I was working with a katana once and my right index finger barely touched the tip and I hardly felt the touch on top of that yet I managed to cut the finger about 2 inches. Just goes to show how safety is indeed very important.
Sorry Ed....I can't compete with that. Amazing pics though! Belt sander, then hand sand, then a double sided wetstone. As long as I keep up with it on the stone, I rarely have to sand.