Restoration of Antique French Infantry Sword

Video Description

Hi! Today restoration of antique piece — a French infantry sword. This item is almost 200 years old. Its condition is below average: rust on the blade, a crack on the scabbard fitting, and the most unpleasant part — there’s a wobble. The blade doesn’t sit firmly in the handle, and the leather washer is missing. But I’m going to fix all of that. First, I removed the handle from the blade by drilling the tang and very carefully using fine needle files. Then I covered the blade generously with WD-40, wrapped it in cloth, poured kerosene over it and left it for 24 hours. The next step was cleaning the blade. I used soft steel and brass brushes, then fine jeweler’s sandpaper. After that, to achieve an even surface, I brushed it again with a soft wire brush, oiled the blade and set it aside. Then I moved on to the handle restoration. Here you have to be especially careful. I used warm water, fine steel wool, cleaning powders, detergents and various brushes to clean both the inside and outside. When the brass parts of the handle were completely clean, I finally managed — on my third attempt — to cut a leather washer for the blade, and moved on to the next stage. And that stage wasn’t easy. I needed to re-peen the handle exactly the way it was originally done. First, the filler. I used a better mixture than what was used in the early 19th century — rosin, wax, resin and glue-cement. Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area. I carefully mixed everything, poured it inside the handle, and started peening the tang. But it didn’t work — the steel was carbon, hardened, and too brittle. So I found a solution: I soldered a small nail onto the tang using a welding machine, and then peened it just like the original. It turned out very close to how it used to be. After that, I shaped and darkened the peen. Then I moved on to the scabbard. I started with the upper fitting. While removing it, the brass ring broke — but that’s not a problem, it’s just a brass wire. I cleaned the fitting with cleaning agents, fine steel wool and detergents. Then using a small hammer and some leather, I straightened the metal, soldered the broken part with silver solder and polished it. The next step was restoring the scabbard itself. I used soap, leather restoration products, and after all the procedures, two days later, I treated the leather with linseed oil. One last part remained — the lower scabbard cap. I didn’t remove it, because it was clearly repaired before, and if I removed it now, the scabbard would lose its authenticity. I only cleaned this part of the brass with a heated mix of vinegar and acetic acid, degreased it, lightly polished it and oiled it. It was a difficult job and took a lot of time, but I’m happy with the result. Please don’t forget to share this video. Thank you!