I'd bet your brother could tell you a lot. There have been many threads about it, but it really depends on the type of metal. If you have stainless steel, there isn't really much to worry about, just keep em dusted and once in a while clean them with windex if you want. I personally apply a coat a WD-40 after cleaning. Now, if you happen to have either high-carbon or some other metal, it would be more likely to rust. In that case, oiling would almost become a nessesity. WD-40 works for most people, but doesn't work quite perfectly when you go away from stainless steel. If you want the best protection, there is this stuff called Renissance wax. Its used by museams, I think you can get it from Blades By Brown. Hope that helps. Good luck with your swords!

How much were they?
Is there any mark or symble on the blade?
do you have any other information about it?
I may not know much about asian weaponry, but im sure with more info someone could help

-wormtongue

Good price for 3 swords, though they are most likly knock-offs of some other brand, if you enjoy them, then im sure it was worth it. I found this about 440 steel...

sword site wrote: 420, 440A, 440B, 440C, 440V, ATS-34 - Stainless steel. Great for kitchen knives, folding knives, etc. Sword-makers such as Gladius and Marto/Martespa of Spain use it a lot. However, they are unsuitable for swords and swordplay re-enactment, namely because of the weak grain boundaries caused by the presence of the chromium, which is used as a grain enhancer and gives it it's "stainless" properties and mirror finish when polished, but makes it more brittle. Chromium and other alloying elements like Vanadium, tungsten, etc. can make steels stainless, fine grained, heat resistant, etc but really add to the problem because you cannot create a beautiful hamon ("cloud pattern") line with these steels. The ones that appear on replicas are ugly acid or electro-etched sine waves! NOTE: Some rip-off companies only put "440 STAINLESS STEEL" on their products, but neglect to say whether it's 440A, B, or C. Since 440C is the most qualitative of the lot, they just say "440" and lean on the popularity of 440C, which is dishonest.

Good thing is that its stainless steel and wont rust like regular steel. If it has a mirror finish, it will be hard for rust to form, and easier to clean aswell (or so Ive heard). Though you should still take care of it. Wipe the blade often, and it might be good to buy a bottle of oil for it, or ren wax like anduril101 suggested. Congrads on your purchas

-wormtongue

Heres the good news! Since your katana's are made with stainless steel, you will not have to worry about rust... at least not for a while. Stainless steel is made to resist moisture and make a hard surface for dust to collect on. But you wont have to worry about that.

The only thing you should be doing, is if someone touches the blade of the sword... you should take a smooth rag or some kind of cloth... spray windex onto the cloth and wipe off the fingerprints. The windex will not harm your blade as long as you wipe the excess windex off...i suggest buff it until it disappears.

Hope that helps!

UC's swords are made of 420 stainless steel BTW

V34 wrote:Please don't ever use this sword for anything except a show piece.
Real shinken usually run in the $700 and up range for a half way decent
shinken. If this was to be used you could get seriously injured. Because
these are made with Stainless steel and cheep fittings they can't stand
any type of abuse, at all! Most real nihonto usually run at about
$15,000.00 to even 100,000.00 All depend on who forges the blade, who
makes the fittings, who makes the saya, Grade of sam'e, and who does
the tsukamaki... Also polishing the blade is usually around $100.00 an inch.

Beining an avid Japanese sword enthusiast I've found that most decent quaility nihonto can be found for 10 grand and less. Still a lot of money for most people. I'm glad my 2 where free. I just got to save up for that restoration.

V34 wrote:A Nihonto or a shinken? They are different. A nihonto has to be made in
Japan by a bladesmith that is certified with the Gov. and Country. It also
has to be made from tamahagane. It also has to be made in all the traditional
manners. Each different section of a Nihonto is made by different people.
Diff. Trades for different parts, Tsukamaki, Koshirae, Nagassa. Its very hard
to buy a Nihonto for 10,000.00. You can buy a HC L6 for like 10,000.00 But
it is not a Nihonto..

Yes, I am talking about Nihonto. I have 2 a Koto period, and a shinto period. they were gifts from my grandfather. As far as price for Nihonto go, check out http://www.aoi-art.com/ they have a great selection.