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How to Sharpen a Katana

While somebody might refer to a katana as being sharp, a sword smith will never actually sharpen a katana at the edge like you would a knife. Instead, the blade is polished to create the sharp edge. Polishing a katana requires knowledge about the blade and the quality of the steel as it can damage a lower quality blade.

Instructions

- 1
  Assemble the tools for polishing a katana. Japanese water stones are used for polishing. Typically you will need water stones that range from 800 to 12,000 grit (for those who choose to use sandpaper, the U.S. equivalent grit would be 400 to 800) if the sword is in good condition. For a sword in poor condition, you may need stones with a grit as low as 80 (or 80 U.S. grit sandpaper). For more information on Japanese/U.S. grit conversion, Toyama Ryu has a useful conversion chart (see Resources below). For those using water stones, remember to soak the stones for up to 20 minutes prior to polishing.
- 2
  Straighten the blade. Before you polish your katana you will need to make sure that there aren̵7;t any bends in the blade. If the blade is bent, you will need to straighten it. There are sword straightening tools available, or you could straighten the blade over your knees once you have located the bend in the sword.
- 3
  Disassemble the sword. In order to sharpen the sword you will first need to disassemble it, including the habaki so that you only have the bare blade. Wrap the blade with towels where you need to hold it. Even if the blade isn̵7;t sharp yet, the dull katana can still cause injuries.
- 4
  Sharpen the blade. Go slowly, passing the flat of the blade back and forth over the stone in even strokes. Be sure you are doing this in good lighting and that you check the blade often. Remember, you are not sharpening the edge, but rather polishing the flat of the blade until the edge is revealed. The coarsest stone should be used first, to establish the geometry of the sword. The ideal geometry for a katana is a flat surface without a sharp edge, but an edge that rolls. Once the geometry of the sword is established, use the next coarsest stone for 100 strokes to polish and refine the blade and repeat the 100 stroke process with the next finer grade stone until you have a sharp, polished katana.
- 5
  Find a professional service. If you prefer a professional service to polish your katana, Toyama Ryu and Sword Forum are two popular websites that will have suggestions for the best professional sword polishing services in your area (see Resources below).

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