Katana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that Uchigatana be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)
For other uses, see Katana (disambiguation).
Katana (
?
)
Katana on display at Okayama astle.
Type !"ord
Place of origin #apan
Production history
Produced
$uromachi period (%&'()%*+&)
to present
Specifications
Blade length appro,. -.)+& cm ((&.-)(/.+ in)
0he katana (
?
) is #apanese for backs"ord and often refers to the uchigatana after the
$uromachi period, "hich is a type of #apanese s"ord ( nihont
?
), also commonly
referred to as a 1samurai sword1,
2%3
and generally defined as the standard si4e moderately cur5ed
(as opposed to the older 1tachi1 style featuring more cur5ature) #apanese s"ord "ith a blade
length of greater than -. cm ((&.- inches).
2(3
0he katana is characteri4ed by its distincti5e appearance6 a cur5ed, slender, single edged blade,
circular or s7uared guard, and long grip to accommodate t"o hands.
2(3
It has historically been
associated "ith the samurai of feudal #apan, and has become reno"ned for its sharpness and
cutting ability.
Contents
2hide3
% 8tymology
( 9istory
& Forging and construction
: ;sage
o :.% ombat
o :.( !torage and maintenance
* O"nership and trade restrictions
o *.% ;nited Kingdom
o *.( <epublic of Ireland
- !ee also
o -.% !imilar #apanese s"ords
+ <eferences
/ Further reading
[edit] Etymology
In the strictest sense, the term katana in #apanese is applied to any kind of single=edged s"ord, of
any origin, and does not necessarily refer to a #apanese s"ord.
1Katana1 "as originally used as a general term for a single=edged s"ord ha5ing a 1sori1 or
cur5ature of the blade. While the 1sugata1 or form can take many shapes, including double
edged, the term is no" used incorrectly to describe nihont that are ( shaku (-.- mm > (: in) and
longer, also kno"n as 1dai1 or 1daito1 among Western s"ord enthusiasts.
0his distinguishes them from the straight=bladed chokut?, "hich "as brought from hina by "ay
of Korea.
2&3
0he chokut? is speculated to ha5e been the first 1sugata1 type the katana took on,
being modeled after the imported s"ords. 0his emergence of the first nihont? took place the
same time period as the beginning of #apanese feudalism and recognition of the daimyo or 1great
family1 in the late ninth century.
2:3
@ronounced kah-ta-nah, the kun'yomi (#apanese reading) of the kanAi , originally meaning dao
(s"ord) or knife>saber in hinese, the "ord has been adopted as a loan"ord by the @ortuguese
language.
2*3
In @ortuguese the designation (spelled catana) means 1large knife1.
2*3
Bs #apanese
does not ha5e separate plural and singular forms, both 1katanas1 and 1katana1 are considered
acceptable forms in 8nglish.
2-3
Bnother term, Daikatana, is a pseudo=#apanese term meaning 1large s"ord1, formed by a
mistaken reading of the kanAi (#apanese6 dait?), deri5ed from the hinese dadao. 0he
reading mistake comes from the different "ays #apanese KanAi can be read, depending on their
combination or not in a "ord. It has been used in some (8nglish=language) fictional "orks to
represent a kind of large katanaC the 5ideo game Daikatana, for e,ample used this pseudo=term
as its title. 0he correct name of this type of "eapon is tachi ( ) note the e,tra dot, and
different reading of ), and is different from ?tachi and nodachi.
0he 1$eitou1 are a rare class of katana, meitou meaning 1elebrated !"ord1 or 1Damed !"ord1.
0hey are pri4ed s"ords passed through generations, "on in battle, or gi5en as a gift out of
respect. $eitou are superior to ordinary katana in most aspects6 cutting, endurance, etc. $eitou
are more e,pensi5e, due to their 7ualityC typically handmade by reno"ned s"ord=smiths, the
$eitou gain their name through battle, long e,istence, and e5en royalty.
[edit] History
0he katana e5ol5ed as a sleeker and more compact alternati5e to the tachi. Its origins go at least
as far back as the Kamakura @eriod, "ith se5eral blades dated from that time residing in 5arious
national repositories.
Its gro"th in popularity is belie5ed to due the changing nature of close=combat "arfare. 0he
7uicker dra" of the s"ord "as "ell suited to combat "here 5ictory depended hea5ily on fast
response times. 0he katana further facilitated this by being "orn thrust through a belt=like sash
(obi) "ith the bladed edge facing up"ards. Ideally, samurai could dra" the s"ord and strike
do"n the enemy in a single motion.
2:3
@re5iously, the cur5ed tachi had been "orn "ith the edge
of the blade facing do"n and suspended from a belt.
2(32:3
0he length of the blade 5aried considerably during the course of its history. In the late %:th and
early %*th centuries, katana blades tended to be bet"een +. to +& cm ((+.- to (/.+ in) in length.
While during the early %-th century, the a5erage length "as closer to -. cm ((&.- in). Ey the late
%-th century, the a5erage length returned to appro,imately +& cm ((/.+ in).
0he katana "as often paired "ith a similar smaller companion s"ord, like a wakizashi or a sht
(essentially a short sword). It could also be "orn "ith the tant, an e5en smaller similarly shaped
knife. 0he katana and "aki4ashi "hen paired "ith each other "ere called the daish and they
represented the social po"er and personal honor of the samurai.
2(32:32+3
[edit] orging and construction
$ain article6 Katana construction
0he authentic #apanese s"ord is made from a speciali4ed #apanese steel called 10amahagane1
2/3

"hich consist of combinations of hard, high carbon steel and tough, lo" carbon steel.
2'3
0here are
benefits and limitations to each type of steel. 9igh=carbon steel is harder and able to hold a
sharper edge than lo"=carbon steel but it is more brittle and may break in combat. 9a5ing a
small amount of carbon "ill allo" the steel to be more malleable, making it able to absorb
impacts "ithout breaking but becoming blunt in the process. 0he makers of a katana take
ad5antage of the best attributes of both kinds of steel. 0his is accomplished through a number of
methods, most commonly by making a ;=shaped piece of high=carbon steel (the outer edge) and
placing a billet of lo"=carbon steel (the core) inside the ;, then heating and hammering them
into a single piece. !ome s"ord=makers use four different pieces (a core, an edge, and t"o side
pieces), and some e5en use as many as fi5e.
2:3
0he block of combined steel is heated and hammered o5er a period of se5eral days, and then it is
folded and hammered to s7uee4e the impurities out. Fenerally a katana is folded no more than
si,teen times, then it is hammered into a basic s"ord shape. Bt this stage it is only slightly
cur5ed or may ha5e no cur5e at all. 0he gentle cur5ature of a katana is attained by a process of
7uenchingC the s"ord maker coats the blade "ith se5eral layers of a "et clay slurry "hich is a
special concoction uni7ue to each s"ord maker, but generally composed of clay, "ater, and
sometimes ash, grinding stone po"der and>or rust. 0he edge of the blade is coated "ith a thinner
layer than the sides and spine of the s"ord, then it is heated and then 7uenched in "ater (some
s"ord makers use oil to 7uench the blade). 0he clay slurry pro5ides heat insulation so that only
the bladeGs edge "ill be hardened "ith 7uenching and it also causes the blade to cur5e due to
reduced lattice strain along the spine. 0his process also creates the distinct s"er5ing line do"n
the center of the blade called the hamon "hich can only be seen after it is polishedC each hamon
is distinct and ser5es as a katana forgerGs signature.
2:3
0he hardening of steel in5ol5es altering the microstructure or crystalline structure of that
material through 7uenching it from a heat abo5e /.. H (%,:+( HF) (bright red glo"), ideally no
higher than yello" hot. If cooled slo"ly, the material "ill break back do"n into iron and carbon
and the molecular structure "ill return to its pre5ious state. 9o"e5er, if cooled 7uickly, the
steelGs molecular structure is permanently altered. 0he reason for the formation of the cur5e in a
properly hardened #apanese blade is that iron carbide, formed during heating and retained
through 7uenching, has a lesser density than its root materials ha5e separately.
2:3
Bfter the blade is forged it is then sent to be polished. 0he polishing takes bet"een one and three
"eeks. 0he polisher uses finer and finer grains of polishing stones until the blade has a mirror
finish in a process called gla4ing.
2%.3
0his makes the blade e,tremely sharp and reduces drag
making it easier to cut "ith. 0he blade cur5ature also adds to the cutting po"er.
[edit] !sage
0he katanaGs uni7ue design and in particular its sharpness re7uire 7uite a fe" speciali4ed
precautions to handle it. Failure to obser5e these precautions can easily lead to damage to the
"eapon or se5ere inAury.
[edit] Com"at
!ee also6 Eatt?Autsu, Iaid?, IaiAutsu, KenAutsu, and !hinkendo
[edit] Storage and maintenance
If mishandled in its storage or maintenance, the katana may become irreparably damaged. 0he
blade should be stored in its sheath, cur5e do"n and edge facing up"ard to maintain the edge. It
is e,tremely important that the blade remain "ell=oiled, po"dered and polished, as the natural
moisture residue from the hands of the user "ill rapidly cause the blade to rust if not cleaned off.
0he traditional oil used is choAi oil (''I mineral oil and %I clo5e oil for fragrance). !imilarly,
"hen stored for longer periods, it is important that the katana be inspected fre7uently and aired
out if necessary in order to pre5ent rust or mold from forming (mold may feed off the salts in the
oil used to polish the katana).
2%%3
[edit] #wnership and trade restrictions
[edit] !nited Kingdom
Bs of Bpril (../, the Eritish go5ernment added s"ords "ith a cur5ed blade of *. cm ((. in) or
o5er in length (1and for the purposes of this sub=paragraph, the length of the blade shall be the
straight line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade1) to the Offensi5e Weapons
Order.
2%(3
0his ban "as a response to reports that !amurai s"ords "ere used in more than /.
attacks and : killings o5er the : preceding years.
2%&3
0hose "ho 5iolate the ban "ould be Aailed up
to si, months and charged a fine of J*,.... $artial arts practitioners, historical re=enactors and
people currently possessing such s"ords may still o"n them. 0he s"ord can also be legal
pro5ided it "as made in #apan before %'*:, or "as made using traditional s"ord making
methods. It is also legal to buy if it can be classed as a Gmartial artistGs "eaponG.
2%:3
0his ban
applies to 8ngland, Wales, !cotland and Dorthern Ireland.
[edit] $epu"lic of %reland
Bs of !eptember (..', the <epublic of Ireland introduced similar la"s to the ;nited Kingdom
restricting the o"nership of s"ords and other "eapons.
[edit] See also
#apanese s"ords
0atara (furnace)
Iaid?6 $artial art associated "ith the Katana
[edit] Similar &apanese swords
Kodachi, often called by the pseudo=#apanese term chisakatana or kogatana and
mistakenly labeled as a katana.
DinAato, a s"ord shorter than the katana that has the same si4e grips but is straighter "ith
a slight cur5e. 0he so=called 1DinAa !"ord1. It is also shorter "ith the same length
scabbard as the katana to fool samurai and be dra"n 7uickly "ith surprise.
0achi>Dodachi>Kdachi, often called by the pseudo=#apanese term daikatana and
mistakenly labeled as a katana.
Waki4ashi, the short blade usually "orn along "ith the katana in a daisho.
&apanese swordsmithing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(<edirected from Katana construction)
0his date $arch (.%% needs additional citations for 'erification(
@lease help impro5e this article by adding reliable references. ;nsourced material may be challenged and
remo5ed. (March 2011)
Lisual glossary of #apanese s"ord terms
&apanese swordsmithing is the labour=intensi5e bladesmithing process de5eloped in #apan for
5arious bladed "eapons including, Katana, "aki4ashi, tanto, yari, naginata, Ma (arro").
#apanese s"ord blades "ere often forged "ith different profiles, different blade thicknesses, and
5arying amounts of grind. Waki4ashi and tanto "ere not simply scaled=do"n katanaC they "ere
often forged in hira-zukuri or other such forms "hich "ere 5ery rare on katana.
Contents
2hide3
% omposition
o %.% 0amahagane
o %.( 8lemental composition
( onstruction
o (.% Forging
o (.( Bssembly
o (.& Feometry (shape and form)
o (.: 9eat treating
& Decoration
: @olishing
* $ountings
- $odern s"ordsmithing
+ ommercial folded steel s"ords
/ !ee also
' <eferences
%. 8,ternal links
[edit] Composition
[edit] Tamahagane
0amahagane (6
?
) is a type of #apanese steel. 0ranslated as 1Ae"el steel1, it is
mainly used to make !amurai s"ords, such as the katana, and some tools. 0he steel is made from
black sand.
Diagram of a tatara and bello"s
0he smelting process used is different from the modern mass production of steel. B clay 5essel
about : ft (%.( m) tall, %( ft (&.+ m) long, and : ft (%.( m) "ide is constructed. 0his is kno"n as a
tatara. Bfter the clay tub has set, it is fired until dry. B charcoal fire is started from soft pine
charcoal. 0hen the smelter "ill "ait for the fire to reach the correct temperature. Bt that point he
"ill direct the addition of iron sand kno"n as satetsu. 0his "ill be layered in "ith more charcoal
and more iron sand o5er the ne,t +( hours. Four or fi5e people need to constantly "ork on this
process. It takes about a "eek to build the tatara and complete the iron con5ersion to steel. When
the process is done they "ill break the clay tub and take out the steel bloom kno"n as a kera. Bt
the end of the process the tatara "ill ha5e consumed about %. short tons ('.% t) of satetsu and
%( short tons (%% t) of charcoal lea5ing about (.* short tons ((.& t) of kera, from "hich less than a
ton of tamahagane can be produced.
2%3
0amahagane
0he s"ordsmiths "ill carefully break the kera apart, and separate the 5arious carbon steels. 0he
lo"est carbon steel is called hocho=tetsu, "hich is used for the shingane, (translated as Ncore=
steelO) of the blade. 0he high carbon tamahagane and higher carbon steel, called nabe=gane, "ill
then be forged in alternating layers, using 5ery intricate methods to form the ka"agane (or, Nskin
steelO). 0he most useful process is the folding, "here the metals are forge "elded, folded, and
"elded again, as many as %- times. 0he folding remo5es impurities and helps e5en out the
carbon content, "hile the alternating layers combine hardness "ith ductility to create toughness.
2(32&32:3
0raditionally, tamahagane is only made three or four times a year by Dittoho and 9itachi
$etals
2*3
during "inter in a "ood building and is only sold to the master s"ordsmiths to use once
it is made.
[edit] Elemental composition
0he composition of steel used for the #apanese s"ord 5aried from smith to smith and lode to lode
of iron ore. One formula from World War II shin gunt? production "as as follo"s6
Elemental composition)
Iron '*.((I to '/.%(I
arbon ..%.I to &...I
opper %.*:I
$anganese ..%%I
0ungsten ...*I
$olybdenum ...:I
0itanium ...(I
!ilicon Larying amount
$iscellaneous
compounds
0race amount
[edit] Construction
0he forging of a #apanese blade typically took many days or "eeks, and "as considered a sacred
art, traditionally accompanied by a large panoply of !hinto religious rituals.
2-3
Bs "ith many
comple, endea5ors, rather than a single craftsman, se5eral artists "ere in5ol5ed. 0here "as a
smith to forge the rough shape, often a second smith (apprentice) to fold the metal, a specialist
polisher, and e5en a specialist for the edge itself. Often, there "ere sheath, hilt, and tsuba
specialists as "ell.
0he manner of the #apanese s"ordGs construction has influenced the de5elopment of #apanese
s"ordsmanshipPunlike "estern fencing, in "hich the blade edge is used both to strike and to
parry, parries in #apanese s"ordsmanship are made using the sides of the blade, because the
e,treme hardness and sharpness of the edge "ill almost al"ays result in chipping or breakage
"hen the edge strikes another edge in a parry.
[edit] orging
Katana made from tamahagane, sho"ing alternating layers of 5arying carbon content.
Forge scenes, print from a 8do period book, !"it4erland, $useum of 8thnography of DeuchQtel
0he steel for the s"ords is produced by smelting iron sand in a large clay furnace called a tatara.
0he steel bloom, or kera, produced contains steel that 5aries greatly in carbon content, ranging
from "rought iron to pig iron. 0hree types of steel are chosen for the bladeC a 5ery lo" carbon
steel called hocho=tetsu is used for the core of the blade, called the shingane. 0he high carbon
steel, called tamahagane, and the remelted pig iron, called nabe=gane,
2+3
are combined to form the
outer skin of the blade, called ka"agane.
2&32/32'3
Only about %>& of the kera produces steel that is
suitable for s"ord production.
2%.3
0he best kno"n part of the manufacturing process is the folding of the steel, "here the s"ords
are made by repeatedly heating, hammering and folding the metal. Fre7uently attributed to
specific #apanese smiths in legend, the process of folding metal to impro5e strength and remo5e
impurities, along "ith other steel technologies such as differential hardening, "ere "ell kno"n in
hina since at least the 9an Dynasty, and it is most likely that the method "as introduced to
#apan during the 0ang Dynasty, "hen the #apanese made a strong effort to recruit hinese smiths
and other craftsmen, and the period during "hich many fables attribute the in5ention of the
process to some #apanese smith or another. Furthermore, the repeated heating and folding of steel
for s"ords "as found in many other cultures. Its effecti5eness in purifying and homogeni4ing the
steel, creating higher 7uality s"ords than the 7uality of the a5ailable steel "ould other"ise ha5e
allo"ed, and the fact that it "as found in a "ide 5ariety of cultures, seems to suggest that folding
"as disco5ered separately in a number of instances and did not necessarily ha5e one single
origin.
In traditional #apanese s"ord making, the lo" carbon hocho=tetsu is folded se5eral times by
itself, to purify it. 0his produces the soft metal, called shingane, to be used for the core of the
blade. 0he high carbon tamahagane and the higher carbon nabe=gane are then forged in
alternating layers. 0he nabe=gane is heated, 7uenched in "ater, and then broken into small pieces
to help free it from slag. 0he tamahagane is then forged into a single plate, and the pieces of
nabe=gane are piled on top, and the "hole thing is forge "elded into a single block, "hich is
called the age=kitae process. 0he block is then elongated, cut, folded, and forge "elded again.
0he steel can be folded trans5ersely, (from front to back), or longitudinally, (from side to side).
Often both folding directions are used to produce the desired grain pattern.
2:3
0his process, called
the shita=kitae, is repeated from / to as many as %- times. Bfter (. foldings, ((
(.
, or about a
million indi5idual layers), there is too much diffusion in the carbon content, the steel becomes
almost homogenous in this respect, and the act of folding no longer gi5es any benefit to the steel.
2%%3
Depending on the amount of carbon introduced, this process forms either the 5ery hard steel
for the edge, called hagane, or the slightly less hardenable spring steel, called ka"agane, "hich
is often used for the sides and the back.
2:3
During the last fe" foldings, the steel may be forged into se5eral thin plates, stacked, and forge
"elded into a brick. 0he grain of the steel is carefully positioned bet"een adAacent layers, "ith
the e,act configuration dependent on the part of the blade for "hich the steel "ill be used.
Eet"een each heating and folding, the steel is coated in a mi,ture of clay, "ater and stra"=ash to
protect it from o,idation and carburi4ation. 0he clay, in turn, acts as a flu,, pulling impurities out
from bet"een the layers.
2&32:32/3
0his practice became popular due to the use of highly impure
metals, stemming from the lo" temperature yielded in the smelting at that time and place. 0he
folding did se5eral things6
Elacksmith scene, print from a 8do period book, $useum of 8thnography of DeuchQtel,
!"it4erland.
It pro5ided alternating layers of differing hardenability. During 7uenching, the high
carbon layers achie5e greater hardness than the medium carbon layers. 0he hardness of
the high carbon steels combine "ith the ductility of the lo" carbon steels to form the
property of toughness.
2(32%.3
It eliminated any 5oids in the metal.
It homogeni4ed the metal, spreading the elements (such as carbon) e5enly throughout =
increasing the effecti5e strength by decreasing the number of potential "eak points.
It burned off many impurities, helping to o5ercome the poor 7uality of the ra" #apanese
steel.
It created up to -*... layers, by continuously decarburi4ing the surface and bringing it
into the bladeGs interior, "hich gi5es the s"ords their grain (for comparison see pattern
"elding).
Fenerally, s"ords "ere created "ith the grain of the blade (called hada) running do"n the blade
like the grain on a plank of "ood. !traight grains "ere called masame-hada, "ood=like grain
itame, "ood=burl grain mokume, and concentric "a5y grain (an uncommon feature seen almost
e,clusi5ely in the Fassan school) ayasugi-hada. 0he difference bet"een the first three grains is
that of cutting a tree along the grain, at an angle, and perpendicular to its direction of gro"th
(mokume=gane) respecti5ely, the angle causing the 1stretched1 pattern. 0he blades that "ere
considered the most robust, reliable, and of highest 7uality "ere those made in the $ino
tradition, especially those of $agoroku Kanemoto. Ei4en tradition, "hich speciali4ed in
mokume, and some schools of Mamato tradition "ere also considered strong "arriorGs "eapons.
2citation needed3
[edit] *ssem"ly
In addition to folding the steel, high 7uality #apanese s"ords are also composed of 5arious
distinct sections of different types of steel. Kno"n in hina as ao gang (literally 1"rapped
steel1) since at least the 0ang Dynasty, this manufacturing techni7ue uses different types of steel
in different parts of the s"ord to accentuate the desired characteristics in 5arious parts of the
s"ord beyond the le5el offered by differentiated tempering.
0he 5ast maAority of modern katana and "aki4ashi are the maru (sometimes also called muku)
type "hich is the most basic, "ith the entire s"ord being composed of one single steel. 0he
kouse type is made using t"o steels, "hich are called hagane (edge steel) and shingane (core
steel). !onsanmai and shihozume types add the third steel, called ka"agane (skin steel). 0here
are almost an infinite number of "ays the steel could be assembled, "hich often 5aried
considerably from smith to smith.
2&3
!ometimes the hagane is 1dra"n out,1 (hammered into a
bar), bent into a G;G shaped trough, and the 5ery soft shingane is inserted into the harder piece.
0hen they are forge "elded together and hammered into the basic shape of the s"ord. Ey the end
of the process, the t"o pieces of steel are fused together, but retain their differences in
hardenability.
2(32&3
0he more comple, types of construction are typically only found in anti7ue
"eapons, "ith the 5ast maAority of modern "eapons being composed of a single section, or at
most t"o or three sections.
Bnother "ay is to assemble the different pieces into a block, forge "eld it together, and then
dra" out the steel into a s"ord so that the correct steel ends up in the desired place.
2:3
0his
method is often used for the comple, models, "hich allo" for parrying "ithout fear of damaging
the side of the blade. 0o make honsanmai or shihozume types, pieces of hard steel are added to
the outside of the blade in a similar fashion. 0he shihozume and soshu types are 7uite rare, but
added a rear support.
[edit] +eometry ,shape and form-
0his section does not cite any references or sources.
@lease help impro5e this article by adding citations to reliable sources. ;nsourced material may be
challenged and remo5ed. ("o#emer 2010)
B range of #apanese s"ord types, from left to right6 Daginata, 0surugi or ken, 0ant?, ;chigatana
and 0achi.
Bs #apan entered the bron4e age, the s"ords found in #apan "ere 5ery similar in shape to those
found in continental Bsia, i.e., hina or Korea, and the #apanese adopted the hinese con5ention
for s"ord terminology along "ith metallurgy and s"ordmaking technology, classifying s"ords
into the (either straight or cur5ed) single=edged 5ariety called tou and the (straight) double=
edged 5ariety called ken . 0here is some small o5erlap in that there "ere some double=edged
cur5ed s"ords such as 0ul"ars or !cimitars "hich "ere called 0ou, because the cur5ature meant
that the 1front1 edge "as used in the o5er"helming maAority of instances.
O5er time, ho"e5er, the single=edged s"ord "ith its characteristic cur5ature became so dominant
a style in #apan that tou and ken came to be used interchangeably to refer to s"ords in #apan and
by others to refer to #apanese s"ords. For e,ample, the #apanese typically refer to #apanese
s"ords as nihontou (1#apanese tou1 i.e. 1#apanese (single=edged) s"ord1), "hile the
character ken is used in such terms as kendo and kenAutsu. $odern formal usage often uses
both characters in referring to a collection of s"ords, for e,ample, in naming the 0he #apanese
!"ord $useum .
0he prototype of the #apanese s"ord "as the chokuto , or 1straight (single=edged) s"ord1, a
design that can be fairly described as a #apanese s"ord "ithout any cur5ature, "ith a handle that
is usually only a fe" inches long and therefore suitable for single=handed use only, "ith a s"ord
guard that is prominent only on the front ("here the edge is pointed) and back sides and
sometimes only on the front side of the s"ord blade, and "ith a ring pommel. 0his design "as
moderately common in hina and Korea during the Warring !tates and 9an Dynasties, fading
from popularity and disappearing during the 0ang Dynasty. B number of such s"ords ha5e been
e,ca5ated in #apan from gra5es dating back to the kofun period.
Bs the chokuto e5ol5ed into the #apanese s"ord as it is kno"n today, it ac7uired its characteristic
cur5ature and #apanese style fittings, including the long handle making it suitable for either one=
handed or t"o=handed use, the non=protruding pommel, and a tsua s"ord guard that protruded
from the s"ord in all directions, i.e., that is not a cross piece or a guard for the edge or edge and
back sides of the blade only but a guard intended to protect the hand on all sides of the blade.
0he shape of the #apanese tsua e5ol5ed in parallel "ith #apanese s"ordsmithing and #apanese
s"ordsmanship. Bs #apanese s"ordsmiths ac7uired the ability to achie5e an e,tremely hard
edge, #apanese s"ordsmanship e5ol5ed to protect the edge against chipping, notching, and
breakage by parrying "ith the sides or backs of s"ords, a5oiding edge=to=edge contact. 0his in
turn resulted in the need to protect the s"ord hand from a sliding blade in parries on the sides
and backs, i.e., parts of the blade other than the edge side, forming the rationale behind the
#apanese styled tsua, "hich protrudes from the blade in e5ery direction.
0his style of parrying in #apanese s"ordsmanship has also resulted in some anti7ue s"ords that
ha5e actually been used in battle, e,hibiting notches on the sides or backs of blades.
[edit] Heat treating
0his section does not cite any references or sources.
@lease help impro5e this article by adding citations to reliable sources. ;nsourced material may be
challenged and remo5ed. ("o#emer 2010)
9a5ing a single edge also has certain ad5antages, one of the most important being that the entire
rest of the s"ord can be used to reinforce and support the edge, and the #apanese style of s"ord
making takes full ad5antage of this. When finished, the steel is not 7uenched or tempered in the
con5entional 8uropean fashion i.e. uniformly throughout the blade. !teelRs e,act fle, and
strength 5ary dramatically "ith heat treating. If steel cools 7uickly it becomes martensite, "hich
is 5ery hard but brittle. !lo"er and it becomes pearlite, "hich bends easily and does not hold an
edge. 0o ma,imi4e both the cutting edge and the resilience of the s"ord spine, the techni7ue of
differentiated tempering, first found in hina during the first century E, is used6 the s"ord is
heated and painted "ith layers of clayPthe mi,ture being closely guarded trade secrets of the
5arious smiths, but generally containing clay and coal ash as the primary ingredientsP"ith a
thin layer or none at all on the edge of the s"ord ensuring 7uick cooling to ma,imi4e the
hardening for the edge, "hile a thicker layer of clay on the rest of the blade causing slo"er
cooling and softer, more resilient steel to allo" the blade to absorb shock "ithout breaking.
0his process also has t"o side effects that ha5e come to characteri4e #apanese s"ordsPfirst, it
makes the edge of the blade, "hich cools 7uickly and form martensite molecules, "hich "ill
actually cause the edge part of the blade to e,pand "hile the s"ord spine remains hot and pliable
for se5eral seconds, "hich aids the smith in establishing the cur5ature of the blade. !econd, the
differentiated heat treatment and the materials "ith "hich the steel comes into contact creates
different coloration in the steel, resulting in the !amon (fre7uently translated as 1tempering
line1 but really better translated as 1tempering pattern1), that is used as a factor to Audge both the
7uality and beauty of the finished blade. 0he differentiated !amon patterns resulting from the
manner in "hich the clay is applied can also act as an indicator of the style of s"ord making, and
sometimes also as a signature for the indi5idual smith.
[edit] .ecoration
Bnti7ue #apanese "aki4ashi s"ord blade sho"ing the horimono of a chrysanthemum.
B section of an anti7ue #apanese katana sho"ing t"o groo5es hi and the temper line hamon.
Blmost all blades are decorated, although not all blades are decorated on the 5isible part of the
blade. Once the blade is cool, and the mud is scraped off, the blade has designs and groo5es cut
into it. One of the most important markings on the s"ord is performed here6 the file markings.
0hese are cut into the tang, or the hilt=section of the blade, "here they "ill be co5ered by a hilt
later. 0he tang is ne5er supposed to be cleaned6 doing this can cut the 5alue of the s"ord in half
or more. 0he purpose is to sho" ho" "ell the blade steel ages. B number of different types of
file markings are used, including hori4ontal, slanted, and checked, kno"n as ichi-mon$i, ko-
su$ikai, su$ikai, -su$ikai, katte-agari, shinogi-kiri-su$ikai, taka-no-ha, and gyaku-taka-no-ha. B
grid of marks, from raking the file diagonally both "ays across the tang, is called higaki,
"hereas speciali4ed 1full dress1 file marks are called kesho-yasuri. Sastly, if the blade is 5ery
old, it may ha5e been sha5ed instead of filed. 0his is called sensuki. While ornamental, these file
marks also ser5e the purpose of pro5iding an une5en surface "hich bites "ell into the tsuka, or
the hilt "hich fits o5er it and is made from "ood. It is this pressure fit for the most part that
holds the tsuka in place during the strike, "hile the mekugi pin ser5es as a secondary method and
a safety.
!ome other marks on the blade are aesthetic6 signatures and dedications "ritten in kanAi and
engra5ings depicting gods, dragons, or other acceptable beings, called horimono. !ome are more
practical. 0he presence of a so=called 1blood groo5e1 or fuller does not in actuality allo" blood
to flo" more freely from cuts made "ith the s"ord. Fullers neither ha5e a demonstrable
difference in the ease of "ithdra"ing a blade nor do they reduce the sucking sound that many
people belie5e "as the reason for including such a feature in commando kni5es in World War II.
2%(3
0he groo5es are analogous in structure to an I beam, lessening the "eight of the s"ord yet
keeping structural integrity and strength.
2%(3
Froo5es come in "ide (o-hi), t"in narro" (%utasu$i-
hi), t"in "ide and narro" (o-hi ni tsure-hi), short (koshi-hi), t"in short (gomaushi), t"in long
"ith Aoined tips (shou-hi), t"in long "ith irregular breaks (kuichigai-hi), and halberd=style
(naginata-hi).
Furthermore the groo5es (al"ays done on both sides of the blade) make a "histling sound "hen
the s"ord is s"ung (the tachikaze ). If the s"ordsman hears one "histle "hen s"inging a
groo5ed katana then that means that Aust one groo5e is making the "histle. 0"o "histles means
that both the edge of the blade and a groo5e are making a "histle, and three "histles together
(the blade edge and both groo5es) "ould tell the s"ordsman that his blade is perfectly angled
"ith the direction of the cut.
[edit] Polishing
#apanese s"ord blade and sharpening stone and "ater bucket at (../ herry Elossom Festi5al,
!eattle enter, !eattle, Washington.
For more details on this topic, see #apanese s"ord polishing.
When the rough blade is completed, the s"ordsmith turns the blade o5er to a polisher called a
togishi, "hose Aob it is to refine the shape of a blade and impro5e its aesthetic 5alue. 0he entire
process takes considerable time, in some cases easily up to se5eral "eeks. 8arly polishers used
three types of stone, "hereas a modern polisher generally uses se5en. 0he modern high le5el of
polish "as not normally done before around %-.., since greater emphasis "as placed on function
o5er form. 0he polishing process almost al"ays takes longer than e5en crafting, and a good
polish can greatly impro5e the beauty of a blade, "hile a bad one can ruin the best of blades.
$ore importantly, ine,perienced polishers can permanently ruin a blade by badly disrupting its
geometry or "earing do"n too much steel, both of "hich effecti5ely destroy the s"ordGs
monetary, historic, artistic, and functional 5alue.
[edit] /ountings
For more details on this topic, see #apanese s"ord mountings.
In #apanese, the scabbard for a katana is referred to as a saya, and the handguard piece, often
intricately designed as an indi5idual "ork of art P especially in later years of the 8do period P
"as called the tsua. Other aspects of the mountings (koshirae), such as the menuki (decorati5e
grip s"ells), haaki (blade collar and scabbard "edge), %uchi and kashira (handle collar and
cap), kozuka (small utility knife handle), kogai (decorati5e ske"er=like implement), saya lac7uer,
and tsuka-ito (professional handle "rap, also named emaki), recei5ed similar le5els of artistry.
Bfter the blade is finished it is passed on to a mountings=maker, or sayashi (literally 1!heath
$aker1 but referring to those "ho make fittings in general). !"ord mountings 5ary in their e,act
nature depending on the era, but generally consist of the same general idea, "ith the 5ariation
being in the components used and in the "rapping style. 0he ob5ious part of the hilt consists of a
metal or "ooden grip called a tsuka, "hich can also be used to refer to the entire hilt. 0he hand
guard, or tsua, on #apanese s"ords (e,cept for certain t"entieth century sabers "hich emulate
Western na5iesG) is small and round, made of metal, and often 5ery ornate. (!ee koshirae&)
0here is a pommel at the base kno"n as a kashira, and there is often a decoration under the
braided "rappings called a menuki. B bamboo peg called a mekugi is slipped through the tsuka
and through the tang of the blade, using the hole called a mekugi-ana (1peg hole1) drilled in it.
0his anchors the blade securely into the hilt. 0o anchor the blade securely into the sheath it "ill
soon ha5e, the blade ac7uires a collar, or haaki, "hich e,tends an inch or so past the hand guard
and keeps the blade from rattling.
0he sheaths themsel5es are not an easy task. 0here are t"o types of sheaths, both of "hich
re7uire e,acting "ork to create. One is the shirasaya, "hich is generally made of "ood and
considered the 1resting1 sheath, used as a storage sheath. 0he other sheath is the more decorati5e
or battle="orthy sheath "hich is usually called either a $indachi-zukuri, if suspended from the
oi (belt) by straps (tachi=style), or a uke-zukuri sheath if thrust through the oi (katana=style).
Other types of mounting include the ky'-gunt, shin-gunt, and kai-gunt types for the
t"entieth=century military.
[edit] /odern swordsmithing
0his article may contain original research. @lease impro5e it by 5erifying the claims
made and adding references. !tatements consisting only of original research may be
remo5ed. $ore details may be a5ailable on the talk page. ((e)temer 200*)
0raditional s"ords are still made in #apan and occasionally else"hereC they are termed
1shinsakuto1 or 1shinken1 (true s"ord), and can be 5ery e,pensi5e. 0hese are not considered
reproductions as they are made by traditional techni7ues and from traditional materials.
!"ordsmiths in #apan are licensedC ac7uiring this license re7uires a long apprenticeship. Outside
of #apan there are a couple of smiths "orking by traditional or mostly=traditional techni7ues, and
occasional short courses taught in #apanese s"ordsmithing.
2%&3
0he only t"o #apanese=licensed
smiths outside of #apan are, Keith Bustin (art=name Dobuhira or Dobuyoshi) died in %''+, and
%+th Feneration Moshimoto Eladesmith $urray arter.
2%:3
B 5ery large number of lo"=7uality reproduction katana and "aki4ashi are a5ailableC their prices
usually range bet"een T%. to about T(... 0hese cheap blades are #apanese in shape onlyPthey
are usually machine made and machine sharpened, and minimally hardened or heat=treated. 0he
hamon pattern (if any) on the blade is applied by scuffing, etching or other"ise marking the
surface, "ithout any difference in hardness or temper of the edge.
2%*3
0he metal used to make
lo"=7uality blades is mostly cheap stainless steel, and typically is much harder and more brittle
than true katana. Finally, cheap reproduction #apanese s"ords usually ha5e fancy designs on
them since they are Aust for sho". Eetter=7uality reproduction katana typically range from T(..
to about T%... (though some can go easily abo5e t"o thousand for 7uality production blades,
folded and often traditionally constructed and "ith a proper polish
2%-3
), and high=7uality or
custom=made reproductions can go up to T%*...=T*.....
2%+3
0hese blades are made to be used
for cutting, and are usually heat=treated. 9igh=7uality reproductions made from carbon steel "ill
often ha5e a differential hardness or temper similar to traditionally=made s"ords, and "ill sho" a
hamonC they "onGt sho" a hada (grain), since theyGre not often made from folded steel.
B "ide range of steels are used in reproductions, ranging from carbon steels such as %.(., %.:.,
%.-., %.+., %.'*, and *%-., stainless steels such as :.., :(., ::., to high=end specialty steels
such as S- and D(. $ost cheap reproductions are made from ine,pensi5e stainless steels such as
::.B (often Aust termed 1::.1).
2%/3
With a normal <ock"ell hardness of *- and up to -., stainless
steel is much harder than the back of a differentially hardened katana, (9<*.), and is therefore
much more prone to breaking, especially "hen used to make long blades. !tainless steel is also
much softer at the edge (a traditional katana is usually more than 9<-. at the edge).
Furthermore, cheap s"ords designed as "all=hanging or s"ord rack decorations often also ha5e a
1rat=tail1 tang, "hich is a thin, usually threaded bolt of metal "elded onto the blade at the hilt
area. 0hese are a maAor "eak point and often break at the "eld, resulting in an e,tremely
dangerous and unreliable s"ord.
2%'3
!ome modern s"ordsmiths ha5e made high 7uality reproduction s"ords using the traditional
method, including one #apanese s"ordsmith "ho began manufacturing s"ords in 0hailand using
traditional methods, and 5arious Bmerican and hinese manufacturers. 0hese ho"e5er "ill
al"ays be different from #apanese s"ords made in #apan, as it is illegal to e,port the
+amahagane Ae"el steel as such "ithout it ha5ing been made into 5alue=added products first.
De5ertheless, some manufacturers ha5e made differentially tempered s"ords folded in the
traditional method a5ailable for relati5ely little money (often one to three thousand dollars), and
differentially tempered, non=folded steel s"ords for se5eral hundred. !ome practicing martial
artists prefer modern s"ords, "hether of this type or made in #apan by #apanese craftsmen,
because many of them cater to martial arts demonstrations by designing 1e,tra light1 s"ords
"hich can be maneu5ered relati5ely faster for longer periods of time, or s"ords specifically
designed to perform "ell at cutting practice targets, "ith thinner blades and either ra4or=like flat=
ground edges or e5en a hollo" ground edges.
[edit] Commercial folded steel swords
In recent years, as the public has become more a"are of the #apanese style of s"ord making,
many companies ha5e begun to offer folded steel s"ords, typically marketing them as
1damascus1 s"ords, "hich usually command higher prices than their non=folded e7ui5alents.
$any people are "illing to pay a premium for such blades in the belief that any folded blade "ill
be superior in performance and 7uality to any non=folded blade, but in fact it is Aust the re5erseP
a lo" 7uality folded s"ord is actually much more likely to contain metallurgical fla"s than a
s"ord made from a single piece of steel that came off the line in a modern steel plant, and any
fla"s "ould significantly increase the likelihood of breakage at the moment of contact. Bdd to
this the lack of differentiated heat treatment, "hich already renders the blade brittle compared to
a traditional #apanese s"ord or e5en a Western=style s"ord ("hich "ould typically not be
tempered to as high a hardness due to e,pectations of striking metal armor), and the result is a
s"ord that "ould be much more likely to break or shatter at the moment of contact, e5en for
demonstration or 1test1 cutting, making the use of such a s"ord potentially highly ha4ardous to
the "ielder and any bystanders, as any breakage at the moment of contact "ill result in
sharpened metal flying at unpredictable directions "ith the force of the blo".
!"ord manufacturers marketing such lo" end folded s"ords tend to choose softer steels such as
%.(. or :.. for this purpose, since they are easier to "ork and fold, and "ill also often attempt
to enhance the appearance of the folding layers by making comparati5ely fe" folds (thus lea5ing
thicker folds), folding soft iron "ith steel, folding stainless steel "ith non=stainless steel, using
an acid "ash to blacken the folds that are less corrosion resistant, or some combination of these
techni7ues, resulting in a blade "ith e,tremely prominent folding marks. Where the acid "ash
techni7ue is used, the blade "ill be 5arious shades of gray and black. and fre7uently e,hibit no
hamon tempering line. It must be noted that all s"ords made by the traditional #apanese method,
regardless of the 7uality or assembly type, results in a bright and shiny blade upon completion,
and therefore any blade that is black or gray in color "hen ne" absolutely cannot ha5e been
made in the traditional manner of the #apanese s"ordsmiths.
ommercial folded steel s"ords can also made by stamping. In this method, steel is heated and
folded in a sheet large enough to make multiple s"ords from, and then cut or 1stamped1 into
long 1blanks1 some"hat resembling the shape of the blade. 0he blanks are then ground do"n to
form the edges, e,posing the folds. Due the comparati5e ease of manufacturing and greater
efficiency (in the sense that less of the sheet tends to be lost during the stamping process), this
method is most commonly seen in the manufacture of straight 1damascus steel1 s"ords such as
s"ord canes and "hat are often called 1double=edged samurai s"ords1 but "hich are really Aust
hinese=style ken s"ords "ith #apanese=style fittings. 0he physical act of the stamping alters the
molecular structure at the location of the cut, "hich can cause deterioration in the 7uality of the
steel in subtle "ays. While it is possible to adAust for this by simply grinding do"n the edges
further and remo5ing the portion of the blade that has had its molecular structure thus disturbed,
it is doubtful that a manufacturer that has sought to reduce cost and production time by stamping
folded sheet steel "ould then go through such additional efforts and costs to impro5e the 7uality
of the blade. In any case, e5en if the stamped edge is ground a"ay, "hat one is left "ith is still a
lo" 7uality blade.
<egardless of the price or the production method of the s"ord, it is "orth"hile to remember that
the choice of materials and manufacturing techni7ues based on the desired appearance, rather
than the performance of the resulting product "ill predictably result in s"ords "hich are
ser5iceable for display only in the 5ast maAority of instances.
Tatara ,furnace-
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
0he structure of a tatara. On the t"o sides of the furnace are 5isible t"o bello"s
0he tatara (
?
) is the traditional #apanese furnace used for smelting iron and steel.
0he "ord originally meant Aust foot bello"s, but its use "as later e,tended to the "hole furnace.
0he t"o hinese characters used "hen the "ord has the original meaning are and, besides
as tatara, they can be also read as %umi%uigo, or foot bello"s.
0he "ord later came to mean also the entire building housing the furnace.
0he steel, or tamahagane (
?
), used in the forging of #apanese s"ords (nihont0 (
?
),
commonly kno"n as katana (
?
)) by contemporary #apanese forge masters like Kihara Bkira
and Fassan !adatoshi is still smelted in a tatara. One of the fe" remaining tatara is the Dittoho
tatara in !himane @refecture, #apan.
0he smelting process used is different from that of the modern mass production of steel. B clay
5essel about %.% meters (: feet) tall, & meters (%( feet) long, and %.% meters (: feet "ide) is
constructed. 0his is the tatara. Bfter the clay tub has dried, it is fired until dry. B charcoal fire is
started from soft pine charcoal, then the smelter "ill "ait for the fire to reach the correct
temperature. Bt that point, he "ill direct the addition of ironsand, kno"n as satetsu. 0his "ill be
layered in "ith more charcoal and more ironsand o5er the ne,t +( hours. : or * people need to
constantly "ork on this process.
It takes about a "eek to build the tatara and complete the iron con5ersion to steel. When the
process is done, they "ill break the clay tub and take out the steel bloom, kno"n as a kera. Bt the
end of the process, the tatara "ill ha5e consumed about %. tons of satetsu and %( tons of
charcoal, lea5ing about (.* tons of tamahagane.
[edit] The 1ittoho Tatara
In %'++, the #apanese !ociety for @reser5ation of #apanese Brt !"ords (Dittoho), together "ith
the #apanese go5ernmentGs Bgency for ultural Bffairs and 9itachi Works, built in !himane
@refecture the so=called Dittoho +atara to pro5ide the steel necessary for the production of
#apanese s"ords. 0he Dittoho +atara is managed Aointly "ith Masugi Works, a subsidiary
company of 9itachi $etals, and is operational only during the "inter.
Brandon Sword 2 site news
.esign of the "lade
Basic blade style
Maru:

/ono steel "lade( * single "ar of steel hammered3 cut and shaped( 4ater 5 oil
6uenched and heat treated( /aking hand forged swords more accessi"le to the
a'erage martial artist and collector(
Mono Steel
%dea for solo form3 kata practice and display( /ono Steel "lades do not ha'e the
cutting a"ility of other swords and are more likely to sustain damage "ecause of
the softer steel used( #il 7uenched3 edge rigidity 89 H$C3 Body hardness 89
H$C(
Mono Steel #45 hamon
* stronger steel than standard /ono Steel( This "lade option is heat treated with
an application of clay to produce a hard edge and "eautiful hamon3 making this
option more suited to cutting practice( 4ater 6uenched3 edge rigidity :; H$C3
"ody hardness 8< H$C
Mono Steel #60 hamon
* stronger steel than =8> allowing for the use of tougher cutting materials during
practice( Has similar cutting properties to traditional &apanese swords
Sanmai Steel Blades
Three layer construction( The core is high car"on steel3 sandwiched "etween two
outer layers of softer steel( This gi'es the "lade a hard cutting edge whilst
retaining the fle?i"ility to a"sor" impact and pre'ent "lade damage( Sanmai
constructions are water 6uenched and heat treated during the forging process(
Sanmai folded steel to 4,000 layers
*lso know as Pattern welded steel "ut more contro'ersially .amascus folded
steel3 .amascened steel and sometimes watered steel( The Sanmai folded steel
construction is made of a core <;>; car"on steel3 wrapped around an outer steel
of mild car"on steel and mid car"on steel( The outer steel is folded to produce
attri"utes of strength and fle?i"ility in the "lade( * "y2product of this forging
techni6ue is the "eautiful wood grain appearance on the "lade( Edge rigidity >@
H$C(
Sanmai folded steel to 8.000 layers
The increased num"er of folds allows the sword more fle?i"ility whilst retaining
its strength( The wood grain pattern "ecomes more compacted than lesser folded
swords( Edge rigidity >@ H$C
Sanmai folded steel to 6,000 layers
/ore fle?i"ility than 93;;; and 83;;; layer "lades( 4ith a further compacted
wood grain pattern( * core steel of <;>; car"on steel with an outer steel of mid
car"on steel and raw steel( Edge rigidity >@ H$C
Sanmai folded steel to !",000 layers
Hand forged and hand folded with differential hardening "y applications of clay(
This is the ultimate choice "etween strength3 fle?i"ility and "eauty( The Sanmai
construction of folded steel wrapped around a hard inner car"on steel core gi'es
this "lade incredi"le strength when cutting( The edge is damage resistant
minimising wear to the sword( The high count of layer folds gi'e the sword added
impact a"sor"ance( This reduces shock to the hands and potential "lade
"reakage( * core steel of <;:; car"on steel with an outer steel of high car"on steel
and raw steel( Edge rigidity :; H$C

#raditional $a%anese s&ord style
'obuse
Ko"use ha'e similar properties to the Sanmai construction( They "oth use a soft
steel to gi'e the "lade properties of fle?i"ility and shock a"sor"ance( They also
use a harder material to gi'e strength to the "lade( The difference "eing that the
outer layer is heat treated with an application of clay producing a hard edge and
hamon( The Ko"use utilises <;>; car"on steel wrapped around a soft iron core
for shock a"sorption and protection of the hardened edge( 4ater 6uenched and
differentially hardened "y an application of clay( >@ H$C
(on Sanmai
Similar in construction to sanmai "ut with a separate core and edge steel( The
core steel is soft iron for "etter shock a"sorption( The outer steel allowing the
"lade to fle? instead of shattering on impact( The edge steel is high car"on steel3
creating an e?tremely hard edge that is resistant to dulling( 4ater 6uenched and
heat treated( Edge rigidity :; H$C3 "ody hardness 8> H$C(
)d*anced blade style
Shiho+ume
/ade using four different types of steel for ma?imum strength3 fle?i"ility and
cutting edge( The core is soft iron gi'ing a solid feeling to the "lack and acting as
a shock a"sor"ent( The outer steel is folded steel gi'ing the "lade fle?i"ility
needed to stop it from shattering( The edge is high car"on steel resistant to
impact and damage( The "ack steel is mid car"on steel pro'iding a strong yet
also fle?i"le spine for the "lade structure( .ifferentially hardened to produce the
strong hamon and water 6uenched(
Soshu,-itae
Blade forged "y se'eral different laminations( This type of "lade ha'e a
e?tremely superior 6uality whose forging needs a incredi"le complicated
techni6ue( * real perfect art of manufacturation of master3 who was said to "e a
techni6ue of +od and is nearly disappeared in this modern world(
The steps "elow illustrate the main stages in creating a
katana
B "all hanging display is a5ailable "hich contains blades from each stage of the creation
process, see belo" for more information
<- $ough orging
0he blade is formed by hot forging a billet
of high=carbon steel. 0he repeated hammering pro5ides an
e5en dispersion of carbon throughout the steel for uniform
strength of the finished blade.
A- $ough Shaping
0he scale is remo5ed and the blade is shaped
roughly to the re7uired dimensions. Bt this stage, the steel is still in
the annealed (soft) state and the blade is straight.
B- Clay Co'ering
B special clay is applied to the blade by
hand, using a thin co5ering near the edge and a thicker
layer o5er the rest of the blade. 0his results in a relati5ely
7uicker cooling of the edge during 7uenching, producing a
hard edge and softer back.
8- 7uenching
0his is a critical part of the operation. 0he blade,
"ith its clay co5ering, is heated to a predetermined temperature
and 7uenched in a "ater bath. 0he shape and continuity of the
hamon, the sori (blade cur5ature), and blade straightness are all
determined by the care and skill e,ercised in 7uenching.
>- SiCing
0he sori is adAusted if necessary, to set the point
of balance and point of percussion, and de=scaled. <ough
polishing is carried out to si4e the blade accurately. 0he
habaki (blade collar) is fitted.
:- inishing
areful final polishing and fine finish "ork are carried
out on the 5arious surfaces to define ridgelines and bring out the
beauty of the hamon.
Saya
0he saya is car5ed from t"o pieces of "ood to match
the length, "idth, thickness and cur5ature of the finished
blade. 0he t"o hal5es are then "rapped in cambric and
lac7uered numerous times. Final polishing gi5es the saya
finish a high gloss.
Handle
0he handle core is comprised of t"o pieces of
hard"ood car5ed to tightly fit onto the tang. hannels are
car5ed into the sides to facilitate t"o panels of ray skin.
0he entire handle is then "rapped "ith high 7uality "o5en
cotton "hile small paper triangles are used to help shape
the "rap correctly. 0he $enuki and Kashira are added during this process.
Sageo
0he sageo is typically "o5en of high 7uality cotton
to match the handle "rap. In some cases, the sageo is still
"o5en by hand (see @aper rane ne,t page), this process
re7uires many hours of skilled hand labor but allo"s thematic designs to be carried into the
sageo.
*ssem"ly
Finally all the pieces can be assembled and the
handle securely fastened to the tang. 0his is accomplished
"ith the addition of t"o bamboo pegs through the handle
and tang.
Parts of a Samurai Sword
0he large image belo" details e5ery part of a samurai s"ord, gi5ing the traditional name and the
english translation
Katana orging Process .isplay ,#HA<>8-
0his is an elegant display articulating the highly skilled process of forging and polishing a high
carbon steel
Katana blade. 8ach step in the process is clearly displayed and e,plained, using smaller (%/UO)
5ersions of Katana blades that
ha5e undergone e,actly the same processes as full=si4ed blades. 0his display is both aesthetically
pleasing and highly educational.
Katana /ade in China)
D* Peek Behind the Bam"oo CurtainD
In this Brticle, hris !coggin from <onin Katana has a candid talk "ith one of the senior smiths
at a Song7uan based hinese forge. Bn e,tremely eye opening and re5ealing behind the scenes
look at "hat goes into making lo" to medium cost functional Katana in hina today.
%1TE$E%E4 4%TH * CH%1ESE K*T*1* /*K%1+
#$+E
Chris From Ronin: !ow are your smiths and )o,ishers trained-
The orge) $ainly from the old and famous s"ordsmith. Bnd then de5elop by the help of books
and the "eb.
Chris From Ronin: .hat do you mean y /o,d and %amous sword smith/-
The orge) Mes, they are trained. Bs you may kno", in hina, if you "ant to learn ho" to make
s"ords, you must find a famous s"ord smith and beg him to be your master "orker. If he think
that you are proper and honest, he "ill agree, then you must learn it for & years. During this
period of time, you must "ork hard and learn e5erything. If you study and "ork hard, the master
"ill teach you the secret and real and useful skills, if you are not, he "onGt teach the secret and
comple,ed skills, other"ise, you "ill effect his reputation.
!o once the pupils "ork hard and finished learning three years, he must ha5e learned all the
skills. 9e kno"s e5erything, if "e employ a smith, "e must test him to see if he is skilled. Of
course, during the "ork, he "ill impro5e a lot by meeting the customersG re7uest. 0here is a
s"ord association in this city, they ha5e regular meetings to communicate each other. Ey this
"ay,the tradtional skills are kept.
Chris From Ronin: 0re any o% your smiths considered Master (miths- Do they ha#e
a))rentices- 0t what age can a )erson ecome an a))rentice- 1an a woman ecome a sword
smith-
The orge) Mes, there are t"o smiths considered master smiths, it is a"arded first by the city,
then by the pro5ince, no" they are studying hard and applying for the national a"ards. It "ill
take about %* years "hen the final a"ard is issued. 0hey ha5e appentices.
Chris From Ronin:0t what age can a )erson ecome an a))rentice- 1an a woman ecome a
sword smith-
The orge) Once a person is o5er %/ years,he can be an apprentice. For the moment, no "omen
become a s"ord smith, for forging need hard "ork..
Chris From Ronin: !ow do you train your sword smiths-
The orge) 0here is an association for s"ordsmith, also cooperate "ith the uni5ersity, they
helped us a lot in the skills.
Chris From Ronin: 1an you e2),ain what the association is- .hen was it %ounded-
The orge) It is Song7uan s"ord association, only the famous s"ord smith and companies can
become a member. It "as founded at the beginning of %''., "hen the go5enment made the effort
to promote this traditional skills.
Chris From Ronin: !ow many memers does it ha#e- !ow e2act,y do they he,) you- .hat is
the name o% the uni#ersity-
The orge) Bt present, it has about /. members. We are finding a "ay to cooperate "ith the
uni5ersity and "ant the uni5ercity help us in designing and o5ertake the problems for breakage
during forging, for they kno" the ecense of each steel, there is a proAect is applying, hope it "ill
appro5ed soon, that is find an easy "ay to forge tamahagane steel. 0he uni5ersity is VheAiang
;ni5ersity.
Chris From Ronin: !a#e you sent any o% your smiths or )o,ishers to 3a)an %or training-
The orge) Do, they "onGt teach you the real skills, can do it after study the real samples. We
ha5e much e,perience in them, easy to learn and study.
Chris From Ronin: 0re the ,ades you study made in 3a)an- 0re they o,der, )re-war ,ades-
The orge) Mes,some of the blades are made in #apan,some of them are made by @au hen,"e
ha5e samples in our sho"room.!ome of the blade is older,for samurai blade,not so old,the
hinese s"ord blade is much older,more than %... years.
Chris From Ronin: !a#e you studied the ,ades o% any %amous sword smiths- .hich 3a)anese
sword smith has most in%,uenced the smiths at your %actory- .hen studying a sword, ha#e you
e#er had to cut it in ha,% to study the ,ayers- 4% so, how many swords, and were they o,der
swords-
The orge) We do not kno" the #apanese s"ord smith name, for the handle is rusted. We cut the
blade in many parts to test the steel type, hardness and fle,ibility by the help of the uni5ercity,
they ha5e the instuments. We do not ha5e the chance to cut the older s"ord, for they are
e,pensi5e and hard to get it. Bs you may kno", #apanese learn making s"ords from hina in
hinese 0ang Dynasty, so it is easy to find the secret of the blade.
Chris From Ronin: !ow ,ong does it take to %orge a sword ,ade-
The orge) Depend on the material and lamination of the blade, from % or ( hours to %. days.
Chris From Ronin: .hich ,amination method takes the ,ongest- .hich ,amination method is
the most )o)u,ar with your customers-
The orge) !oshu Kitae lamination takes the longest time,and it is the most popular for the
customer, but for it, 9on !anmai and Kobuse are also popular.
Chris From Ronin: Does ,amination )roduce a higher 5ua,ity ,ade than a ,ade that has $ust
een c,ayed- 4s it )ossi,e to ,aminate and ,ade and then water 5uench it (through harden it)
without c,aying the ,ade- 4s that ty)e o% ,ade sa%e to use in a do$o against targets ,ike
amoo-
The orge) If a blade is forged "ith laminated blade, it "ill ha5e a good hardness and fle,ibility.
For the laminated blade, it must be clay=tempered and "ater 7uench, other"ise, the hardness is
not good. 0hat type of steel is the best for doAo and cutting test.
Chris From Ronin: Does your %actory water 5uench (through hardened) on,y 1067 and 1080
stee,, or do you a,so water 5uench 1097 stee,-
The orge) We harden our blade by "ater 7uench, for %.'*, it still need "ater 7uench. %.'* is
be idea steel for clay=temper, not so hard "hen forging, and can become the hardest one after
clay=temper.
Chris From Ronin: !ow o%ten does a ,ade crack in 5uenching- .hat do you do with the
cracked ,ade-
The orge) It usually "ill be cracked, thatGs "hy the price is much higher than others. Bt
present, since "e make many pcs per year, the temperature is controlled "ell, not so many pcs to
be cracked as before. 0he cracked ones are useless.
Chris From Ronin: 4n your o)inion, which ty)e o% ,ade is stronger against harder targets ,ike
amoo-
The orge) In my opinion, for cutting practice, carbon steel %.-. "ill be the best steel. For
martial practice and martial cutting test, the laminated blade "ill be the best, for they are hardest
"ith good fle,ibility.
Chris From Ronin: +amahagane ,ades are #ery e2)ensi#e to make& Does your %actory make the
tamahagane the same way the 3a)anese do- !ow ,ong does it take to make one tamahagane
,ade-
The orge) Mes, "e make the tamahagane the same "ay the #apanese do. It "ill take about (*
days to make one blade, it usually takes much more time in polishing.
Chris From Ronin: .hat are your 5ua,ity contro, methods-
The orge) Internal traditional one, are applying for I!O for "e are building our ne" company,
then it "ill meet the modern re7uirements for authentic.
Chris From Ronin: 4 don't rea,,y understand your answer, cou,d you e2),ain it a ,itt,e etter&
.hat is an 4(:, and what are you ui,ding- Does this in#o,#e new e5ui)ment-
The orge) We ha5e an inhouse 7uality control system. 8ach procedure is strictly inspected, For
I!O, it is the international 7uality control system. When it is appro5ed, the 7uality "ill be
guaranteed. 0he ne" company is finished, "e arrange for production in details, all the
procedures are recorded by computer.
Chris From Ronin:+hanks %or your time and insight&
The orge)Do problem.