to reveal the grain structures by further removing scratches left from previous stones. Two stones and sub-processes are used here; the hatō and jito.
The hatō stones are used mainly on the hamon with sparing application on the rest of the blade. Mr. Abe explains, “the brightness of the niōi-guchi, the length and visibility of the ashi and hataraki in the ha, all depend on the effectiveness of the hatō polishing stage.”
While the hatō stones improve the areas within the hamon, the jito stones are used to further refine the jigane, or grain-showing areas behind the hamon. Again, Mr. Abe clarifies this process saying, “As the jigane [grain properties] is different in all periods and schools, it is necessary for the polisher to bring out the characteristics associated with those schools.” The jito stage is the final process in which the blade is moved over the stone.
When the polisher completes his initial work with the blade it goes to the kōshirae/habaki maker, yet another highly skilled and specialized craftsman. The habaki must meet very exacting requirements. The habaki is not only functional, but aesthetically beautiful as well. It serves to wedge the sword safely in the scabbard by pressing outward on the inside surfaces of the opening, or the koigūchi’s habaki-būkūrō (habaki-bag). It also helps to keep the sword’s surfaces from scraping along the insides of the saya. If other fittings are required, they would likely be made and fitted by another craftsman. When the fittings are complete they would be delivered to the saya maker for inclusion and fitting onto the overall scheme of the furniture.
The saya maker is responsible for providing a resting place for the sword. The saya must be a good fit, not allowing the blade to rattle around inside. If the saya is made too tightly, however, the blade’s surface will be scuffed, ruining the polish. The scabbard is made of hōnōki wood, the Japanese equivalent of magnolia. The primary reason hōnōki wood is used is that it is soft enough that it won’t scratch the polish of the blade. Hōnōki is also preferred because it can be worked easily for a perfect fit and has low sap content.4 All of these traits make hōnōki the best choice for storing and preserving nihōntō.
Images 1–4 illustrate the process of foundation polishing (shita-ji-tōgi) in which the sword’s shape is refined by moving the blade over a series of abrasive stones.
When the wood is selected for saya making, the craftsman avoids irregular, knotty or gnarled pieces. The general outline of the saya and tsūka are cut out of the board as one long form. This creates a rectangular, but curved “blank,” from which the saya and tsūka will be cut. The blank is then cut down the middle lengthwise to create two halves. Each half is smoothed and prepared for chiseling. The bare sword blade is used to trace an outline on each half of the scabbard/tsūka blank. Using the outline of the sword, the saya maker carefully chisels ribbons of wood out of what will become the hollow of the scabbard. He repeats the process of hollowing out half-a-blade’s-width out of the other side.
When the two halves are hollowed out, the saya maker glues the halves together with a weak rice glue, which allows future splitting for maintenance. The same process is repeated for the tsūka, creating a custom, tight fit. When the tsūka is glued together the mekūgi-ana is drilled, and the mekūgi is positioned so as to hold the sword in the tsūka. The two halves, with the blade inserted, are then sealed together. With the pieces all assembled, the craftsman scribes lines down the length of the tsūka and saya. He uses these lines to carve and shape the outside of the tsūka and saya. In the case of a storage shirasaya, the finished shape can be octagonal or oval.
If kōshirae are requested, the saya maker is one of the many craftsmen who could accommodate them into his design and fit them onto the finished product. The saya may require lacquering and possibly other decorative additions.
All of the sword’s fittings must be carefully chosen for the finished product. Generally speaking the kōshirae follow an elegant theme and are designed to be used as a set. Swords whose fittings have been retrofitted and consequently have the design themes interrupted are considered to be less appealing.5 Everything from the application of same (belly skin of a ray) to the wrapping of the hilt, or tsūka, is considered to be essential to the completion of this piece of art. Whether the blade will receive a shirasaya or full fittings, once it has been furnished, it will be returned to the polisher for the final polishing stages.
Shiage-tōgi: From here on, the polisher will hold the blade and carefully move small finger-stones and tools over its surfaces. Here, the fine-art qualities emerge slowly. These processes require careful selection and application of stones for a given blade. Any mistakes at this stage would likely require the polisher to go back several steps to reset the surface. Shiage-tōgi subtasks include:
a. Working with the jizūya stones, b. Applying nūgūi solution, c. Hadōri, d. Migaki (burnishing), and e. Finishing the tip with sūjikiri and narūme.
The jizūya process is known for its application of finger-stones. Here, Mr. Abe takes wafer-thin pieces of narutaki and cuts them into miniscule pieces. See photo 5 below. Carefully transferring them onto his thumb, Mr. Abe rubs the hiraji methodically. He explains, “The brightness of the jigane, and the fineness of the hada is obtained by the quality, hardness and thickness of the age-jizūya used. To bring out the subtle characteristics of a fine hada is of great importance to the finished polish. The polisher has to know when to stop bringing out the hada or it will become too prominent.” He indicates that it takes a great deal of knowledge and experience to know what stone to use and how long to use it to bring produce a fine hada.
Images 5–8 illustrate the process of finish polishing (shiage-tōgi) in which the sword’s surface is smoothed by painstakingly moving finger stones over the blade.
The next step in the polisher’s task is to apply an iron-oxide and clove oil solution called nūgūi. This mixture is dabbed along the length of the blade and then rubbed into the steel using a cotton ball. See photo 8 on the previous page. The purpose of this is to homogenize the color of the jigane and give the correct tone to the steel. The school, era, and type of the sword are all factors that must be considered when determining how much nūgūi to apply. Nūgūi will not brighten the blade so it takes experience to know what is the right amount.
The waves of the hamon are the accentuated by the polisher. Here the polisher must decide how he will enhance the overall flow of the real hamon. Whitening the area of the hamon is called hadōri.
This process also highlights the crystalline structures, called niōi and nie, making them bright and clearly discernable. Mr. Abe explains, “Every hamon follows a rhythm or melody line that is indicative of the smith that constructed it.”
Images 9–14 illustrate the final, critical steps in polishing the blade. Here the temperline pattern is artfully accentuated, the finish is burnished to a high luster, and the tip is delineated.
Before actually performing hadōri, Mr. Abe does something rare in the world of sword polishing. He uses a mixture of powdered deer antler to paint the hadōri-line onto the blade. See photo 9 on page 42.This is a special technique he learned as part of the Ono School of sword polishing, a trademark of Ono Kokei, the Living National Treasure sword polisher. In essence, this step allows the polisher to foresee what the hadōri will look like when completed and make any last minute changes to his stone selection, line creation, and so on. The goal of creating the hadōri is to create a gracefully
