Perfect balance between flexibility and hardness.

as Iron-art elaborated by supreme crafsman"Katana-smith"「刀工」

Hamon : Pattern of blade.

 

1. I will talk about what fascination of Katana is.

 

There are various types of Hamon. The blade twinkled in the light is very beautiful.

The supreme beauty of the Hamon makes us fascinate. The pattern of the Hamon is crafted by the application of clay and Yakiire quenching process. At the time of Yakiire quenching, a line of blade is separated the hard cutting edge and the softer body of the blade. In the border between the Hamon and the Jigane, tiny crystal formations called Nie and Nioi appear. Nie sparkle like stars and Nioi resembles mistiness. Nioi means a nice scent, and the sense of values in beauty for the noble-lady in Heian Period.

 

2. A sharp Katana.

 

What’s the reason for such a sharp Japanese sword Katana or Tachi.

 

About Japanese unique method of a steel production.

 

The raw materials Tamahagane for Japanese swords are produced by using the ancient

method of steel production called Tatara. True Japanese swords cannot be made from western type steel. Traditional Japanese steel Watetsu was produced in only place called Yasuki in Shimane-profecture.

 

Mizuheshi: It begins by heating Tamahagane to a malleable temperature and then katana-smith hammers it into a flat plate with a thickness of 5mm as he sprinkles water which is mixed ashes.

 

Kowari: The plate is broken into 2cm peieces. Those Tamahagane are separated into two groups; the Jacket-steel Kawagane and Core-steel Shingane.

 

Tsumiwakashi: The small wafers of Tamahagane are stacked onto the Teko( an iron handle). The stack is put into the hearth like a fire pit and is heated, and then forged on the iron block.

 

Tsuchioki: A thin layer of clay is placed on along the cutting edge. The clay compound which is mixed fine chacoal powder and powdered polishing stone is used as an insulator during the quenching Yakiire process.

 

Yakiire: The sword-smith heats the blade with the clay to 800 degrees centigrade, and then he quenches it into a long bath of water.

 

Mei-kiri: Katana-smith as the marker adds his signature on the Nakago of the blade.

 

Togi: Blade sharpening and polishing.

Japanese sword requires a lot of elaborate processes to bring out the blade’s individual charm. If the Japanese sword Katana is not polished by Katana-polisher Togishi, the secrets of its beauty will not be revealed. Japan has produced the natural polishing stones of the highest quality. There are various grades of Polishing Stones, for example, Uchigumori-do 内曇砥

Kyoto, Iyo-do 伊予砥 Matsuyama, Binsui-do 備水砥 Amakusa, Nakura-do 名倉砥

Aichi.

 

 

A single Japanese sword requires the skills of a lot of craftsmen. Due to the sophisticated skills of Katana-smith, the production of Katana has been maintained since ancient times. The Japanese sword Tachi or Katana is recognized as a culmination of all crafts.

 

3. About Katana and Japanses warrior Samurai.

 

We heard that Sen-no-Rikyu’s fatal dagger was Awataguchi-Toshiro-Yoshimitsu. Self-sacrifice Settsupuku 切腹 used to be committed by only Samurai. That’s an honorable way of dying as a solemn ritual. Toyotomi Hideyoshi made a distinction between Samurai warrior and farmer. All farmars had their Katana confiscated by Hideyoshi in 1588. The people who were allowed to wear the Katana were called Samurai.

The battle for the Japanese Samurai means the battle of the same family, relative, friend and so on. If Samurai must kill them, they hope to kill them without pain. And so the Katana became the sharpest sword in the world and to cut down the enemy well. It is curved so that it is able to make true cuts and it is used for lateral cutting motions.

Samurai felt that Katana was a sacred treasure and it was connected with the worship of Japanese God or Goddess.

 

4. The difference between Tachi and Katana.

 

Tachi sword was suspended from the belt with the cutting edge facing downwards. Katana is shorter than Tachi. Samurai wore Katana with a cutting edge of 2-syaku about 60.6cm or over. Katana sword was worn cutting edge uppermost by Samurai.

 

5. The difference between Wakizashi and Tanto dagger.

 

Wakizashi is short sword with a cutting edge of longer than 1-syaku about 30.3cm and under 2-syaku. Tanto is dagger with a cutting edge of less than 1-syaku. That is usually Hirazukuri in construction. In the Momoyama and Edo period, a matching pair of swords called a Dai-sho 大小 were worn. Dai means Katana and Sho means Wakizashi or Tanto.