This could be translated to a subspecies of the gear in question, it wouldn't be tied to leveling the user, but progress and usage of the gear.

(-Amateur 1, Amateur 2, Amateur 3, Jounreyman 1 Jounreyman 2, Jounreyman 3, Master-) User Rank: you level this up by leveling 5 swords to level 10 quality for A1 to A2.

To level up swords quality, you have to make the sword(think when you make the sword, its a new skill), then use and make copys of it, but you have to desire it to be be stronger then the last, when it levels up, its strength, durability, ability, and quality goes up.

This is heavily reflective of how the user views the sword in question, as an extention of themselves, a friend always by your side, or a tool.

Strength and Durability reflect swords quality, Ability reflects the magic ability(s) the sword was made with, when it levels up, depending on how the user was feeling and desiring and affect the Magic Ability as it levels up, Quality can reflect apon the swords body and what makes it.

You can take and use existing material to craft a sword, and it will be saved to the gear for that sword to was used to make.

You can combine multiple weapons together to forge a much stronger weapon, but this weapon has a chance to not be saved to the gear, and there go can't be leveled up.(think how the ritual that Valper guy did to 'reforge Excalibur')

A higher level sword may develope a spirit of its own, and increase its power vastly.

Exp.
Fire Iron sword:
level 1
Strength 7
Durability 5
Ability: Fire aura 1 (a aura of Fire Mana coats the blade, inflicts 12% fire damage)
Blaze Burst 1 (turning the Fire Aura into a burst of flames that push back opponents and attacks, inflicts 23% fire damage and 32% blast damage, takes time to charge up)
Quality: Iron 2
Fire 1(Minor flaw, decreases Durability of weapon when used too frequently)

Fire Iron Sword:
Level 10
Strength 16
Durability 20
Ability: Fire Aura 6 (an Aura of Fire Mana Saturates the blade, inflicts 27% fire damage)
Blaze Burst 4 (turns the Fire Aura into a burst of flames that push back opponents and attacks, Inflicts 39% fire damage and 65% blast damage)
Precise Slash Fire 3 (a Blaze burst thats concentrated into a Slash, can threaten to cut through it pushes back, inflicts 32% fire damage, inflicts 42% blast damage, inflicts 27% Penetration Damage)
Quality: Iron 9
Heatproof 5 (negates affect of extreme temperatures affecting the blade to a degree)
Fire 6

A1 to A2 is level 1-10, A2 to A3 is level 10-20, A3 to J1 is level 20-40, J1 to J2 is level 40-60, J2 to J3 is level 60-80, J3 to M is level 80-100.