Sharpening/polishing questions
May 7, 2012 1:25:56 GMT
Post by Deleted on May 7, 2012 1:25:56 GMT
Hi all, I have a pair of Hanwei/Tinker swords (Bastard with fuller and EMSHS) that I'd like to tidy up and sharpen. They both have some marks on them that I'd like to remove, with the Bastard having some slight corrosion on the blade. I'd also like to sharpen the edges as at the moment they don't cut very well, though of course some of that is down to technique. Finally, I would like to give the EMSHS a mirror finish rather than the brushed finish it comes with. The questions I have are:
1. What should I use to sharpen them?
I see there are a few options. Oilstone, whetstone, waterstone and sandpaper being the main ones. Which of these is the easiest for a beginner to use? What should I be looking for when going to buy them? I've seen a few guides that show how to do the sharpening, with the exception of the points, but I'm no wiser about what I should use to do it.
2. Is it worth converting to an 'appleseed' edge?
I've read that a lot of people do this on swords that have a secondary bevel. Is there actually a benefit? If it will significantly improve the cutting performance (bear in mind that I only expect to be cutting milk jugs and the like), then it might be worth doing, but it looks like it might be a complicated procedure (more so on the EMSHS, which has a significant secondary bevel; the Bastard has only a very slight one) which could easily be messed up. I don't fancy ruining a blade, even if it's only a reasonably inexpensive one.
3. How do you polish up the fuller?
Obviously, the rest of the blade is fairly easy to get in contact with the stone/paper-block, but how do you go about getting at the fuller? Is it just a case of using a sheet of sandpaper off the block and focusing purely on that area? How would you do it if you had a stone instead?
I would be grateful for any advice.
Cheers.
1. What should I use to sharpen them?
I see there are a few options. Oilstone, whetstone, waterstone and sandpaper being the main ones. Which of these is the easiest for a beginner to use? What should I be looking for when going to buy them? I've seen a few guides that show how to do the sharpening, with the exception of the points, but I'm no wiser about what I should use to do it.
2. Is it worth converting to an 'appleseed' edge?
I've read that a lot of people do this on swords that have a secondary bevel. Is there actually a benefit? If it will significantly improve the cutting performance (bear in mind that I only expect to be cutting milk jugs and the like), then it might be worth doing, but it looks like it might be a complicated procedure (more so on the EMSHS, which has a significant secondary bevel; the Bastard has only a very slight one) which could easily be messed up. I don't fancy ruining a blade, even if it's only a reasonably inexpensive one.
3. How do you polish up the fuller?
Obviously, the rest of the blade is fairly easy to get in contact with the stone/paper-block, but how do you go about getting at the fuller? Is it just a case of using a sheet of sandpaper off the block and focusing purely on that area? How would you do it if you had a stone instead?
I would be grateful for any advice.
Cheers.