After heat treatment the blades are ground and polished to a smooth and flawless finish; this lengthy process involves lots of time, the use of 5 grades of machine belts and up to 8 grades of abrasive papers.
The final step is to etch the blade (specifically for Damascus and pattern-welded materials) to highlight the patterning of the different materials by the use of Ferric Chloride, Sulphuric or Hydrochloric Acid.
Final sharpening is only then undertaken via series of 5 grades of Japanese water stones and finished on a strop.
The blade following the initial grinding after hardening and tempering to remove areas of scale
Grinding the final bevels and edges starting with a 400 grit stone
A selection of Japanese water stones from 800 to 8000 grit used to get the final mirror finished edge