DIY Sword Sharpening Kit

This tutorial will show you how to make a sword sharpening kit at home using nothing more than a couple of blocks of wood, some clamps, a workbench and a diamond sharpener - and get a uniform and even edge geometry and sharpening for pennies on the dollar.

Sounds too good and too simple to be true, but this easy DIY method can be used to get extremely consistent results without spending a fortune on sword sharpening services (many of which will charge hundreds of dollars per inch and are really only appropriate for antiques worth tens of thousands of dollars).

So let's take a look at what is involved - you will be surprised to learn just how easy and just how good a result you can get with this simple but effective method.

DIY Sword Sharpening Kit AKA the Poor Man's Sharpening Rack

Idea and instructions by SBG member TheMu

Practice is basically the same as with a normal sword sharpening kit on the market.

Two supporting points that keep the sharpening angle constant throughout the sharpening process. I'm using wood planks and clamps that are cheap and easy to get. Wood planks can be adjusted and carved in the shape and angle required to fit the particular blade shape and edge geometry.

I wanted to get rid of all the niku (blade meat) so I used a straight wood plank, to which I attached a diamond sharpener with nails (nails are in deep and won't scratch the blade). I think it is possible to preserve the niku if the wood plank is first carved in curved shape that matches the niku.

Of course then you would also have to bend your sharpener, but with this type of diamond sharpeners it's not a problem.

I have cheap diamond sharpeners with three different levels of coarseness for rough work and one super fine high quality one for finishing.

I hope this makes sense. Thank you.

Oh, and if you try this, use protective (cut resistant) gloves.

Pretty nifty idea right? And by using the blocks and set angles, it is possible to remove the 'human factor' from sword sharpening to get an incredibly sharp (or to any level of sharpness you require) and most importantly - a nice consistent edge.

Give it a try on a cheap sword first and see how you go. There really are an endless number of ways to sharpen a sword, to key is to try out as many as you can until you find the one that works best for you, and then just keep on practicing until you can take a sword from completely blunt to hair shaving sharp in the shortest time possible without damaging the blade or ruining the polish. And this is one such technique you can add to your sharpening arsenal.