Restoration of Old Balkan Yatagan

Video Description

Hi! Today I'm restoring a very old rusty Balkan yatagan. — (Update information) — about item: After I posted the video, I didn't stop looking for information about this subject. Several people wrote to me who are well versed in Eastern weapons, as well as in the weapons of the Ottoman Empire. There were a lot of comments and personal messages about the fact that this item is a Balkan scimitar of origin, so I changed the title of the video. I bought this item from someone who searches with a metal detector. I really liked its shape and condition, so I decided to restore it. First, I started scraping off the old rust and dirt using a spatula. After doing as much as I could manually, I soaked the blade in rust remover for 24 hours. But even after a full day, most of the rust was still there — no surprise, since I’m pretty sure this blade has been underground for over a century. Using a brush, I cleaned off more surface corrosion and put the blade back into the solution. After a few more hours, I managed to remove about 80% of the rust and grime. Next, I soaked the blade in warm water mixed with baking soda to neutralize the acid. This revealed new cracks and deep corrosion holes. Once cleaned, I began reshaping the edge and used a rotary tool to remove embedded, hardened rust. Then came hand-sanding, using sandpaper from 80 to 400 grit. After that, I moved on to the handle. The original handle had almost rotted away. In the missing area, I welded a new piece of metal cut to fit the original shape. I ground the welds smooth with a grinder and began making a new handle. I used dry beech wood, brass and copper rivets, epoxy resin, and leather spacers to compensate for the uneven surface between the tang and the wood. I fitted everything to size and glued it together, adding horn dust to the glue mix. The next day, I shaped and sanded the handle to match the original form. After assembly the handle, in order to age the hilt, I I used graphite grease, wax, and a polishing wheel. I riveted the brass and copper pins by hand, using washers for extra durability. After that, I made a simple sheath for the blade — I still don’t know exactly what it is or what it was used for. If anyone has any idea what this could be, please let me know in the comments! Once the sheath was finished — stitched and glued — I wrapped up the restoration process. Interesting detail: before restoration, the blade weighed 753 grams. After cleaning, shaping, and making the new handle, it now weighs 700 grams — a 53 grams difference. Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to like, share, and 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 #blade #restoration