We have a request from customers how to use hazuya/jizuya to polish their blade. Then we introduce just an easy way to use it.
Previously the blade has to be honed with Uchigumori stone completely, to get enough effect of hazuya. The foundation work is necessary before the finishing work, but it is difficult for amateur polisher.
We suppose the case that you find a blade with some thin rust or stain, and you want to see the real hamon. In such case, the information in this page may be useful.
At first, clean the working area, prepare a full bucket of clean water.
HAZUYA is a very thin Uchigumori stone fixed with the paper.
Cut hazuya into the size for use. Take knife carefully, not to brake that thin stone.
Grind the hazuya on some natural stone to have the thickness for use.
Rinse it in clean water to remove rough grids completely.
Put some drops of water on the hamon, and put the hazuya on it.
Put your thumb on the hazuya, and move it with vibrate action. Other fingers are settled and sliding on the back of the blade.
The vibration is parallel move to the blade length, and smaller amplitude is better.
You may be able to vibrate your thumb shorter than 1cm.
Move the polishing area slowly from the temper line to the very edge, and from the very edge to the temper line, again and again.
If the hazuya works well, the water around hazuya becomes black with steel juice.
When you polish the area completely, move to the next area.
If you want to clean the ji, you can polish there with thin hazuya that has become smooth by using on hamon area.
Your thumb will learn the vibrate action with even pressure, small and smooth move, to get a good result.
The finish appearance can change by the terms of selecting of hazuya stone, thickness of it, pressure of your thumb, alkaline of the water, thickness of the steel juice, and etc.
It might be a little difficult for beginners to get an even finish on the whole of the blade.
Anyhow, a blade with hazuya finish is very good to study, because all the appearance are brought up honestly.
The specific stone to polish ji is jizuya.
Jizuya is made of Narutaki stone. It is harder and denser than Uchigumori stone.
Some craftsmen make it without papering, and some make it with paper like hazuya. There are several ways to make jizuya stone, and craftsmen have various ways for each of blades.
The way of using jizuya stone is almost same to the way of hazuya, but far more difficult.
Comparing to hazuya work, the terms those related with the result are more complicated, and the skill is more delicate.
Polish the blade surface except for hamon area to get a clear colour on the steel.
But most of beginners' challenge can end with full of scratches.
Hazuya/jizuya is made by the craftsman who use it. Making hazuya/jizuya is a part of its work.
There are various kinds in Uchigumori stone and Narutaki stone. To select the stone for hazuya/jizuya is very important to construct polishing work. Craftsmen can feel the stone quality through hazuya/jizuya making, and think how to make them and how to use them.
In other words, no one can use hazuya/jizuya without making it.
(=> making hazuya/jizuya)
Craftsmen have various kinds of hazuya/jizuya. Usually craftsmen choose two or three kinds of jizuya for one blade, and use each of them in the steps of jizuya polishing to get expectant result.
