How to sharpen a sword? -- myArmoury.com

Patrick Kelly · Posted: Thu 27 Jul, 2006 5:46 pm Post subject:

You might want to give one of these sharpening tools a try.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/l...;noImage=0

Providing that your swords edge isn't too think at its shoulder this tool should work well. I find it's great for touching up the edge on a cutting dedicated sword, with a blade of flat profile.

If that isn't suitable I've had good luck with the Diafold sharpeners.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/p...hasJS=true

You can also touch up the edge with a small file if you have access to tools of that nature. Avoid trying to rehone it with power tools like a bench grinder, etc. These really take a bit of skill and experience to use and the chance of injury is good, as well as the chance of ruining your blades heat treatment through overheating.

Alan B · Posted: Thu 27 Jul, 2006 5:53 pm Post subject:

I got told by a friend of mine that using Limestone, then using a lightly oiled cloth or rag, would work well on it. I'll be honest, my income is not so great, so i'm looking for the cheapest method i can find.

Glen A Cleeton · Posted: Fri 28 Jul, 2006 6:01 am Post subject:

Sharpening and maintaining an edge can be a tough skill to communicate in writing. Not only are there a great many methods that work; very often, each type of blade crossection may not respond well to all techniques.

The Accusharp™ gizmos are a good addition to any tool kit but require a very light and steady hand if they are the type with carbide inserts. Quite light strokes willl take very small amounts of steel from an edge. I use them at the other extreme of the spectrum to rough in an edge (much like draw filing). This beginning, I later smooth with stones or diamond plates.

These carbide tools are easy to misuse and the initial results may well be dissapointing. The carbide rippers can remove vast amounts of metal pretty quickly. You need to keep the plane of the grip directly in line with the edge or one side gets ripped more than the other. With a very light and steady hand, they can certainly do a great job for touch ups.

There are also tools with two ceramic or diamond coated inserts that are applied very much the same way but remove metal much more slowly. The disadvantage to any of the V type systems is the apex angle may not match what you are working on.

I changed over to diamond coated plates for most work. A DMT™ 3×6 coarse has become my primary sword sharpener and a small pocket EZ-LAP™ for light touch ups. I also have a pocket size ceramic rod that has flats of coarser surface. I've been fine tuning edges with it for 30 years.

Something I keep meaning to try for swords but have not, is the back of a toilet tank lid. The unglazed edges should work quite efficiently for honing and would work well if secured to a table top or bench. Basically, moving standard knife sharpening tecnique up to sword length blades.

Sharpening is a great skill set to learn and keep experimenting with. Katana, even production ones, can be a challenge but light touch ups are no big deal. Maintaining an edge is vastly easier than creating one. One needs to understand the concepts and where to start.

I don't have a link handy but there are some great online tutorials for this subject. A Google search for Sharpening Guide will bring many of them up. Most forums that include blade discussion have a few threads and there are some quite diverse techniques that get the job done.

I roughed and honed an edge on a blade just last night in about half an hour. It was typical India (read that as Windlass but it is perhaps not) grind that does not quite give one a best final angle to work with. From non-sharp to paper slicing in a short amount of time. Tools used were a carbide insert Accusharp™ and a diamond DMT™ 3×6 coarse plate.

I would have used a file but I couldn't find my file handle, the handiest mill was plugged with soft stuff because I hadn't carded it (and it takes longer plus other excuses). I'll be going back to refine things over time. Blending the bevel and polishing. The major grunt work is done.

If one is unfamiliar with any type of sharpening, it is prudent not to start praticing on a blade you cherish. Draw filing and other techniques can be practiced on virtually any length of steel. Try various methods of sharpening and fine tuning on your kitchen knives, or pocket knives. Expand knowledge of the skill set and apply experience to longer lengths.

Cheers and happy sharpening, it is good keen fun!

GC

Jonathon G · Posted: Wed 07 Feb, 2007 7:21 pm Post subject:

Would anyone have any advice on sharpening a modern katana, made from 1075 high-carbon steel, by hand?

Charles Perry · Posted: Fri 14 Dec, 2007 10:12 pm Post subject:

Ok, I am extremly new to this and one of the things I wanted to do before I die is to make me a collection of swords for anime's. This was the first set and don't even know what to get to sharpen it. This is the 6 sword set I want to get So any suggestions on how to sherpen them and with what?[/url]

M. Eversberg II · Posted: Sat 15 Dec, 2007 12:16 am Post subject:

Those are display swords (toys). No real reason to sharpen them.

M.

Charles Perry · Posted: Sat 15 Dec, 2007 10:53 am Post subject:

Thanks alot. ^.^

R D Moore · Posted: Sat 15 Dec, 2007 11:13 am Post subject:

Charles Perry · Posted: Sat 15 Dec, 2007 1:45 pm Post subject:

Thanks alot Mr. Moore. This is gonna be really helpful and I'm not so much worried about price. Thanks again.

Merry Christmas to ALL!!!

Luther Browning · Posted: Thu 19 Nov, 2009 6:30 pm Post subject:

I had the same question this afternoon. I found a site that suggested using an Accusharp. I've had one for a while and did not like it. The carbide blades of the Accusharp cut quickly but sometimes leave a wavy surface. The article said to finish with a sanding pad, use a single layer on a firm rubber block. You do not want the sand paper forming around the blade and giving you a more rounded shape than you intended. Use progressively finer paper. 400, 600, 1500, 2000. Thats what I had around the house. Beautiful! I have an old 1950 or so Navy sword. About 1/2 of it is etched with a design and I did not want to remove that so I just sharpened the end from where the etching stopped. The Accusharp had the blunt blade sharp in 15 minutes. The polishing continues. I love polishing stuff. As a teenager I worked in a body shop and sanded cars then polished them after the paint was dry. My condition got worst. A friend ran a AAF dragster and had to build his first Hemi. He had been beaten by Don Garlits a couple of months earlier and knew to stay in the top ten the Hemi was the way to go. Another friend, whose dad owned the body shop, and I started polishing everything on the dragster we could. It would knock your eyes out on a bright day. Now even the stainless ware is not safe from me and the buffing wheel. I hope the Accusharp helps you rough out your blade quickly. If one of the Carbides chips you can turn them over, just remove the screws. Keep the guard that blood is hard to get out of your clothes, carpet, wall, ceiling, and the Dr. will want a fortune to sew the fingers back on Eek!

. Bill

Eric G. · Posted: Sun 27 Feb, 2011 8:17 pm Post subject:

I found this video tutorial on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojG_4jz-_wU&NR=1

This is part one of two. The guy is very detailed. They last about 20 minutes total but will be well worth your time.

Luka Borscak · Posted: Mon 28 Feb, 2011 2:43 am Post subject:

That is Tom Kinder of the new Tried and True Armory. He posts both here and on SBG.

Eric G. · Posted: Tue 01 Mar, 2011 9:51 pm Post subject:

Tom Kinder · Posted: Wed 02 Mar, 2011 6:50 am Post subject:

thanks Eric,

you know I had the same problem as the OP in this thread a few years ago: I had a couple swords that were getting dull and I wanted them sharp. I had never sharpened anything well at the time. I say well, because I had supposedly learned how to sharpen a knife in the boy scouts but I was never able to do it. any time I tried to sharpen my scout knife it just ended up more scratched an no sharper. anyway I searched the web and watched videos of Japanese polishers, compiled everything I found, took out a bare blade I had got for cheap because it was rusted and practiced until I found something that worked. these first two videos are the result. I have an update to what I do by hand here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=entJSjPzv5U

I just feel it is safer to clamp the blade down.

I really like using a slack belt sander though and here's some videos I have on that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFfsAqXDPpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh6XthJCEuc

I'm using a Hanwei practical wakizashi in the video but European swords work pretty much the same way. the only real trick is that the European swords I have seen tend to have edge bevels that are flatter than katana so you have to pay attention to what the belt is doing and how it is hitting the blade. typically it will hit near the edge and a little bit near the fuller or central ridge and not at all between. this is no big deal but you want to keep the pressure light in that case so you don't change the shape of your bevels.

when it comes to the debate of using stones, or paper, or files, I prefer paper because that's what I'm used to, but in the end grit is grit. stones are harder and will reshape your sword more quickly than paper on a rubber block but there really isn't a lot of difference. use what you are comfortable with. Files, like Gus says earlier, can either be a good tool for establishing your base edge, or they can slide right off the dern thing doing nothing depending on the hardness of the sword.

as a final word of advice or perhaps of disclaimer: I do not recommend these techniques for swords that have folding, pattern welding, etching, or other very skilled and/or artistic properties as those properties can be erased or damaged. these methods are mostly intended for production swords. as always do these things carefully and check your progress often, if you lose track of your work you could hurt yourself or your sword.

Eric G. · Posted: Thu 03 Mar, 2011 5:40 pm Post subject:

Tom,

You said you like the belt sander a lot. Doesn't that ruin the heat treatment on a blade?

Also, I really like the stand that you use for your backyard cutting. Very smart stuff. I am going to make my own some day here soon. Are those 4x4's that you are using? How did you attach the three boards?

Tom Kinder · Posted: Thu 03 Mar, 2011 10:23 pm Post subject:

the belts don't build up that much heat if you pay attention to what you are doing. also if a blade is made well and tempered properly such as ATrims, and I expect, Albions and A&A, then it would really take a lot of heat to damage the temper/heat treat. I have been assured by Gus anyway that the heat build up is no problem so long as you don't start putting dark colors on the blade. my rule is that if it is so hot that I don't want to touch it then I need to cool it off. I keep a bucket of water around for just that.

on the cutting stand I used very long wood screws and drilled pilot holes and just sank them diagonally from board to board through the corner where they meet. and yes, they are 4x4's

Jean Thibodeau · Posted: Fri 04 Mar, 2011 8:56 am Post subject: