Wakazashi full polish

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Phaeton
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Wakazashi full polish

Post by Phaeton »

Having retired for health reasons, I have a lot of time on my hands. I have a Japanese sword set, katana, wakazashi, and tanto, that ended up for looks only as the katana would not cut. I filed the edge off and use it for Iaido.
The wakazashi came with rounded bevels new in the box. I decided on a full polish with hard stones to reset the angles and get a crisper look. It cut better than the katana but if I screwed up it would not be a great loss.
Starting with 220 grit for shaping then to 325 mesh to start the polishing.
Sword (Wakazashi) getting reshaped for mat cutting.JPG
The tempering was already done and the stones grab the metal differently.
Sword (Wakazashi) temper line really slows down the reshaping.JPG
Now the 600 grit is done and starting on 1200.
1200 grit green in progress, two grits to go before soft polish.JPG
The final stone is 8000 grit.
Polishing compound will be rubbed on for final luster.

This is the same system used on my pocket knives, although the final wet look polish is not normally used. I find less drag with a 600 grit finish.
It will be about a month before everything is put back together. I will photograph the finished product.

I enjoy playing with knives, been that way since watching "Zorro" on TV when I was 6 years old.
doglegg
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by doglegg »

Now I have to wait a month to see the finished product, don't forget to show it when you are finished.
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Phaeton
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by Phaeton »

This is not the sheath knife or folder I am used to working with. Costing $500 fifteen years ago, I worried about taking too much metal off. A distinct possibility as I destroyed many functional knives with my habit of grinding blindly full speed ahead.
After getting a bit of a shine I noticed areas that really needed more blending to get the lines needed, too much caution, so...

Pretty much rescuffed the entire blade as well as a major reshaping of the tip. Once again it is ugly, but the lines are much more pleasing up close and personal.
One side at a time is being done for before and after pictures. The coating applied to make the hamon white has been buffed off the original side, leaving the actual metal surface. The finer grain of the temper will show quite well with a smooth flat polish.

Both sides of the tip are shown, the camera does not really pick up on how rounded the grind originally was. Close to a sixteenth of an inch had to be removed to make the flat actually flat.
2.JPG
3.JPG
Almost a bit too much for a beginner, but it sure is fun.
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Quick Steel
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by Quick Steel »

15 years ago $500 should have gotten a blade of decent steel that would cut quite well. Or was the money for all 3 blades?
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Phaeton
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by Phaeton »

The blades were plenty sharp but the handle configuration on the Katana made it difficult to get a slicing motion.
Between the bad handle angle and the ultra large fuller the blade just would not cut.
Sharp practice cutter, sharp competition cutter, blunted class use, wood boken.JPG
The swords are all at the same angle but the handle on the blue one is against the curve of the blade. The cutting sword above it has the handle and blade in the same curve. The practice cutter on top is in between, it still cuts well but does not allow laziness. The temper line did not have the coating removed on the Katana (top blade), used in class, it needed to look good.
Temper line on blunted sword still has coating.JPG
It whistled so well when doing forms I took a stone and flattened the edge so it could be used in class. It took awhile, the steel is hard.
Extremely fast, loud, and showy, this became my favorite blade for belt tests. The Wakazashi has a similar problem, it is way way too light to be effective but is very good steel. The three piece set was approx $1200 in 2003. It is a pretty set but too light and not designed for real cutting.
Bare steel.JPG
The top three swords are the users. Through hardened 1065 steel, the Raptor is American made and will take bad cuts on hard trees without damage. The Hanwei HWS2 blade on the competition cutter is powder steel with high carbon edge and lower carbon back. It compares favorably with the folded steel Lion Dog from Bugei which my daughter uses.
The last of the three is an Iaido blade for drawing practice, stainless steel, it would shatter with any hard impact.
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Quick Steel
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by Quick Steel »

A very interesting post.Thanks for the photos.
Tony_Wood
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by Tony_Wood »

Phaeton wrote: Sun May 20, 2018 5:14 pm The blades were plenty sharp but the handle configuration on the Katana made it difficult to get a slicing motion.
Between the bad handle angle and the ultra large fuller the blade just would not cut.Sharp practice cutter, sharp competition cutter, blunted class use, wood boken.JPG The swords are all at the same angle but the handle on the blue one is against the curve of the blade. The cutting sword above it has the handle and blade in the same curve. The practice cutter on top is in between, it still cuts well but does not allow laziness. The temper line did not have the coating removed on the Katana (top blade), used in class, it needed to look good.Temper line on blunted sword still has coating.JPG It whistled so well when doing forms I took a stone and flattened the edge so it could be used in class. It took awhile, the steel is hard.
Extremely fast, loud, and showy, this became my favorite blade for belt tests. The Wakazashi has a similar problem, it is way way too light to be effective but is very good steel. The three piece set was approx $1200 in 2003. It is a pretty set but too light and not designed for real cutting.
Bare steel.JPG The top three swords are the users. Through hardened 1065 steel, the Raptor is American made and will take bad cuts on hard trees without damage. The Hanwei HWS2 blade on the competition cutter is powder steel with high carbon edge and lower carbon back. It compares favorably with the folded steel Lion Dog from Bugei which my daughter uses.
The last of the three is an Iaido blade for drawing practice, stainless steel, it would shatter with any hard impact.
Would love to see more of this tanto, the smallest of the bunch.

Nice collection.
https://m.facebook.com/sheepsfootknives/?ref=bookmarks

Instagram: #sheepsfootknivesbytwood
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Phaeton
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by Phaeton »

I interrupted the refinishing with a heart attack. Spent nine months doing very little other than dealing with my health.
The Wakazashi is serviceable and cuts well. Some of the fine detailing got ignored. I forgot about it until I saw this thread come up.
Cloud reflection is in better focus than the blade.JPG
All the grind lines are smaller than 2500 grit but could use many more hours of blending before the finish could be considered exceptional.
Preservative coating proctically invisible at this angle.JPG
Still and all, the reflections of clouds and sky and even my arm holding the camera are fairly clear even with the coating of silicon preservative slimed over all metal parts.
Hamon shows through the silicon grease coating.JPG
Usually use clove oil but with the health problems going on the swords may end up staying in their sheaths for a long period of time. The silicon is guaranteed for two years of adverse conditions.

The hamon shows very well considering only the grain size rather than chemical etching is making it visible. This was the last of any projects involving precision work with sharp edges. Being shaky causes too much blood when reshaping entire blades. Sharpness is on a par with a straight razor, the edge is zero ground from the spine and polished with a hard stone.
Relection of arm and sky through silicon preservative.JPG
Now I have more pretty knives that are relatively unused.
doglegg
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by doglegg »

Phaeton wrote: Sun Jun 07, 2020 1:37 pm I interrupted the refinishing with a heart attack. Spent nine months doing very little other than dealing with my health.
The Wakazashi is serviceable and cuts well. Some of the fine detailing got ignored. I forgot about it until I saw this thread come up.
Cloud reflection is in better focus than the blade.JPG
All the grind lines are smaller than 2500 grit but could use many more hours of blending before the finish could be considered exceptional.
Preservative coating proctically invisible at this angle.JPG
Still and all, the reflections of clouds and sky and even my arm holding the camera are fairly clear even with the coating of silicon preservative slimed over all metal parts.
Hamon shows through the silicon grease coating.JPG
Usually use clove oil but with the health problems going on the swords may end up staying in their sheaths for a long period of time. The silicon is guaranteed for two years of adverse conditions.

The hamon shows very well considering only the grain size rather than chemical etching is making it visible. This was the last of any projects involving precision work with sharp edges. Being shaky causes too much blood when reshaping entire blades. Sharpness is on a par with a straight razor, the edge is zero ground from the spine and polished with a hard stone.
Relection of arm and sky through silicon preservative.JPG

Now I have more pretty knives that are relatively unused.
Great looking blade!!! ::nod:: ::nod:: And glad that you are progressing as well. ::handshake::
Tony_Wood
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by Tony_Wood »

Great looking polish job on those swords.
I bumped this thread because I am interested in the rant pictured above.
Do you still have it?
https://m.facebook.com/sheepsfootknives/?ref=bookmarks

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GSPTOPDOG
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Re: Wakazashi full polish

Post by GSPTOPDOG »

Wow!!! :shock: Thanks for the photos.
Please visit my AAPK store: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... er_id=2383

They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
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