Restoration of Antique Prussian Infantry Sword

Video Description

Hi! Today restoration of antique Prussian Artillery Sword. It’s the first time I’m holding such an incredible weapon in my hands, and I’m really happy that I have the opportunity to restore it. Its condition is moderate: there’s dry, deep old rust, the handle is cracked, the metal parts are corroded, and the scabbard is missing. Well, I’m going to fix all of that. Right away, I want to say — making an original scabbard for this type of sword at home is impossible. That can only be done under factory conditions. But I will make a scabbard that, first of all, fits the sword properly, and secondly, looks beautiful. So, let’s begin the restoration. First, I determined the type of rust and how exactly to remove it. After identifying it, it became clear: the rust is dry, old, and hardened, so I will use only gentle methods. I started with a classic technique — a mix of pure solvent, oil and kerosene. I soaked the blade with this mixture and used steel wool. Once the first layer of rust was gone, I moved to the second stage. To remove the next layer, I used dry polishing compounds of two grades, baking soda, a bit of solvent and water. I made a paste from this and, by hand — only by hand — using jeweler’s paper, fine steel wool and cloths, I started polishing and cleaning the blade. I polished it as much as possible without losing its authenticity and historical character. Cleaning the blade took three days — three days of slow, methodical work, step by step. I reached the point where I used very fine-grit sandpaper, sanded the blade several times, wiped it with oil and preserved it. After that, I moved to the ricasso area — the part of the blade that connects to the guard. Since it’s hard to reach, I used soft iron and brass brushes, and of course, WD-40. When that was finished, I started cleaning the handle and repairing the cracks. I cleaned the handle from dust and grease. To fill the cracks, I used ground coffee and fast-curing epoxy resin. For another crack, I used a different fast-setting adhesive and steel powder, which I made myself by grinding iron with a file. Once the handle was filled and dried, I moved on to making the scabbard, so no time was wasted. For the scabbard core, I used dry linden wood. I don’t get this wood often — it’s expensive — but this time I was lucky to find it, and I made a great scabbard base. When it was done, I sanded the sabre’s handle, removed any excess glue, preserved it with special wax and oiled it. After that I prepared the wooden base and started making the metal fittings for the scabbard. I used pieces of nickel silver with a beautiful ornament, soldered them with silver and flux, and added a bit of decorative relief. Then I placed the nickel silver pieces into a special solution to give them an aged silver effect. After patination, I immersed them in warm water with baking soda to neutralize the acid and stop the chemical process. Then I mounted the fittings onto the scabbard and covered it with dark natural leather. Once everything was glued and finished, I did your favorite test — as always. Thank you for watching! Don’t forget to share this video and leave a comment. Sincerely, Alex. Thanks for attention! Good luck and health to everyone! With best wishes, Alex! Please subscribe to my channel: @ScrewsAndTools 🍖 My New Cooking channel! @screwsandtoolscooking Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Screwsandtools Paypal: paypal.me/screwsandtools Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scresandtools/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screwsandtools/ #screwsandtools #sword #restoration