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POLISHING
Professional Civil Liability Insurance N°AN902614/17101177546

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ATTENTION  WE DO NOT OFFER TRADITIONAL POLISHING (That is to say, qui  scrupulously respect all the rules of the Art). As a result, it will be impossible for us to give you a blade with a Japanese quality finish, some excessively large defects may remain apparent, the edges cannot be reshaped as originally and certain characteristics may not stand out ( Ji-hada, Nie, etc.). For information, atraditional polishing performed by a Togishi (Master polisher)certified, is very expensive (around 4000€ to 6000€ for a Katana blade). However, polishing is done manually.

 

Full sharpening and polishing is only done on bare blades, so this requires  dismantling the saber.If the customer delivers a mounted sword, he will have to add the sum of €30 corresponding to this service.

 

PRICES

DUNING:

  • 50€:Blunt the edge of a sword to make it non-sharp (Example, for the practice of Iaido, etc.).

POLISHING:

 

Prices are based on the length, the condition of the blade and the degree of finish desired.

Whole Katana Blade:

 

  • 330€: Complete cleaning polishing of the blade.

  • 710€: Full manual polishing + full manual finish polishing(which comes as close as possible to traditional polishing) with Hazuya and Jizuya stones, imported from Japan.

  • 880€: Hand repair of the chipped edge of the entire blade with reconstruction of the Yokote+ complete manual polishing+ fully manual finish polishing(which is as close as possible to traditional polishing)with Hazuya and Jizuya stones and Nugui(mixture of iron oxide particles"Kanahada"and clove oil), imported from Japan.

 

​​​Whole Wakizashi Blade:

  • 240€: Complete cleaning polishing of the blade.

 

  • 510€: Full manual polishing + full manual finish polishing(which comes as close as possible to traditional polishing) with Hazuya and Jizuya stones, imported from Japan.

  • 680€: Rework by hand of the chipped edge of the entire bladewith reconstruction of the Yokote+ complete manual polishing +fully manual finish polishing  (which is as close as possible to a traditional polish)with Hazuya and Jizuya stones and Nugui(mixture of iron oxide particles"Kanahada"and clove oil), imported from Japan.

 

Full Tanto Blade:

  • 180€:Complete blade cleaning polish.

 

  • 390€: Full manual polishing + full manual finish polishing(which comes as close as possible to traditional polishing) with Hazuya and Jizuya stones, imported from Japan.

 

  • 520€:Hand repair of the chipped edge of the entire bladewith reconstruction of the Yokote+ complete manual polishing +fully manual finish polishing  (which is as close as possible to a traditional polish)with Hazuya and Jizuya stones and Nugui(mixture of iron oxide particles"Kanahada"and clove oil), imported from Japan.

 

 

Kissaki and/or Monouchi:

 

  • 100€:Cleaning polishing of the Kissaki or the Monouchi (Without recovery of the cutting edge),without removing the blade.

 

  • 180€: Standard manual polishing of the Kissaki or Monouchi of the blade,without removing the blade.

  • 290€:Rebuilding the Yokote+ manual polishing +fully manual finish polishing  (which comes as close as possible to traditional polishing)with Hazuya and Jizuya stones and Nugui(mixture of iron oxide particles"Kanahada"and clove oil), imported from Japan,without removing the blade.

We use a set of Japanese sword polishing stones, natural and artificial and mixtures for finishing work (Import Japan) of professional quality.

 

 

 

 

 

Composition of the set:

Kongo-Do:it is the first stone used. The Kongo-Do stone is used when the blade is rusty or has impacts on the cutting edge and the Kissaki. It helps to restore damaged blades.

Binsui-Do:This is the 2nd stone used. It removes traces left by the Ara-To. At this stage, it is important to get the blade into its proper shape, as other finer stones will not alter its shape. At the end of the stage with the Binsui-Do stone, the contours of the Hamon become visible.

Kaisei-Do:This is the 3rd stone used. It allows to remove the traces left by the Binsui-Do stone. Then the surface of the blade will be smoother.

Chu-Nagura-Do:It is the 4th stone used. It removes traces left by the Kaisei stone.

Koma-Nagura-Do:It is the 5th stone used. It removes the traces left by the Chu-Nagura stone. At this point, the Hamon has generally become clearly visible.

Uchigumori-Do:It is the 6th and last stone used for the polishing work. It gives a nice look and a good edge.

Kanahada-Nugui: It is a preparation composed of iron oxide particles suspended in filtered vegetable oil. This is the final stage of surface polishing on the blade of the saber.   The Kanahada-Nugui darkens the steel and illuminates the clear and shiny effects present on the blade.

Ha Zuya:These are thinned pieces of Narutaki stone that are used for finishing work. They are lacquered with paper to make them solid and that they do not crumble during polishing. Ha-zuya is used to bring out Hamon. After this work, the Hamon appears whitish.

Ji-Zuya:These are thinned pieces of Narutaki stone that are used for finishing work. They are lacquered with paper to make them solid and that they do not crumble during polishing. Ji-zuya is used to bring out Jihada.

Narume-Dai:Small wooden stand  (with 5 horizontal cutouts). The Hazuya stone is placed there, in order to polish the Boshi using the elasticity of the Narume-dai.

Omotesuri:Small sandstone block, used to flatten and form polishing stones.

Yoshino Gami:Traditional Japanese paper used for lacquering Ha-Zuya and Ji-Zuya stones. It prevents Ha-Zuya and Ji-Zuya stones from crumbling during polishing. The Yoshino-Gami is also used as a filter for the Nugui.

 

Tsunoko:Deer antler powder. The Tsunoko is used to remove the oil on the blade before using Migaki-Bo. You have to mix it with water, then put it on the blade and wipe it with a paper or soft cloth.(At the moment we do not use this product)

Ibota:Lubricating powder made from insects. Ibota powder prevents friction between Migaki-Bo and the blade, allowing it to be used more easily. Before polishing, wrap the Ibota with a coarse cloth and sprinkle it over the blade.(At the moment we do not use this product)

Migaki-Bo:The Migaki-Bo (Steel Burnisher) is used for the finishing step to polish   the Shinogi-Ji and the Mune.(We do not perform this very long and very difficult technique)

 

 

SUPERFINISH:With natural Japanese stones "Ha-zuya, Ji-zuya and Uchigumori", as well as with Nugui "Kanahada + Aoko/Jitekko/Akako".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The HA-ZUYA and JI-ZUYA stones and the TOJIRU,make it possible to bring out the Hamon or tempering line, as well as the structure of the steel.

  • HA-ZUYA stones(Uchigumori):Orange-brown in color, are small thin pads a few millimeters wide, which are moved and rubbed with the thumb, on the"Ji"of the blade, to reveal the grain of the steel (Jihada).

  • JI-ZUYA stones(narutakido):Gray in color, are small, thin pads a few millimeters wide, which are moved and rubbed with the thumb to polish the"Ha".

  • The TOJIRU(Mixture of Uchiguromi powder and water):the Tojiru is used during the final stages of blade polishing, along with the Ha-zuya stones, when polishing the Hamon area. Which makes the Hamon  bright and clean.​​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​​​​The NUGUIis a mixture of "Kanahada" oxide and powders used for the finishing of the polishing of the blades. The main effect of the NUGUI is cosmetic, it darkens the steel and illuminates the clear and shiny effects present on the blade.

  • Kanahada:It's iron oxide burnt and reduced to powder. It is the basic element to make the Nugui. It mixes with clove oil.

  • Jitekko:It is powdered Magnetite that is mixed with Nugui. This Nugui thus obtained is used, if one does not make Hadori, afterwards. This finish is called Sashikomi-togi.

 

  • Aoko:It is a green powder that is mixed with the Kanaha of the Nugui, to give the blade a dark and shiny appearance.  

  • Akaka:It is a red powder that is mixed with the Kanaha of the Nugui, to give the blade a bluish and dark appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXAMPLES OF BLADES REPAIR

 

Finishing polishing with Hazuya and Jizuya stones, of the entire blade:Here we repolished the entire blade by hand (more than 20 hours of work).

​ Superb Shirasaya with signed old blade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Whole blade base polish: Here we polished the whole blade manually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Very big job, to make the impact on a Nohi blade disappear: re-sharpening and finishing polishing with Hazuya and Jizuya stones, of the entire blade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Resumption of chipped Kissaki and Monouchi: Here we redid the profiles of the blades, then resharpened and repolished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very big job, to make the impact disappear on a Bohi blade: removal of impacts on the Mune with re-sharpening and finishing polishing with Hazuya and Jizuya stones, of the entire blade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huge job, to make the impact disappear on an Unokubi-Zukuri blade (rare blade profile): re-sharpening and finishing polishing with Hazuya and Jizuya stones, of the entire blade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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