Piso Podang with a flexible blade

[centurion]

Yes, the sword is quite bendable and bending is in the lower half. There is rust but I think is mostly on the surface, additional photos on a better light show that.

Before posting I already lightly cleaned the sword with a toothbrush, synthetic sewing machine oil and Pelikan rubber eraser (the blue part of the eraser).

The sword is for sure a trade steel, as there is no such steel in Sumatra.

Think I saw years ago in Jakarta History Museum similar sword with description "18-century Indian sword".

[kahnjar1]

All the cleaning I do on rust is using WHITE VINEGAR. Soak the blade if you can in a piece of plastic pipe with one end plugged.
For results using white vinegar see here http://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24394
Stu

[Sajen]

This toa from my collection http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21189 was once similar heavy corroded. All cleaned only by hand.

Regards,
Detlef

[centurion]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

All the cleaning I do on rust is using WHITE VINEGAR. Soak the blade if you can in a piece of plastic pipe with one end plugged.
For results using white vinegar see here http://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24394
Stu

Thanks for the info. Is white vinegar 9% alcohol vinegar?
How long do you hold the treated item in the vinegar?

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by centurion

Thanks for the info. Is white vinegar 9% alcohol vinegar?
How long do you hold the treated item in the vinegar?

The white vinegar I use is the same as used for cooking and you buy it at your local Supermarket. To my knowledge it has no alcholic content.
You can either place the blade in a suitable trough to soak, or as I normally do, put in a suitable length of plastic pipe which is plugged at one end.
If you don't have a suitable trough or pipe, then just wet and rub the blade with a rag soaked with the vinegar.
Time needed will depend on how stubborn the rust is, but you will soon see progress.....it works quite quickly.
Stu