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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2007 2:01:34 GMT
How to go about sharpening and polishing your swords is something that comes up alot here, and with good reason. We all want our blades to be sharp and clean, but actually manipulating the shape/finish of the blade is a plunge few want to take without some guidance. As a result, it seems there is a new thread on the subject every couple of weeks. For future newcomers, I thought it would be a good idea to compile some links answering those questions. I did a little digging and came up with a few threads that cover most of the usual questions. First off SBG Main Page Guide Lots' of info here Shootermike's Sharpening Technique (scroll down a few posts) Hybrid PolishingCleaning a KatanaRemoving Rust UnpolishingGuys please add anything you think should be included. I've asked Paul to sticky this, so let's get in everything usefull we can find.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2007 1:38:14 GMT
Thanks for the links, +1 to you.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2007 0:09:04 GMT
while we are on the subject of maitince is it true that a steel like L6 will be suseptable to rust than other steels?
good list, you have been karmaized
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Oct 12, 2007 1:20:07 GMT
Thanks to Fatecaller for the following guide for how he brings a mirror like polish to a rough blade:
"Hey brenno, again i say awesome work man. Truely inspiring. On the 3 blades ive made so far, i found the best way to make em smooth and shinny on the sides..( i actually managed to get mirror polish, show room finish on them) is a few simple steps.
1. use ur belt sander with a 120 grit belt run along the length of the blade to make sure theres no hollows or bends. u find them very quick this way. once uve done this for a min or 2 u get a fairly even sanding grain out of the deal.
2. then i switch to a disc sander on my cordless drill. Its just a big rubber pad with 220 grit automotive discs. do this till u only see the vertical lines in the blade. then i switch to a 400 grit hand paper and run it the length of the blade just to get the high ridges out.
3. Now is the most important one. 600 grit on ur disc sander. This step takes the longest to make sure u get all the deeper scars out but u will see the biggest improvement in this step. make sure theres lots of friction as to sand as hard as ur drill can handle without burning it out. but after u do this u will begin to see that mirror shine already. and it looks incredible. u probably wont even believe that u are capable of making it look like that cause i know i was shocked. after this i use 1000 1500 and 2000 grit hand paper to do the final tweeking. this i all do by hand running it the length of the blade. the more elbow grease u use the better the finish. when u are done i kid u not, u will be able to use ur sword as a mirror. and it will look fantastic. "
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2007 18:14:13 GMT
Thanks for the info ! +1 for you
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Razor
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Post by Razor on Oct 15, 2007 0:08:52 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2007 23:28:19 GMT
thats some good stuff. Karma to you sir!
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Post by swordreaper on Nov 3, 2007 6:24:11 GMT
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Post by Brian of DBK on Nov 4, 2007 23:54:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2008 20:14:49 GMT
Good links thanks +1 to you,.... Question: If i simply wanted a little more sheen from the blade, but didn't want to go through the Hybrid Polishing steps in the OP link could i just use a little metal polish? And which if any would you recommend?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2008 1:36:04 GMT
Metal polish is a good final step in polishing. Most will even protect the blade somewhat. They will remove tarnish and even a little rust with a lot of rubbing. However, they won't remove scratches or heavy rust. for that you will most likely need some fine grit sandpaper. How fine depends on the extent of the rust or depth of the scratches. Polish is best used to make a blade already in good shape look even shinier!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2008 0:45:05 GMT
thanks for all the suggestions, I have ruined a blade or two thru stupidity
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on May 2, 2008 13:23:45 GMT
I have made a little first aid thread for when we cut ourselves sharpening and polishing. Be very careful, but when you muck up, read this: /index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=4626&page=1
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2008 13:21:33 GMT
On the hybrid polishing tutorial it says that "Now procceed to etch the blade with a mixture of vinegar, water and dish detergent heated in the microwave almost until boiling point."
Can anyone gimme the measurements for the vinegar, water and dish detergent?
Thanks in advance.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2008 6:27:06 GMT
How sharp can you get a sword with those acusharp things? Ive decided to take the communities advise and avoid electric utilities, but I am a complete novice when it comes to sharpening by hand. I recently ordered the accusharp and am wondering if that is enough to get my swords up to cutting quality, assuming I dont care about authenticity or appearance.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2008 21:21:40 GMT
Im very disappointed in the acusharp. It might work for a western sword, but not for a katana.
Im going to practice sharpening by hand on one of my cheaper swords. Im a complete novice though, so I hope I get the hang of it soon. I really need some video instruction for dummies.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2008 11:33:31 GMT
I have had great results with the acusharp on medieval type swords and a Navy Seals Knife.
I fully recommend it, but I and friends do not own a Katana to see any difference.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2008 12:51:22 GMT
Um, don't sharpen katana via an accusharp, they are both not designed for it, katanas are designed to be sharpened by hand. Something about the geometry of the blade and the curve of the sori.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2008 0:32:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2008 17:10:01 GMT
This question to Brenno- I have some instructions on polishing katana blades and the fellow that wrote them also uses a belt sander-but is it a hand held sander or a vertically mounted stationary sander I am sorry to sound dumb on this-but I always thought a power tool of any kind would overheat the blade and ruin the temper? The instructions for the katana polishing say the belt sander is used to sharpen the 1mm blunt edge and then hand sand with varying grits- I have been trying to get a decent edge on one of my swords and the plastic edge sharpeners (Accu-Sharp clones) just do not seem to do a good job-probably because my primitive attempts at sharpening it using more traditional methods may have the edge geometry askew. Could the edges be restored with the belt sander? Any help here would be appreciated. I also like the mirror finish on swords and can attest to the amount of elbow grease required to polish steel-I know Paul says he likes a satin finish as do many others-but I always thought the mirror finish, as well as looking good allowed body fluids (in our case water from those nasty water bottles, milk jugs etc, we slay so merrily) to be shed from the blade more easily helping to prevent rust. Maybe a question for discussion in another thread-satin or mirror-which do most forumites prefer and why? As a postscript- I would NEVER use an Accu-Sharp et al to sharpen a katana unless it was a cheapo sword with a secondary bevel edge to start with-and never, ever a nihonto. If you are fortunate enough to own one have it polished only by a professional-but it will set you back a good bit-something like $50 US or more per inch I believe is the going rate for professional polishing (using the traditional stones and polishing) Also-could you use ground up chalk as a substitute for uchiko?
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