Dammit.

Uma unavailable for comment.

I think I've seen that guy on one of the travel/food shows making kitchen and specialty sushi knives, which is probably how a master sword maker pays the bills.

Ooh, pretty knife

Whoa, we gotta get those numbers up if we're ever going to fight off the zombie apocalypse or pirates or ninjas.

Cool but it hardly shows the work in this kind of stuff. The labor and care just getting the metal forged is almost unimaginable, and if it's less than perfect, they send it off to be made into kitchen knives and attempt another batch.

If you have an hour to kill watch this:

NOVA - Secrets of the Samurai Sword (new window)

Hattori Hanzo already mentioned, but still...

The Japanese government actually limits the amount of steel that a sword smith can have every year. The steel, tamagahane, is actually made from filtered iron sands and then smelted into billets. Then those billets are rationed to the various licensed smiths.

You cannot have a steel sword in Japan that is not licensed by the government. At least not one in a Japanese configuration (nihonto). The customs agents at the airports even have magnets to test the composition of swords that enter the country with martial artists. To travel in our out of country with the swords you have to have the official papers issued by the governing body that certifies sword authenticity. You can bring in mugito or iaito, which are aluminum/zinc blades for practice.

So, the Japanese take this subject very seriously. Sword making is seen as a sacred act and is heavily tied to Shintoism. For that reason, you will seen it done to certain specifications that are unlikely to change.

Outside Japan, we see swords made from all types of different steel. Some of them are quite nice, but I have not seen one that can stand up to the beauty of Japan's top smiths, even if it is metallurgically superior.

Only 30 artisanal swordmakers remain in Japan

I would have thought there were still between 1101 - 1816.

LewDux: [cdn.humansinvent.com.s3.amazonaws.com image 438x292]

Ooh, pretty knife

That particular sword is a reproduction and not genuine. The hamon or temper line (wavy thing) on the blade has been chemically etched on that blade. The polish is too bright and I am guessing that is an aluminum blade from its shine or *shudder* stainless steel, which can shatter like glass if someone is stupid enough to try to cut with it. Lots of people have injured themselves and onlookers with stainless steel blades that they purchased at the mall or from less than reputable websites.

I had swords like that when I was a teen and didn't know any better. It is embarassing to see an adult with one showing it off proudly (not aimed at you).

Zombalupagus Smartest Funniest
2012-02-11 02:57:01 PM

Cool but it hardly shows the work in this kind of stuff. The labor and care just getting the metal forged is almost unimaginable, and if it's less than perfect, they send it off to be made into kitchen knives and attempt another batch.

If you have an hour to kill watch this:

NOVA - Secrets of the Samurai Sword (new window)

Whole lot of BS misinformation / mythology in that "Documentary".

Zombalupagus: Cool but it hardly shows the work in this kind of stuff. The labor and care just getting the metal forged is almost unimaginable, and if it's less than perfect, they send it off to be made into kitchen knives and attempt another batch.

If you have an hour to kill watch this:

NOVA - Secrets of the Samurai Sword (new window)

Really, just about anything 'artisanal' kicks ass. That's one thing we could always use more of in this world. More artisans.

LordOfThePings: Only 30 artisanal swordmakers remain in Japan

I would have thought there were still between 1101 - 1816.

Oh you...

YOu know who else used a Katana? HITLER!

What's amazing about the Katana is that it was/is made with iron that isn't fit for making kitchen knifes, which is why the carbon was a necessary.

DirtyDeadGhostofEbenezerCooke: [i1208.photobucket.com image 400x300]


"farking Hipsters..."

My sword is artisanal, and obscure.

Is he trying to create a deviant blade?

Is okay, forging (new window) is getting to be popular again in the US. If I had a back yard and access to a blacksmith, I'd learn the trade.

This guy's pretty cool: Modern Blacksmith (new window)

Zombalupagus: Cool but it hardly shows the work in this kind of stuff. The labor and care just getting the metal forged is almost unimaginable, and if it's less than perfect, they send it off to be made into kitchen knives and attempt another batch.

If you have an hour to kill watch this:

NOVA - Secrets of the Samurai Sword (new window)

Thanks for the link. I've always been interested in Samuri Swords, that was incredible to watch

iaazathot: The Japanese government actually limits the amount of steel that a sword smith can have every year. The steel, tamagahane, is actually made from filtered iron sands and then smelted into billets. Then those billets are rationed to the various licensed smiths.

You cannot have a steel sword in Japan that is not licensed by the government. At least not one in a Japanese configuration (nihonto). The customs agents at the airports even have magnets to test the composition of swords that enter the country with martial artists. To travel in our out of country with the swords you have to have the official papers issued by the governing body that certifies sword authenticity. You can bring in mugito or iaito, which are aluminum/zinc blades for practice.

So, the Japanese take this subject very seriously. Sword making is seen as a sacred act and is heavily tied to Shintoism. For that reason, you will seen it done to certain specifications that are unlikely to change.

Outside Japan, we see swords made from all types of different steel. Some of them are quite nice, but I have not seen one that can stand up to the beauty of Japan's top smiths, even if it is metallurgically superior.

So, its like buying a $500,000 SUV you can't take offroad because the suspension will break.

Weaver95: I need a Hatori Hazo sword. I have vermin to exterminate.

Revenge is never a straight line. It's a forest, And like a forest it's easy to lose your way... To get lost... To forget where you came in.

R.A.Danny: Giltric: I think I've seen that guy on one of the travel/food shows making kitchen and specialty sushi knives, which is probably how a master sword maker pays the bills.

Has to be. No matter how much he charges for a sword, the number of hours put into making it just has to lower his margins.

I remember reading somewhere that one of the Japanese manufacturing companies (might have been Mitsubishi) supports a sword maker. Like, a traditional factory in the hills above one of their major plants.

Can't remember the details, somebody else (the sword guy who posted earlier) probably does. Anyway, if it's such a big deal culturally I could see a company just supporting it like an artist in residence as a prestige thing.

Yaxe: What's amazing about the Katana is that it was/is made with iron that isn't fit for making kitchen knifes, which is why the carbon was a necessary.

The blades made out of that material have a nasty habit of breaking too, can't take much more than a light blow without snapping in half.

/folded metal blades are made out of better steel, damn things are harder than rebar

Uh, subby? I'm pretty sure most swords are more obscure than the katana.

iaazathot: LewDux: [cdn.humansinvent.com.s3.amazonaws.com image 438x292]

Ooh, pretty knife

That particular sword is a reproduction and not genuine. The hamon or temper line (wavy thing) on the blade has been chemically etched on that blade. The polish is too bright and I am guessing that is an aluminum blade from its shine or *shudder* stainless steel, which can shatter like glass if someone is stupid enough to try to cut with it. Lots of people have injured themselves and onlookers with stainless steel blades that they purchased at the mall or from less than reputable websites.

I had swords like that when I was a teen and didn't know any better. It is embarassing to see an adult with one showing it off proudly (not aimed at you).

Wow, you can tell by the pixels?

A friend of mine got his head chopped off by a Kodachi sword. You've probably never heard of it.

iaazathot: LewDux: [cdn.humansinvent.com.s3.amazonaws.com image 438x292]

Ooh, pretty knife

That particular sword is a reproduction and not genuine. The hamon or temper line (wavy thing) on the blade has been chemically etched on that blade. The polish is too bright and I am guessing that is an aluminum blade from its shine or *shudder* stainless steel, which can shatter like glass if someone is stupid enough to try to cut with it. Lots of people have injured themselves and onlookers with stainless steel blades that they purchased at the mall or from less than reputable websites.

I haven't had a chance to examine the thing firsthand, but I don't think that thing is a chemically etched aluminum sword. I think it is what chemically etched aluminum swords are supposed to look like. The shine can be achieved on almost any steel with the right polish and lighting. Don't underestimate the power of lighting for shots like that.

I had swords like that when I was a teen and didn't know any better. It is embarassing to see an adult with one showing it off proudly (not aimed at you).

Yeah, that. I have a bizarre fixation with kitchen knives, which drives me to learn a lot about knife and sword making, but kitchen knives are functional. Swords are pretty silly things to own these days. My wife and I have a pair of toy lightsabers that get a lot more use than a sword ever would.

Quick question: how do you pronounce that word? Is it "ar-TEASE-i-nal" or "ar-TIS-i-nal"?

thunderbird8804: Yaxe: What's amazing about the Katana is that it was/is made with iron that isn't fit for making kitchen knifes, which is why the carbon was a necessary.

The blades made out of that material have a nasty habit of breaking too, can't take much more than a light blow without snapping in half.

/folded metal blades are made out of better steel, damn things are harder than rebar

Depending on grade and composition. Folding metal is a poor-man's way of homogenizing/alloying steel, and is a brilliant solution for when you don't have the Bessemer or basic oxygen processes for smelting steel.

Give me a bar of 1075-1095 and, prperly heat treated, it will pretter much stand up to anything you can toss at it. Folding steel has too much room for error if you are doing it by hand.

the_innkeeper: iaazathot: The Japanese government actually limits the amount of steel that a sword smith can have every year. The steel, tamagahane, is actually made from filtered iron sands and then smelted into billets. Then those billets are rationed to the various licensed smiths.

You cannot have a steel sword in Japan that is not licensed by the government. At least not one in a Japanese configuration (nihonto). The customs agents at the airports even have magnets to test the composition of swords that enter the country with martial artists. To travel in our out of country with the swords you have to have the official papers issued by the governing body that certifies sword authenticity. You can bring in mugito or iaito, which are aluminum/zinc blades for practice.

So, the Japanese take this subject very seriously. Sword making is seen as a sacred act and is heavily tied to Shintoism. For that reason, you will seen it done to certain specifications that are unlikely to change.

Outside Japan, we see swords made from all types of different steel. Some of them are quite nice, but I have not seen one that can stand up to the beauty of Japan's top smiths, even if it is metallurgically superior.

So, its like buying a $500,000 SUV you can't take offroad because the suspension will break.

Yeah, but dems Louis Vitton seats, yo!

/you have to have a name attached

fusillade762: Is it "ar-TEASE-i-nal" or "ar-TIS-i-nal"?

Art is anal.

Therion: [desmond.imageshack.us image 600x480]

(No, really!)

Given enough swings, I've seen anvils and engine blocks.

Mentalpatient87: the_innkeeper: iaazathot: The Japanese government actually limits the amount of steel that a sword smith can have every year. The steel, tamagahane, is actually made from filtered iron sands and then smelted into billets. Then those billets are rationed to the various licensed smiths.

You cannot have a steel sword in Japan that is not licensed by the government. At least not one in a Japanese configuration (nihonto). The customs agents at the airports even have magnets to test the composition of swords that enter the country with martial artists. To travel in our out of country with the swords you have to have the official papers issued by the governing body that certifies sword authenticity. You can bring in mugito or iaito, which are aluminum/zinc blades for practice.

So, the Japanese take this subject very seriously. Sword making is seen as a sacred act and is heavily tied to Shintoism. For that reason, you will seen it done to certain specifications that are unlikely to change.

Outside Japan, we see swords made from all types of different steel. Some of them are quite nice, but I have not seen one that can stand up to the beauty of Japan's top smiths, even if it is metallurgically superior.

So, its like buying a $500,000 SUV you can't take offroad because the suspension will break.

Yeah, but dems Louis Vitton seats, yo!

/you have to have a name attached

Ok, so Ed Hardy did the paint job.

Can they make me a reverse blade sword? I've killed far too many people with my great sword skills and I have decided to turn my life around. Now I just want to beat people with a blunt piece of metal until they pass out.

Whatever happened to Farker Hiro Protagonist?

I heard he was the greatest sword fighter in the world.

SockMonkeyHolocaust: Whoa, we gotta get those numbers up if we're ever going to fight off the zombie apocalypse or pirates or ninjas.

Did you say zombies?

Zombie tools (new window)

Did you see those warriors from Hammerfell? They've got curved swords! Curved. Swords.

Stavr0: fusillade762: Is it "ar-TEASE-i-nal" or "ar-TIS-i-nal"?

Art is anal.

If you're going that route you could go with the surprised pirate version: "ARR! 'Tis anal!"