Sharpening a sword

C

Cauldra

Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
130
Guys I have this sword that has an edge, but isn't really sharp. What would you guys say is the best way to sharpen it, and what would be the best angle? Thx in advanced.
 
That depends on several factors, such as:

1) Is it a "real" fully functional sword or a wallhanger? Is it fully tempered?

2) What type of sword is it? Blade type? Length?

3) What do you intend to do with it? The angle will depend on what type of edge you expect.
 
Most swords aren't meant to be taken to a scary sharp edge. Rob brings up good questions.
 
Well it is 440 Steel, it is about 3 feet long, and I'm just using it for practice sharpening mainly.
 
Murdok72605 said:
Most swords aren't meant to be taken to a scary sharp edge. Rob brings up good questions.
Click to expand...

That's true. Swords have alot of power and don't need too be very sharp in order to cut because they aren't designed to cut soft things. The sharper the edge is, the weaker the edge becomes and edge strength is important for a sword
 
Get two crock sticks 3 ft. long and a post hole digger
OR
a waterstone 1 ft X 3 ft., a picnic table in the backyard and a garden hose.

When you have done this, Grasshopper, get back to me and I will instruct you further.:D:D:D
 
Well, it is a katana. This is something I've been wondering for a while. What was the angle that the samurai used?
 
The angle at the ha is determined by the sugata and the niku. It is polished in, not added to the edge. There is no "Samurai" angle. Each sword will have its own edge geometry (which varies at different parts of the ha).

A 440 wall hanger katana should never be sharpened. If it was, one might be tempted to use it,"Just for Fun", and severely injure themselves or another. The sword would not survive all that well, most likely, either.
Stacy
 
i have one that was a gift from a member in china. it came wicked sharp. i came close to cutting myself a few times. now i watch what i do with it. i posted some pictures over on the sword forum of it.
 
I tried sharpening my katana in 5160 steel, though I got the angle a bit off and didn't hit the very edge. Definitely different from sharpening a knife:D.

As for what angle to sharpen at, that's pretty easy. You just match the current angle:eek:. Too much metal removal, and the blade will drag when cutting.

Still, I don't recommend sharpening a 440 blade. As it's been said, you'll be tempted to use it and it will break horribly on you.

Don't want to end up like this guy:thumbdn::
[youtube]z18X1jmj15w[/youtube]
 
get yourself a paper wheel. I was able to put a razor edge on my 22inch long machette which is scary seeing how long it is. I got to use it the other day and holy crap, I never could understand why anyone would use a machette for clearing brush but when you got one which is sharp, it makes it very fast and very easy! I mean I was able to slice thru 1 inch branchs with ease and I was just clearing simple grass which was taller then me which fell to a single swipe. I had to take extra care not to slice myself! either way, It took only about 5-8 mins to put a razor mirror edge on my machette (and yes it is 22 inchs long!!!) which was dull as heck before hand and it was the 5th edge I sharpened so the learning curve is super easy!
 
I think the problem with sharpening a katana on paper wheels is that the katana is a lot heavier than a one-hand machete. First time I tried it, I ended up with a duller edge than what the sword came with. Plus, finishing around the tip can be a real pain in the ass when you have to lift the sword.

Probably best to use the WorkSharp like it was demonstrated on them shovels:thumbup:. Just need something to clamp the thing down.
 
i used my sword to trim back sticker bushes along 4 wheeler paths in a friends woods.
i rode on the front of my buddys 4 wheeler at a walking speed and held the sword off to the side. a slight flick took care of whatever stuck out in the path. it made for a good weed whacker.
 
i have no problems with long blades on the wheels. i sharpened a 4' machete on my wheels and had it shaving sharp. it was fun to do but i got it done. it just takes more practice.

as for the worksharp, i would be more afraid of burning the edge more with it than with the paper wheels.
 
High Quality Swords really need to be professionally sharpened by someone who really knows what they are doing or it will lower the value of the sword.

Real Katana's sharpening process is called polishing and that is VERY expensive and can run in the $3000+ range depending on the condition and skill of the polisher. It takes a highly skilled craftsman with decades of experience.

Some that have V edges on them can be touched up fairly easy with a ceramic rod or stone if you know what you are doing. I am talking about live cutting swords here like the Paul Chens ect. They don't need to be super sharp to cut either...
 
Something that size I'd say use a belt sander. My hand-held 3" sander has a flat top, so I just flip it over, block it in with some bricks and go to it (edge trailing of course). I've also had good luck padding the sides of it and clamping it in a vise. I'd say somewhere around 40 degrees inclusive or just under would work well.

FWIW I used a $50.00 440C (or so the add claimed) katana to cut one of my old car tires in half - belted radial and all. It did take a few whacks and I had to draw cut through some of the belt. Pretty impressive IMO. Had no idea I was endangering myself. Sharpened it back up with a stone intended for a grass scythe and it was A OK.
 
Zeasor said:
Get two crock sticks 3 ft. long and a post hole digger
OR
a waterstone 1 ft X 3 ft., a picnic table in the backyard and a garden hose.

When you have done this, Grasshopper, get back to me and I will instruct you further.:D:D:D
Click to expand...


BFH44 said:
that's priceless - i even get a mental picture of someone trying it
Click to expand...

Oh, you guys were just kidding?
I couldn't find any crock sticks that size, but I did put a couple 6" pipes in the ground, I was gonna glue some sandpaper to them.;):D
 
Berdar said:
Oh, you guys were just kidding?
I couldn't find any crock sticks that size, but I did put a couple 6" pipes in the ground, I was gonna glue some sandpaper to them.;):D
Click to expand...

NICE! :thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top