I watched a hour show on the Japaneseicon sword polishers. It is a 10 year apprenticeship done in the traditional method of living in the Masters home and getting paid a pittance well doing it. They basically spend 10 years with various stones and oils rubbing it back and forth exceptionally carefully. It is a art to be sure but my god I can't imagine having that be your life. Apparently there is a bit of a shortage because the demand from collectors has increased and the amount of people trained in the methods of doing it properly are going down significantly.