These are crushed into smaller pieces and heated to form one large piece. Steel pieces called tama-hagane (meaning precious “jewel steel”) are made from iron sand. Jigane refers to the body of the blade, and katana-kaji begin the process of making the katana by first creating the metal for the blade. What separates nihon-toh made by such masters from lesser katana? Sword evaluations give high marks to beautiful jigane (sword blade) and hamon (blade pattern), says Mr. He has received the highest honors as a swordsmith for Goshinto of Ise Jingu (Holy Sword of Ise Shrine) three times, and is the greatest katana-kaji of our time. Yoshihara won fame in his 20s as a young prodigy in his craft. There are only about 300 such masters in Japan. Katana-kaji, as creators of nihon-toh, must train for years to be certified by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan. Rather than being used as arms, katana today continue to be utilized as they once were - serving as ceremonial gifts at Japanese temples and shrines, and treasured by enthusiasts as elite artifacts of Japanese craftsmanship. Yoshihara jokes that we probably think of swords ( katana) as weaponry due to samurai movies such as those directed by Kurosawa. Even so, it was spears ( naga-yari) and arrows ( yumi-ya) that were commonly used on the actual battlefield, while swords were not unlike omamori (protective charms). According to renowned swordsmith Yoshindo Yoshihara, Japanese katana evolved into their present form around the latter half of the Heian period (10th to 11th century) with the rise of the samurai class and the advent of frequent wars. Regarded as sacred treasures rather than weaponry, tohken were used as offerings to deities at Japanese shrines ( jinja) and buried in the tombs of royalty. The ancient origins of tohken can be traced back to the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Nihonshoki (Oldest Chronicles of Japan). This led to the development of tamahagane steel - a high-carbon steel that was used to make traditional Japanese swords like the katana.Katana-kaji are expert makers of swords ( tohken/katana), who specialize in the forging of Japanese swords ( nihon-toh). However, swordsmiths discovered that adding carbon to their swords resulted in a stronger blade. In the early days of Japan's bladesmithing craft, swords and bladed weapons were produced with basic, low-carbon steel. This involves heating and cooling the katana's spine and edge at different rates, thereby creating a stronger edge and a more flexible spine.įinally, the traditional Japanese katana had the perfect composition of metals. Considering that tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands were produced throughout Japan's history, that's a pretty astounding number.Īnother reason the traditional Japanese katana is regarded as being the world's best sword is that they were forged using differential heat treatment. In fact, one report found that, on average, it took six months to forge a single katana. While some cheap, mass-produced swords today are rolled out of the factory in just hours, it took months to create a traditional Japanese katana. Producing a traditional Japanese katana was a painstakingly difficult and methodical process. Samurai warriors found that wearing the katana with the cutting edge up made drawing and unsheathing the sword easier. The katana is unique because it was the only Japanese sword worn with the cutting edge up. The moderate length of the katana allowed samurai warriors to easily wield and use it in a variety of scenarios.Ī key difference between the katana and other traditional Japanese swords lies in the way in which they were worn. With an average length of 23 5/8 to 28 3/4 inches (60 to 73 cm), it wasn't too long nor to short. The katana, however, featured the perfect blade length. Some feature blades just 1 to 2 inches long, whereas others feature blades longer than 50 inches. Swords have been designed in a variety of sizes over the years. So, why is the katana still regarded as being the best sword in history? And in that time, it's only become more popular - even though countless other swords have emerged. Originating in feudal Japan, it's been around for centuries. The katana is known throughout the world as being a superior sword with an unparalleled level of strength and versatility.
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