Carrying out the maintenance and cleaning of your weapons in advance is the minimum to be done by its owner. We must clean a katana correctly for better durability.

It is necessary to keep all your equipment in order so as not to affect your training or that of your colleagues because, for example, a strap of the shinai slips or the rubber tsuba bursts due to being dry.

In the case of katana (iaito or shiken for example) it is necessary to keep the sword clean and with the parts well fitted so that there are no incidents related to poor care or some type of rust on the metal.

Thus, to clean your sword, you must have a katana cleaning kit, which contains the following items:

– Rice paper
– Cleaning cloth
– Clove oil
– Uchiko (abrasive powder)
– Mekugi-Nuki (small hammer for disassembling)

Normally this kit comes in a cardboard or wooden box.

Procedure for cleaning (without dismantling)

– First you remove the sword from the scabbard

Then clean the blade (with rice paper or cleaning cloth) to remove oil, dirt and sweat from it.

Then take the Uchiko (abrasive powder) and add it to the blade. Just tap lightly (about 5 applications) along the blade, from the base to the tip and on both sides.

– Now is the time to pollute

Take a new piece of rice paper, place it on the blade so that it takes both sides, now from the base to 1/4 go up with the paper, release the paper and take it to the base again, and repeat the procedure of going up it, but going half way, let go of the paper again and insert it in the base and repeat the process until the 3/4 and then for the last time until the tip.

Attention: Do not pass the paper again, just one sequence is enough. And from that moment on, do not touch it with your fingers so as not to be marked.

– Next step is oil

Again, take a new piece of rice paper, wet it with oil (without overdoing it) and do the process: place it on the blade so that it takes both sides, now from the base to 1/4 go up with the paper, release the paper and take it to the base again, and repeat the procedure of raising it, but going halfway, release the paper again and insert it in the base and repeat the process until the 3/4 and then for the last time until the tip.

– The sheath does not need this procedure

Finally you can take a napkin and dab it (on the outside). Before putting the katana in the sheath again, turn the sheath (without the katana) with the mouth down and tap a few times (not too hard) so that the dirt/dust that is inside falls out. After that you can put away your katana and lock it.

The cleaning of the katana is done!