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Katana Maintenance
    Katana Cleaning
    Mekugi Replacement
    Katana Disassembly
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    Sharpening Guide
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Katana Maintenance Information

This section covers various pages discussing maintenance of the Japanese Katana.  If you have any questions just email me at info@toyama-ryu.com and we will be glad to discuss any topic.  The dojo store offers full sharpening, repair, and customization services to keep your katana in top working order.

The Konjaku Kioi Toyama Ryu Dojo, its employees, and associated companies are not responsibility for an injury, damage or loss incurred by following any advice given on this site.  Katana are dangerous objects and the utmost care should be given when working with them.

• Sword Cleaning: Katana must be cleaned immediately after tameshigiri and at the end of class.  Unlike most decorative wall hangers - real katana rust!  If the blade is touched - it needs to be immediately cleaned unless you want to personalize your blade with rust fingerprints.
   
• Mekugi Replacement: A traditional nihonto (Japanese made sword) is held together with a single small bamboo peg called a mekugi.  They are not riveted, glued, or screwed together.  A samurai staked his life on that one small peg.  Two or three poorly done mekugi are not as good as a single properly done one.  Special classes are offered in the dojo that cover this topic.
   
• Katana Disassembly: A proper katana can be disassembled for inspection, repair, or a thorough cleaning.  It is also fairly easy to customize you katana by swapping tsuba.  This guide will walk you through the steps of disassembling your katana.
   
• Is my sword sharp?: This section discusses what makes a sword dull and how you can test the edge.  A sword can feel sharp and still not cut.  A good katana should keep an edge for about 6 months of moderate use.
   
• Edge Geometry: This section discusses proper and improper edge geometry for tameshigiri.  How the cutting planes of the katana affect how it cuts through targets and what edges are good for different types of targets.
   
• Sharpening Guide: This section has step by step instructions on how to sharpen your own sword using Japanese Water Stones.  Special classes are offered in the dojo that cover this topic.
   
• Sharpening Service: Don't want to try sharpening your own sword?  Find out how you can have your martial art katana sharpened for a reasonable rate.  This link goes to the Nihonzashi web site.