Originally Posted by
freyguy
I would suspect that blades where kept and sharpened much like they are today. In fact, if you were to look at percentages, I bet more people today who use straight razors don't know how to keep a sharp edge as compared to the generations before us. I think it is due to how easy it is to send your blade out for honing.
Lets give the generations before us a little more credit. A lack of modern technology didn't stop the japanese from making one of, if not the most kick ass swords of all time. Also I suspect more people back then were trades people, good at working with their hands, so I bet they knew how to keep a blade in good shape.