The Japanese Katana Sword
The japanese katana sword is the quintessential weapon of the Samurai warrior, and one of the most iconic of all Japanese weapons. Its elegant beauty and cutting power rely on the unique composition of the blade and its meticulously crafted hilt and scabbard. It took years to master the art of forging a blade, and only the most skilled blacksmith could produce the swords that were prized by the samurai as both weapons and works of art.
The heart of a katana is tamahagane, the steel that gives the sword its strength and durability. To create it, the smelters, called tatameshi, shovel iron-bearing river sand and charcoal into a clay furnace for three days and nights. The smelting process is carefully controlled to ensure that the steel will be rich in carbon, creating a mixture of high-carbon and low-carbon steel that allows for the katana’s razor-sharp edge and tough body. Swords composed solely of high-carbon steel would be too brittle, and those with low-carbon steel would dull too quickly.
The tamahagane is then forged into the basic shape of the sword, which is determined by its length and style. A katana can be either long (okissaki) or short (chukissaki). It can also be either straight (ikuri-okissaki) or curved (morohai-okissaki). Finally, the sword is given its characteristic wavy line or “hamon” through differential heat treatment. This makes the blade harder and tougher on the edges, while leaving the spine and body of the sword softer and more flexible. Click here