The edged items you receive from Global Gear are all tools. Like any tools, they require responsible use, care, and maintenance.
DO NOT swing any edged weapon carelessly. Remember, many of these are real weapons and must be treated with the same respect you would give a loaded firearm. The correct use of any weapon is a skill that requires very specific training and, if used without such training, can cause damage to the weapon, as well as serious injury to either yourself or bystanders. DO NOT attempt to replicate moves seen in movies or martial arts settings without prior training.
DO NOT attempt to cut, hack, slash, or chop anything without specific training. Highly trained martial artists make using weapons seem very simple when, in fact, it is anything but. Incorrectly attempting to cut any sort of target can result in serious injury to yourself or bystanders, as well as serious damage to your weapon.
DO NOT attempt to cut, hack, slash or chop anything that the weapon was not designed to handle. Swords are not designed for cutting down trees or pruning your garden, regardless of how many internet videos you may see to the contrary. If you wish to prune your garden, by a machete.
DO NOT attempt to use a “display” weapon for practical application. Display weapons are not made to withstand the rigors of practical application, martial arts karta, or live cutting exercises. Using a display weapon in this manor will almost definitely damage the weapon, and can potentially cause serious injury when the item fails. If you are unsure if a particular item is considered a “display” item or a “practical” item, please contact us before using it.
DO NOT bang edged weapons against each other in a theatrical-style duel without prior training. No matter how tough or strong any weapon is, it will be damaged when struck against something equally hard. In stage plays or in movies, theatrical weapons with wide, thick edges are used. The edges are flat and often as much as 1/16" wide. Such theatrical weapons are designed to take the flashy looking punishment of banging edges together, and the actors are trained in swordplay designed to minimise risk of injury or damage to the weapons themselves. Many of our weapons are real weapons, designed so that they could fight in the manner that originals were actually used. Since the cutting edges could not be easily re sharpened and were often slashing weapons, parries were made with the flat of the blade (not the edges) or were simply avoided altogether. Many real weapons were never used for the theatrical style of “sword banging” that the movies or stage plays rely on to liven up the action sequences.
BE REALISTIC in the expectations of the items you purchase. Incredible feats of strength and sharpness seen in movies are NOT realistic. Your sword will NOT be “surgical” sharp. If you need something that sharp, buy a scalpel. Your sword will NOT “effortlessly” glide through paper. If you want to cut paper, buy a pair of scissors. Certain manufacturers produce DVDs showing their products being used for all manner of things a knife or sword should NEVER be used for, to demonstrate how tough their products are. These demonstrations are what is referred to as “gross abuse”. Repeating this gross abuse with your own knife or sword will instantly void any warranty you may have for your products, and this is often noted at the start of these DVDs. These items were designed with specific application in mind, so expecting them to perform in any fashion other than that for which they were designed is not sensible, regardless of “what you saw on the internet”.
Maintenance
All metal parts of your sword should always be covered with a light coating of oil to prevent rust, including the wire wrapped handles. Wooden handles may be treated with a light coating of lemon oil or tung oil to help prevent cracking. Your sword comes with either a light plastic spray or a heavy coating of grease to protect the blades in transport across the ocean. You can remove these coatings with the use of a good solvent such as lacquer thinner or mineral spirits. Once you have finished this, apply your light coat of oil or a silicone spray. You can also wipe it with a silicone coated gun/reel cloth. In many respects, the gun/reel cloth is preferred as there is less tendency for dust to accumulate and trap oxygen to cause pitted areas in the blade.
Leather scabbards and sheaths as well as leather covered handles should be treated with a good paste wax. The scabbard can also be treated with neatsfoot or mink oil for waterproofing, although this is not recommended for gripping surfaces. Do not store your sword in its scabbard for long periods of time since the leather traps moisture which can produce rust spots on the blade.
