Expert Crafter: The Art Of The Samurai Sword
Civilization is made of steel. People live in a world of manufactured metal. Cars are built out of steel. We work in steel buildings, eat with steel utensils, hide our valuables behind a steel roll up door, or in a steel lock box. Our armies use steel weapons and gear. Guns, missiles, and planes all have steel components. We cook with steel pots and steel knives. Steel and its uses have helped make us a civilization. There are many great traditions in the manufacturing of steel. One very old tradition is the art of the Samurai sword.
The ancient art of building the renowned slightly curved sword is ancient and a beloved craft for many of the practitioners. The Samurai sword was a warrior’s signature. A warrior cares for his sword like a lover taking great care, keeping it safe and depending on it in times of crisis. A samurai was serious about his sword. He would find a master craftsman and hope the artisan would honor him with his finest sword.
The sword needed to have many qualities. It needed to be light and strong, sharp and durable . The sword should be balanced and move through the air with the grace of a lethal dancer. The artisan would know that he needed to mix different alloys to create the perfect mix. The master craftsman would fold the light steel over the heavier steel to provide it strength and the finest edge. Using too much of one could make the sword brittle and prone to fracture in battle. Using too much of the other could make the sword heavy and dull. The steel would be folded over many times, with each artisan determining the perfect number as their trade secret. The sword would be heated, cooled and worked into the sharp weapon of legend. The fine curve of the blade was created as the different alloys cooled, contracting and bending the sword. The delicate crest running down the blade was like the signature of the craftsman. An expert of ancient weapons would be able to tell the artist by the bend and ridge of the blade.
Stories abound about warriors and their blades. Like stories from the west, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Bonnie and Clyde, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, many of the famous samurais of the east had pairs with names. One name would be for the samurai, the other for his sword. These swords were often like Stradivarius violins, loved and handed down from generation to generation to those shown worthy of the instrument. Make no mistake, these blades were weapons that could sing through the air and slice through flesh and bone like a razor through butter.
The skill of making a samurai sword from steel is a national treasure of Japan. The best are considered artists and are in great demand. To ask an artist of such skill to make a sword is like asking Andy Warhol to put fingernail polish on your hands . It can be done, but only with the proper respect, honor and compensation.
Tagged with: roll up door • steel buildings
Filed under: Emergency Medical Supplies
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