christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
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Post by christain on Jan 18, 2020 4:28:07 GMT
The title may be a bit confusing. I don't actually USE my swords all that much, but I do cut with them on occasion. When I do, I always clean and oil them---and sharpen---if needed. Then, they get returned to their place of display and basically left untouched. I've gone to fetch one of my swords...for whatever reason...and I KNOW that it was razor-sharp when I last drew it from the scabbard---but it's dull. I have to re-sharpen a sword that I just sharpened only a week/month/year before. Can swords get dull just sitting? Anyone else experience this? Usually it only takes a bit of light work to restore the edge....but WHY? How can a sharp sword get dull by just sitting untouched? Is it sad and wanting attention? --------- This may be in the wrong category, so if need be, Mods, please move it. Thanks.
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Jan 18, 2020 7:06:50 GMT
I have experienced this, and I don't understand it. It has to be either corrosion or abrasion, right? But stropping usually sets things right.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Jan 18, 2020 7:30:58 GMT
Yeah, actually same here. I had my ks52 absolutely shearing sharp and now it's not able to cut paper. Corrosion seems like a possible reason.
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Jan 18, 2020 7:59:23 GMT
That explains why a bronze sword could remain sharp for centuries.
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Jan 18, 2020 8:00:25 GMT
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Jan 18, 2020 8:07:50 GMT
Yeah, I know what you mean. I believe this happens rather to swords sharpened by myself than to swords with still the factory edge. I sharpen them so that I feel ok then put them out after some time and think they lost sharpness. Steel scabbards would explain dulling, but I see this also with swords in leather scabbards. I have no experience with swords displayed without scabbards. The only connection is that I sharpened them before.
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Post by leviathansteak on Jan 18, 2020 9:04:01 GMT
I kinda used to suspect this too.
But im not sure that dulling by itself is possible under good storage conditions. I think its more likely that there are some dull spots that were unnoticed.
The dulling may possibly be due to rubbing on scabbard interiors. Even soft wood core ones can cause a little dulling
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Post by Jordan Williams on Jan 18, 2020 9:17:03 GMT
I never store in scabbard. Too much risk for extra corrosion/wear and tear on my antiques and repro scabbards get tossed in my closet.
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Post by MOK on Jan 18, 2020 9:56:26 GMT
Rubbing against soft materials does also wear on a sharp edge, just not nearly as much as steel would.
That said, I'd be inclined to think it's mostly just that when you go back to a blade after a while with fresh eyes and fingers you're more likely to notice any imperfections.
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pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
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Post by pgandy on Jan 18, 2020 13:58:47 GMT
Christain you did not give any information regarding the scabbard(s). I believe the scabbard can have an effect here. I’ve not noticed dulling with wood scabbards or wood core scabbards. I have not noticed this with leather sheaths although there is some contradiction with these. I use leather to strop the blade and then place it in a leather sheath exposing the edge as it slides up and down the sheath. I have recently begun experiencing dulling. I’ve avoided steel scabbards like a plague until recently when getting into 19th and 20th century swords with their steel scabbards. In 4 days my cutlass went from shaving sharp to barely paper cutting sharp without doing any cutting. The cutlass was new and I “played” with it extensively though. A forum member was kind enough to sell me a leather sheath and frog for it and that solved the problem. I’ve since bought two more sabres with metal scabbards but having learned from the cutlass I am placing masking or blue painter’s tape over the sharpened area before carefully returning the sword and they stay sharp. The other two problem swords recently obtained that weren’t in steel scabbard were the M1913 and CS Backsword. The scabbard of each are not steel but have a steel throat and both swords were dulling on the tip, but not the cutting area of the blade, because I was dragging the tip across the steel throat. I lined the throat of both scabbards with masking tape and modified my draw and return by holding the scabbards vertically and griping the grip between the thumb and forefinger then draw or return carefully, not the way I like but so far no more dulling in that area.
To maintain sharpness and rust prevention I believe Jordan has the correct idea. As for me I am reluctant to follow suite for safety reasons. Having giant exposed razors all over for me is a safety hazard, an accident waiting to happen. Having a sword stand on the floor would be great but I haven’t the space so with a couple of exceptions are wall mounted. Aside from just bumping into one I have earthquakes to contend with. My backsword is over my bed, but sheathed and the bed pulled out just in case. The globe for my ceiling light in the office is no longer. It fell during a quake missing me by a c*nt hair. I’ve never replaced it as the illumination is better and it’s safer this way. Even if they fell and missed whoever was around during a tremor I hate to think of what those keenly sharpened naked edges would look like afterwards.
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Post by Sir Thorfinn on Jan 18, 2020 16:01:38 GMT
I was gonna call BS... But a few quick searches prove the mystery exists, though there are lots of theories. If I've had this happen, i've never noticed, I love sharpening, and have kids who use my sharps on bottles fairly randomly, so I blame kids for dullness. Also, I use ren wax or turtle wax EVERY time after cutting. So its clean then rewax. Perhaps if corrosion is the issue, the wax prevents it. I do know if you think your edge dulled, give it a real close look under magnification for rust etc. Just my .02
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Post by mrbadexample on Jan 18, 2020 17:41:23 GMT
I’ve noticed this too. I suspect corrosion on a scale invisible to the naked eye. The first time I noticed dullness was with pocket knives that I carried in college that rarely had a call for use. After a couple weeks of daily pocket carry but no use, they would be noticeably less sharp. Not dull, but not hair-popping anymore. The only thing I’ve been able to figure is that the relative humidity of my pocket causes micro corrosion.
Anybody here with unscabbarded swords on display in a reeeally dry, inland location? If so, do you have similar dulling?
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christain
Member
It's the steel on the inside that counts.
Posts: 2,835
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Post by christain on Jan 18, 2020 18:36:46 GMT
I guess micro-corrosion could be the answer. Thing is, I keep my swords in their scabbards. NONE of them show a speck of visible rust on the blades. Living in East Texas, where the climate is insanely unpredictable, I can't understand why my swords and armor DON'T rust. Maybe I'm just lucky, because all I use is WD-40 and a rag. My Hanwei Cawood has been hanging in the scabbard in my KITCHEN...hot, humid kitchen...for YEARS, and not a sign of rust. I pulled it out a couple of weeks ago and thumbed the edge. Sharp, but not sharp enough for me. I used a fine grit buff pad and gave the edges a couple of strokes. Hair-splitting again. Maybe I'm just trippin', but it's a strange thing. Razor-sharp today...dull tomorrow. Do Elves come to my house and play with my swords while I sleep? Lil' bastids ...gonna have to set some traps. .........
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Post by Gunnar Wolfgard on Jan 19, 2020 13:42:47 GMT
Well you have something that visits your house for sure, remember these!? Yeah I do. Then I clean the lens on my camera and all gone. Don't need no exodus just a cleaning cloth. But hey put a link to that post I must have missed it. Would like to read the comments.
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Post by treeslicer on Jan 22, 2020 6:25:52 GMT
It's probably more than one thing. Thin edges oxidize faster, and powder away, though you can't see it. The edges on your swords aren't microscopically smooth, but have tiny corrugations which act to increase the surface area exposed to the air. The steel used and the heat treat will affect edge degradation in several ways. And if the edges are ductile enough, a sharp edge can flow away from the apex until it reaches stability. If anyone is really interested, razor sharpen your swords, take photographs of areas on the fresh edge at 200X-500X, then photograph the same areas again a week later. See what happens.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2020 2:04:14 GMT
Well you have something that visits your house for sure, remember these!? Yeah I do. Then I clean the lens on my camera and all gone. Don't need no exodus just a cleaning cloth. But hey put a link to that post I must have missed it. Would like to read the comments. A cleaning cloth drenched in holy water maybe 😂 (Jk) As for sharpness, I find all my knives eventually lose sharpness. But I usually just strop them back up to original sharpness when I can. I'm guessing that it's the scabbard maybe.
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