As a rule, antiques should not be cleaned.  Swords with an attractive age patina will enhance market value--any cleaning not carefully done will detract from the item.

The blades of Civil War swords were polished bright and the edges were NOT sharpened.  A Civil War sword was not designed to cut (like a Japanese Samurai sword) but rather to inflict damage from blunt force trauma or stabbing.  You should NEVER sharpen the edge of a Civil War sword.  The metal parts, however, can be gently cleaned without damaging either the item itself or the market value.

If you wish to clean your sword blade, begin with degreasing it with a solvent such as denatured alcohol.  This will remove surface grime and residuals of oil or grease.  Use care not to get the solvent on the grip material.  Next, use any fine grade simichrome polish such as AUTO SOLVOL.  Use your fingertips to rub on the polish and a very soft cotton cloth to remove it.  Repeat until you are satisfied with the finish.

The iron scabbard should NOT be cleaned unless it has a reddish appearance.  Red rust is ACTIVE rust and can cause damage; black rust is stable and does not need to be removed.  Red rust is best removed with a light grade penetrating oil or even diesel fuel.  WD-40 is NOT recommended and you should NEVER use a product like Naval Jelly, which is an acid.  To remove the active rust, saturate the area with the penetrating solvent and let soak for several hours.  Remove with a cotton cloth and repeat as necessary.  You should refrain from using any form of abrasive such as steel wool or sandpaper, and NEVER use a power tool like a Dremel or a buffing wheel.

Brass on the sword (such as the guard, knuckle bow, grip wire, pommel cap or scabbard suspension rings and bands) generally is NOT cleaned by collectors.  If you wish to clean yours up (if there is green on it, indicating verdigris and mineral decomposition), the same polish as used on the sword blade is recommended.  Common over the counter products like Brasso are NOT recommended as they are often too abrasive, contain harmful ammonia and will scratch antique brass.

The leather grip (or shagreen--shark or ray skin) should never be cleaned with products such as saddle soap, Lexol, Mink Oil or Neats Foot Oil.  Those products are designed for modern tanned leather--they will cause degradation and rot on antique leather and other reptile and animal skin products.  To clean the leather or shagreen, use a cleaning and preserving paste such as PECARD Leather Care creme.  Apply liberally and remove gently with a clean cotton cloth.  Be advised that the use of PECARD will cause antique leather to darken but it will not cause degradation.  On rayskin or shagreen, you simply cannot use any generic water based cleaners because the grip material was secured using a "hide" glue, which is water soluable.  If you get it wet, it will begin to degrade and separate.

There is a fine line between "cleaning" and "maintaining" a period item--when in doubt, consult a professional.

A pristine example of the Ames Manufacturing Model 1850 Infantry Officer sword with blued steel field scabbard.