Customer Reviews

The Art of Japanese Sword Polishing

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I wish I had this book 20 years ago when I first started to investigate the art of polishing. This book provides a wealth of information on the technigues, the material and the different ways that can be used to get a sword polisihed. In fact, the diversity of the art is highlighted by the book and certainly dispells the notion that there is only one way to restore a blade. The section on foundation polish discusses how to achieve the proper shape without removing too much material. The different stones are described and how each is used to establish and refine the shape. The finishing section covers the range of materials and tools used to bring out the grain and tempered edge unique to the Japanese sword. It also shows the burnishing and how to highlight the boshi.
There are sections that talk about the history of polishing, the schools of polishing and interviews with several modern polishers. As always there is a note warning about the perils to the blade that can be inflicted by an inexperienced person. The book doesn't reveal all the secrets to the art, such as the various forms of nugui (other than the basic hadori and sashikomi formulas),what types of stones work best with each school or era, etc. But it certainly does provide a well documented, well photographed look at this art form. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Japanese swords.

After reading the book entitled "The Art of Japanese Sword Polishing" I now have a much clearer and detailed understanding of the process used by traditional Japanese sword polishers. The book takes the reader though all of steps from the foundation polish, used to shape and sharpen the blade, to the finish polish, which is used bring out the details of the steel and shape of the temper line, using good text and a fair number of detailed photographs. It includes some Japanese sword polish theory and how Japanese swords have changed over the historical periods. It also explains how the age of the sword can affect how the sword should be polished and what damage can and cannot be repaired by a polisher. In the last section of the book it contains a few profiles of professional Japanese sword polishers the authors of the book had interviewed which I enjoyed reading.
As someone who studies and appreciates the Japanese sword I found the book very helpful in educating me more about the process of how a Japanese sword is polished. I would recommended this book to anyone interested in learning in detail how Japanese swords are polished.

Men have always decorated their weapons. The main items being decorated in the United States have been guns. But in Japan it is the traditional Japanese sword. Being more of a land of tradition, the Japanese sword became more or less standardized in shape as long ago as the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and polishing the sword had to have followed shortly after that.

There are many books that describe the techniques of polishing and blueing guns. But this appears to be the first book available in English that discusses the polishing techniques used by Japanese craftsmen.

The Japanese practice is a strikingly different process than that used here. Polishing stones, not unlike whetstones but in far more diversity are used. A shop selling such stones is pictured with what appear to at least a couple of hundred different types of stones. And unlike here where stones are simply given numbers to indicate coarseness, in Japan they are given names.

The polishing area used with Japanese swords is a traditional form as well. It sits on the floor, and the polisher typically sits in a traditional position that most of us would find difficult to get into, and impossible to maintain for any period.

All in all, a fascinating book on techniques very different to those commonly used here.

No book could ever teach how to pollish a sword and this book does not try. What it does is lead the novice (or expert) through the complex and time intensive process of sword polishing. You will gain a better understanding of what the polisher (and sword maker) hope to achieve. Also covered are the basics of construction, shapes and terminology. Lots of detail into each step of the polish and what it is doing in bringing out the beauty of the blades construction, as well as some history and bios of current polishers. Great photos.

I would recomend this book who are deeply interested on the whole process of Japanes blademaking, what is follow the also highly appreciated forging of the blades.
The book will NOT teach You how to make the polish in practice,( I think based on the book one can try it, but I also think it is not possible to learn without a master's direct instruction ), but give You every theoretical knowledge in very details and very understandable way !

The book explain every step of the process, the sequence of the steps, what type of tools - as artifical and natural stones, powders, steel tools, oils, helping tools, etc. is used in the different steps. Explain how to modify the special polishing stones and how to use them.
The books shows the results of the different steps, effect of stones on good pictures, so You can understand the meaning of the steps and stone materials.
The descriptons explaining the polishing movements/directions of the blade and also the tools, in the different steps.
Explain some special methods for masking or special treating.
Make clear indication what has to be done and what should not be done, meanwhile the poishing.

My oppinion it is a must have for everybody who is a collector or just simply interested why the blades are looks like as they are, or why don't looks like as we would like to have.
Good theoretical explanation for everybody and also make appreciation for the sword polishers and their precise, heavily trained work.

This book is pretty good. While it will not make you a sword polisher, it does give an extremely detailed look at this fascinating process. In fact, there are a couple of charts pertaining to stone use and the order of application, including a picture for each stone effect on a given blade, and these pictures are worth solid gold in my opinion. This is because the only other way you will know how the steel will look after using a given stone is to actually use it on a sword, and this can for obvious reasons be quite expensive. Good practical knowledge in this book, and I might add that as far as I know it is the FIRST and ONLY book ever published in English to cover this paticular subject in so much detail. I strongly recommend this book for ANYONE who has an interest in polishing swords, and not just the Japanese ones either. This book has a WEALTH OF INFORMATION that will provide extra knowledge in the manipulation of steel. Extremely well written and just flat out terrific-BUY THIS BOOK NOW- YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!

This is the best English language book available on the subject of Japanese sword polishing. It sheds more light on the subject than any other source available. It is a must have for any student of traditional Japanese Samurai swords. David S. Hofhine, [...]

Very Informative Great book To lean about grades of stones and thier uses