The Art of Sword Polishing — How Togishi Reveal a Blade's Beauty

Japanese sword polishing is a highly skilled craft performed by specialists called togishi.

Purpose of polishing: Polishing isn't just about restoring sharpness. Its primary purpose is to reveal the blade's aesthetic elements — the jihada grain, hamon pattern, and utsuri — to their fullest beauty.

Foundation polishing (shitaji-togi): Starting with coarse stones and progressing to finer ones, the togishi shapes the blade's form. This stage determines the sword's overall silhouette, demanding both artistic vision and technical skill.

Finish polishing (shiage-togi): Uchigumori stone reveals the jihada, hazuya enhances the hamon, followed by jizuya, narume, and burnishing stages to complete the work.

Cost and timeline: Polishing a single sword can take several months to over half a year. Costs range widely from several thousand to tens of thousands of yen per centimeter of blade length, depending on condition and finish level.

Polishing profoundly affects a sword's value. In the hands of a skilled togishi, a dormant masterpiece can be brought back to life.