be used depending on the surfare and the amount of details on the surfare, so I have ordered some Renaissance Wax and will likely also buy some kind of oil.

However, there seems to be a bit of a disagreement between Thranduil and Steel Servant as to whether stainless steel will rust or not. My stainless steel Sting stills looks great, though I have not treated it since I got it two years ago, but perhaps I will apply some Renaissance Wax to it, though, just to make sure.

Aragorn: Sorry for my ignorance, but what exactly is a "clear coat" and how do I know if a certain product has this coat?

Simons,

I think Thranduil and I are on the same page, we did discuss it in PM. I agree that some grades of stainless steel will rust. But, the type of stainless you find in most of the UC LOTR swords will probably not, and by that I mean assuming you'll keep yours on display or stored in reasonable climate conditions as most of us do. I doubt you'll be leaving them laying around in the back yard. But, you can't go wrong with putting some wax on them. It will keep them looking nice and shiny, after you clean the blood off of course.

I think what Aragorn is refering to is a simple clear enemel or lacquer. If you were to strip it off, just lightly spray a thin coat on. You can get it at any hardware store. I've actually been thinking of working on that very thing on one of mine. My sword of Isildur has a big ugly thumb print on the pommel that was left on by someone at the factory before the final clear coating. So, it's permanent, under the clear. I was thinking of stripping the coat and thumb print off and spray on a light clear lacquer. I'm just affraid that I might strip off the gold color along with it, and then really have an unsightly mess. Anyone had any e xp erience like this? Would it be safe to try? Thrandy?

[quote=""Steel Servant""]Simons,

I think Thranduil and I are on the same page, we did discuss it in PM. I agree that some grades of stainless steel will rust. But, the type of stainless you find in most of the UC LOTR swords will probably not, and by that I mean assuming you'll keep yours on display or stored in reasonable climate conditions as most of us do. I doubt you'll be leaving them laying around in the back yard. But, you can't go wrong with putting some wax on them. It will keep them looking nice and shiny, after you clean the blood off of course.

I think what Aragorn is refering to is a simple clear enemel or lacquer. If you were to strip it off, just lightly spray a thin coat on. You can get it at any hardware store. I've actually been thinking of working on that very thing on one of mine. My sword of Isildur has a big ugly thumb print on the pommel that was left on by someone at the factory before the final clear coating. So, it's permanent, under the clear. I was thinking of stripping the coat and thumb print off and spray on a light clear lacquer. I'm just affraid that I might strip off the gold color along with it, and then really have an unsightly mess. Anyone had any e xp erience like this? Would it be safe to try? Thrandy?[/quote]
Had to do some hunting so I could remember what Isildur's sword looks like (haven't had it out in two years). Yes, I'd say you're safe on the stripping and recoating of the metal parts of this sword; shouldn't effect the gold tone or gold plated piece in the pommel.

And yes SimonS, Steel is right that with proper environment you need not worry about rust. His statement about leaving it out in the yard is probably what it would take (or a damp basement). Wax it.