Katana Polishing

The blade you will work on may be centuries old. The master choosing to teach on whatever is in front of him that day: blades brought in by families, by collectors, by shrines.

This master has spent decades working on blades that travel to him from across Japan. He is one of the country's most famous master polishers, as well an appraiser authorized to write provenance documentation: official records of era, condition, and lineage. Sessions with him are extremely limited.

You’ll move through a sequence of progressively finer whetstones, each stage changing how the steel takes light. Posture, coordination, and pressure determine the outcome. The master adjusts everything as you go.

The hamon is the temper line that runs along the edge of the blade, formed during the hardening process and unique to each katana, considered one of the most important traits of a genuine katana. It, and the blade’s edge, is brought to life through this process of polishing.

What you carry from the session is as much how deeply the master knows katana, the hundreds of hours behind every blade, as well as everything you’ll learn with your hands.

Please note this experience requires significant time sitting and bending over low objects and is not recommended for those with back conditions.