Sword Engraving
Katanas are pieces of art. They are no longer used as Weapons by the legendary Samurai, but they are still made in responses to requests of collectors and Samurai trainees, who tend to keep the legend alive. Requesting Katana is to indicate to the sword smith the purpose of the requested sword, that means the piece will be a decorative item or a functional item -used for training or for displays- and the sword smith will propose his conception and its pre-design of the sword, starting with the Material type to use for making the blade, till the material and the ornaments of the Seppa; the Katana holder is able to choose within a list of pieces the ones he suits the most and those fitting his budget. But the most obvious customizable feature of the Katana is the Engraving works. Sword Engraving is one discipline that is fully dictated by the Katana holder; he can tell the things to engrave and choose the language to print it. Of course, there are rules and techniques to apply Sword Engraving and there are charges estimated and determined by the sword smith to have the customization done. Though it is the Katana holder absolute choice, Sword Engraving is submitted to the Sword making laws.
Defining Sword Engraving
Sword Engraving is that process that leads to printing some visible patterns, Sketches or texts on different surfaces of the Katana. It is mainly about printing some patterns on the blade, especially in the area between the Hamon line and the Blood grove. It can be done near the Habaki emplacement. Sword Engraving is a service that the Katana holder cannot request without having priory requested a Katana, certainly the support to engrave. This operation is done according some principles which can vary from sword smith to another. Sword Smith can have the tradition to sign the Katana they make by engraving their names, dynasties, the dates and some private quotes. This operation is fully customizable, if the Katana is not signed, the Katana holder can request the signature of the sword smith and can provide some additional data to print on the blade through the Sword Engraving process. The operation is done according a definite process; there is a limited number of lines that are allowed to be printed on the blade, implicating a limited area to cover with the engraving, in order to preserve the blade parts individuality. Commonly, texts are printed in Japanese, but there are some providers who can engrave in other languages, but generally beside Japanese, English is the most frequent.
Sword Engraving Techniques:
Techniques of Sword Engraving:
Sword Engraving was made manually; this way requires a high proficiency level not to alter the blade surface because it is hard to recover a mistake; whether it is in the pattern or in the application of the process. Nowadays there are some other techniques that are applicable on material types used 
in Katana construction; there are, mechanical, electrical and laser Katana engraving.
All techniques share the first steps prior to begin Engraving. It is essential to prepare the surface to operate on, choose the perfect tools according to the thickness and the material type. When done then it is time to print the design or the text to engrave.
– Hand Sword Engraving:
It is the fact of using adequate Chisel to remove mass of material to print the pattern on the chosen surface. That operation is essentially conducted by highly proficient operator because any mistake condemns the whole design and may alter the Katana blade, if the engraving is operated there. Sketches are to follow with extreme attention; the details are to print with depth differences requiring a high accuracy and precision.
Using a little hammer, the chisel is conducted by along the printed shape 
to create the details of the design or the pattern to engrave. It is important to know that the materials types do not have the same toughness and solidity, which implicates the use of the fitting chisel otherwise it may be damaged or in worse cases damages the metal surface. The cleaning and polishing process is conducted after the engraving is done, to remove the metal debris and bring the surface to a uniform shape.
This technique has evolved by the introduction of the devices that may facilitate the Hand Sword Engraving. It is easier to use the Mechanical Engraver which has the chisel like tool incorporated; the invention of the Pneumatic system, but it is necessary to know the basics of traditional hand engraving to engage the mechanical processes.
– Electrical Chemical Sword Engraving:
This method is used for reproducing fast and authentic like sword engraving. It is based on the use of corrosive liquid that is stimulated by electricity. The blade is then placed within the circuit and the use of a particular material to that will carry the corrosive liquid and apply it on the area to engrave. In this way, closing the circuit will cause the liquid to eat in the desired area where the pattern has been already printed.
– Laser Sword Engraving:
Among the developed techniques, the use of Laser technology to engrave on metals is also applied for Engraving. The precision that results from the application of this technology is high and can be compared to the hand Engraved pattern.
All the developed techniques of Katana engraving process require the prior knowledge of the Hand Sword Engraving, because it is essential to train the hand to appreciate the reproduction of the patterns.
To preserve the traditional traits of Sword Engraving, it is preferable to proceed by Manual Blade Engraving; it produces unique designs and personalized results and not copies that the machine reproduces continually.
Customizing Sword Engraving:
This part of the katana making process is the most susceptible to customization because the Katana holder can request whatever he needs to engrave on the sword. But there are some Sword Engravers who have straight policies regarding what to engrave and where to engrave the patterns. The operation may implicate extra fees which differ according to the density and the material type. But thinking about that the Sword Engraving is to burn some memories within the pattern, it is worth the price.
“I love how the quality of their swords came out because no one will expect that an online shop like this can be able to pull off making a customized sword that is completely precise and exquisite. The materials used were beautiful, and every part of the sword had certain intricate designs which I could not ignore. Not only did they provide me with the best items but their contact service was great too. They were readily available and did not make you wait for a lengthy period which is very nice since they were an engaging crew. Also, they were really dedicated to their jobs because they provided information for most things; good communication and very pleasant!”
Kirk Edwards
“The customized swords here are 100% amazing; the items I had made was a own design sword, it is exceptionally astounding because of the quality materials they have used in creating such magnificent works of art. I am very pleased with the outcome of the items I purchased and Not only that but I can also comment on their customer service that they have been extremely helpful, enthusiastic, energetic and very proactive with the needs and wants of their customers; truly professional people who you would want to talk and do business with again. Next time I need or require a customized Katana, I will surely contact them again”
Klaus Richards
Absolutely recommended!!! I already ordered 3 swords and each time it was way better than I could imagine it in my mind! Thanks a lot for a professional service and attention to details.
Steven
“I decided to get a katana because I am a big fan of Japanese history and the movies, and games related to that really fascinate me. I also wanted have the design of my house renovated to turn it into an ancient Japanese-themed one, so I thought of collecting swords to display it in my home. So when I got my own katana, I was really surprised to get a great-looking sword! It was perfect for the Japanese design of my house! The quality of the craftsmanship is wonderful. I will definitely have another sword customized again for my collection.”
Sebastian
I ordered one and expected that the sword would be ok and nothing compared to original, but when I received my package and saw the weapon itself, I was surprised to see an amazing katana which had the feel of a real samurai sword. Anyone would expect that these types of items bought online would be made in a mediocre way but not here because they only give you the finest quality katana’s anyone could ask for. After this, I’m sure to order more swords from you guys, great job!”
Matthew