I want to disassemble my katana so I can give it a full cleaning.  Does anyone know how to do this properly?

Hey Eastern...before I get into the explanation, may I ask why you want to take it apart?  Just wondering?

 It's a fully functional katana that was rather expensive.  The dealer I bought it from said that it would be a good idea to disassemble it once in a while to clean the tang and other metal parts.  I figured it would be a good skill to learn, anyhow.  I could always practice on of my cheaper models first.

it all depends... if you don't know how, you might want to try and remember how you took it apart while you're doing it. make sure you get some advice from someone who knows what  they're doing, though, you never know what might or might not be supposed to come apart.

here's a webpage you might find useful:

http://www.swordsofmight.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=19

Good enough explanation...I was just wondering.  Keep in mind that sometimes when a beginner takes apart a katana, the blade is never quite as snug as it used to be.  It may be a good idea to practice on a less important piece of your collection before trying the real thing.  It is quite an easy process though. 

FYI, you will need a sword maintenance kit that includes a mekugi-nuki, which is a small tool that assists in removing the mekugi, which are the small bamboo pegs sticking out of the tsuba.  These pegs go through holes in the tang, which are basically the only things holding the blade in place!  A good kit will also include various oils and cloths to clean the blade.

Ok...so take the mekugi-nuki and place it against the mekugi.  Very gently hit the head of this tool with a hammer/mallet until the meguki comes out.  Repeat this on the second mekugu (if applicable.)

Grab the blade wearing thick leather gloves.  Place your other hand on the tsuba.  Gently remove the tsuba until the tang is exposed.  The rest of the furniture can be removed by simply sliding it down the tang.  And there you have it...a bare blade.  Easy enough!

To put in back together, just reverse this process.  Make sure to secure the mekugi in snug, to ensure a proper blade fit, free of any wobbles or imbalance.

Good luck!

 Nice...thanks folks.  The disassembly was a success.  Will let you know how the reassembly goes....nervous!

Hey Eastern...just read this thread for the first time...how did the assembly go?