How to Polish Swords

Basic Polishing

• 1

  Determine if the sword should be polished. Some swords have fatal flaws or rust that is so deep that polishing is taking a big risk. Other swords, such as those signed by a well-known sword smith, benefit greatly in appearance and value from polishing.

• 2

  Select the polishing stone you plan to use and place it into the wooden clamp that will hold it in place.

• 3

  Place a bucket of water adjacent to the polishing stone.

• 4

  Sit on a low stool in front of the polishing stone. Tuck your right knee so that it is almost into your armpit and your right foot rests on the wooden clamp. This position allows you to evenly exert pressure to the blade while allowing you to release the wooden clamp quickly.

• 5

  Complete Foundation Polishing if the blade has deep rusting or is in need of repair.

• 6

  Polish using the steps in Nagura and Uchigumori Polishing.

• 7

  Apply Finishing Polish techniques.

Foundation Polishing

• 8

  Select the appropriate polishing stone for foundation work. Polishers use a variety of stones such as Arato, Binsui, Iyoto, Kaisei, Komanagura, Nagura and others to remove deep rusting and to repair the blade.

• 9

  Perform the acts in Steps 2 to 4 in Basic Polishing.

• 10

  Hold the blade with the edge facing outward and away from you.

• 11

  Start polishing close to the sword tang, or the section that goes into the handle when polishing.

• 12

  Polish the back of the blade or the mune first. Move the blade over the stone with short strokes in a back and forth motion.

• 13

  Follow polishing the mune with polishing the blade's ridgeline, or the Shinaji. Polish this area by moving the blade over the stone with short strokes in a back and forth motion.

• 14

  Move to the kissaki, or sword point, to polish. Use short strokes in a back and forth motion over the polishing stone.

• 15

  Polish the sword flat middle between the mune and shinogi, also known as the Ji. Once again polish by moving the blade over the stone with short strokes in a back and forth motion.

Nagura and Uchigumori Polishing

• 16

  Select the appropriate nagura stone.

• 17

  Complete Steps 2 to 8 in Foundation Polishing. Use uchigumori-ha-to or habiki types over the entire blade to remove nagura scratches for clarifying the hamon.

• 18

  Select the appropriate uchigumori stone.

• 19

  Complete Steps 2 to 8 in Foundation Polishing Use uchigumori-ji-to or jibiki types on the edge and sides of the sword to expose jihada.

Finishing Polish

• 20

  Select the appropriate finish polishing stone. These stones are usually paper-thin and add fine highlights to the sword. The types of finish polishing stones are Hadori, Jizuya and Nugui.

• 21

  Rub the stones over the blade with your fingers starting from the sword tang.

• 22

  Use Hadori stones to even out scratches on ha. These stones cause the steel to appear cloudy and white.

• 23

  Apply Jizuya stones cause the jihada to become visible. Jizuya stones darken steel.

• 24

  Polish the steel with nugui stones as the last step to darken and highlight subtle features in the steel.