I came across a great narrated video of walter sorrells forging a modern steel katana. Oct 16, 2014 documentary from 1997 1997 troivision co. Some of the more commonly known types of japanese swords are the tachi, katana, wakizashi, odachi and nagamaki. Ive been looking at youtube videos on smithing for over 3 years now. Dec, 2012 a japanese sword is a traditionally made bladed weapon otherwise known as nihonto more detail about japanese swordsmithing. Chokuto was among the earliest in the history of japanese swordforging as its basic style and forging techniques probably originated in ancient china and were brought to japan by way of korea in the 3rd centuries. Upon first opening this book and flipping through the pages, i said to myself wow, this is a lot of information. Index of japanese swordsmiths amhardback 2012 edition hardcover. A japanese sword is a traditionally made bladed weapon otherwise known as nihonto more detail about japanese swordsmithing.
Many people consider them one of the finest examples of artistry in steel. Some japanese swords are worth several thousand dollars. In modern times the most commonly known type of japanese sword is the shinogizukuri katana, which is a singleedged and usually curved long sword traditionally worn by samurai from the 15th century onwards. This comprehensive guide to the appreciation and appraisal of the blades of japanese swords provides, at last, all the background that readers need to become true.
Swordsmithing is a very well regarded skill or set of skills, and the only way youll learn those skills is to actually do it. Japanese swordsmithing is the labourintensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for forging traditionally made bladed weapons nihonto including katana, wakizashi, tanto, yari, naginata, nagamaki, tachi, uchigatana, nodachi, odachi, kodachi, and ya arrow japanese sword blades were often forged with different profiles, different blade thicknesses, and varying amounts of grind. With his kind permission, the tokyo kindai tosho index is available. This is a large 8 12 x 11hardcover book of 304 pages with 1200 photos. A genius swordsmith and his lineage sano art museum text in japanese with. I visited his website and decided to purchase the first video, forging ja. Those marked with a are excellent books for those beginning the study of nihonto. Many non japanese have tried their luck, but to this day, all but one quit at some point. It was created before the development of differential tempering in japanese swordsmithing. Tokugawa art sanmei japanese swords and equipment japan recommended. Beautifully photographed, in japanese text covers many aspects of the japanese sword and fittings, including shape, temper line styles, and grain patterns. Aim is to give the reader a coherent picture of a certain smith, that means his civilian name, how did he. The korean version of the jian is known as the geom or gum, and these swords often preserve features found in mingera jian, such as openwork pommels and sharply angled tips.
The art of the japanese sword conveys to the reader japanese samurai sword history and japanese sword care, as well as explaining how to view and appreciate a blade. Contains 374 pages of text and photos, exclusive of index and glossary. Japanese sword manufacturing processjapanese swordsmithing. Alternatively, may be a japanese coinage based on middle chinese components. This site is a window into the world of traditional japanese swordsmithing through the experience of apprentice pierre nadeau and his mentors.
He is a judge of both the sword polishing and swordsmithing competitions of the nihon bijutsu token hozon kyokai or nbthk society for the preservation of japanese art swords, for which organization he. Indeed, i have found it of interest for all the wrong reasons. Index of japanese swordsmiths update posted on 20150428 by markus sesko under uncategorized apart from the ebook version, the poll has shown that by far most are preferring a three volume option that is enlarged with pictures. The art of the japanese sword conveys to the reader japanese samurai sword history and japanese sword care, as well as explaining how to view and. You may be into dungeons and dragons or the sca society for creative anachronism. While there are many criteria for evaluating a sword, generally the four key criteria are hardness, strength, flexibility and balance. Arrowheads for war, yajiri, were also made using the same. You havent thought about the fact that you or your friends could be, maimed, blinded or killed just playing. From the englishlanguage index, the noted author declares this an illustrated book of masterpieces made by contemporary japanese swordsmiths.
One hundred masterpieces from the collection of dr. Kokan nagayama is one of the great contemporary sword polishers. Mar 15, 2018 the internationalization of japanese blade making. A friend recently shared with me a book he thought id find interesting. Japanese swordsmithing assembly the vast majority of modern katana and wakizashi are the maru sometimes also called muku type which is the most basic, with the entire sword being composed of one single steel. Definitive english language work on swordsmiths of mino province. The connoisseurs book of japanese swords will be of great help in making educated judgments at kantei sessions, and will be an invaluable and constant reference work.
Thanks to the many people who have contributed to this site and to the study of japanese. Many make japanese style blades but few make truly traditional blades. The art of swordsmithing is not witchcraft, it is an art with its own tricks that can be learned by anyone. From an exhaustive history of the different schools of smiths and their names, to the illustrated pages of different hamon and boshi patterns, i feel that this is a most complete workup on the japanese katana. Korea has a history of swordsmithing dating back 3,000. Sword making, historically, has been the work of specialized smiths or metalworkers called bladesmiths or swordsmiths. Recently japanese swords have gained enormous popularity as art objects with collectors and enthusiasts around the world, but until now much of the most detailed information on the subject has been available only in japanese. Swordsmith index is intended to be a noncommercial resource to support nihonto studies and raise awareness of history and appreciation of genuine japanese swords. It is not simply a list of names, it also provides biographical information according to the extent of a smith. Thanks to the many people who have contributed to this site and to the study of japanese swords. Japanese sword blades were often forged with different profiles, different blade thicknesses, and varying amounts of grind. Made of 1095 high carbon steel, every one of our katanas is made with. Including 22 blades, 58 tsuba, 31 kozuka, plus other fittings, as well as a glossary. Check also the many online book dealers which sell both inprint and outofprint books on japanese swords.
The traditional method of making japanese blades starts with smelting the iron then making the steel in the forge. A great deal of quality educational material, pictures, information etc. Pages in category japanese swordsmiths the following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total. Jan 07, 2020 wikihow is a wiki, similar to wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are cowritten by multiple authors. Sep 10, 2012 the art of the japanese sword conveys to the reader japanese samurai sword history and japanese sword care, as well as explaining how to view and appreciate a blade.
Until that very moment, i didnt even know that japanese swordsmiths still existed. Swordsmithing synonyms, swordsmithing pronunciation, swordsmithing translation, english dictionary definition of swordsmithing. The japanese sword and its fittings japanese sword society of new york 1966 this book catalogs the colabrative collections of cooper union museum and the new york club members. A japanese sword nihonto is one of several types of traditionally made swords from japan. Apart from the ebook version, the poll has shown that by far most are preferring a three volume option that is enlarged with pictures. Discover book depositorys huge selection of markus sesko books online. Some of the books listed below are now outofprint and can only be found through specialty book stores. Only the american keith austin, who unfortunately passed away in 1997, had succeeded in obtaining the certification that would make him a swordsmith in the eyes of the japanese tradition. The index of swordsmiths is sorted first alphabetically in english, next by. Japanese sword shop usagiya by the kashima sisters. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Japanese samuari sword books and videos nihonto taikan. Blacksmithing books, tools and more storm the castle.
On the interview page, visitors can read features and view movies of unique japanese skills such as traditional japanese carpentry, swordsmithing, armor making, dyeing. If a books listing in the key of included references says, in progress, not all the. Words of caution for budding swordsmiths swordsmithing. From the foreword by clive sinclairechairman of the token society of great britain. He was the son of tokugawa mitsusada, the grandson of tokugawa yorinobu, and the greatgrandson of tokugawa ieyasu. It is especially exciting given the beautiful swords featured. In all, the works of thirtyfive contemporary tosha are shown in large format plates with oshigata and photographs as seen here.
Modern application of traditional techniques by murray carter oct 20, 2011 this book, id say other than wayne goddards, would be number 1. This index contains a comprehensive listing of more than 20,000 japanese swordsmiths, i. This hardcover volume covers the japanese swordsmiths of the shinto period from. Richard steins japanese sword index new site same great information bookmark the url. After an initial bit of introductory terminology and history, the book is laid out in interview form with photos of works representative of the smith. Swordsmithing definition of swordsmithing by the free. He finally decided that this is what he wanted to do.
He has been designated a mukansa without supervision polisher, a level above the regular swordpolisher ranking system. Japanese swords have been made for over a thousand years. There are many types of japanese swords that differ by size, shape, field of application and method of manufacture. Yoshindo yoshihara is considered the foremost presentday swordsmith in terms of both popularity and skill a true genius. In the west most makers start with stock iron or steel and then blend them into a something similar to the traditional material.
Each piece we make is hand forged through traditional japanese swordsmithing techniques to ensure battle ready pieces that are fully functional for use in dojo practice, ceremonies, or display. This indepth and technical text details various forms of ancient japanese swordsmithing, and is well illustrated with step by step photo instructions. The book starts with the laws and principles of blacksmithing and has a good section on working safely within the smithy. Check with your book store or library and books in print for details of publisher, price, etc. From memory, i think the design of the katana and the way it was made which are related, as the curve is related to how the edge is hardened were in place by 1200.
All that it takes besides the proper skill and knowledge is an awful lot of work. Japanese swordsmithing is the labourintensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for forging traditionally made bladed weapons nihonto including katana, wakizashi, tanto, yari, naginata, nagamaki, tachi, uchigatana, nodachi, odachi, kodachi. How the japanese swords, swordsmithing, and swordmanship. The following spring, he had an opportunity to attend a public swordsmithing demonstration, held by kawachi kunihira and his apprentices.
A japanese sword is a traditionally made bladed weapon otherwise. With 256 fullcolor pages, this sword book illustrates in meticulous detail how modern craftsmen use traditional methods to prepare their steel, forge the sword and create the. I read the book and amazed by all there was to the the samurai blade and the sword fittings. Japanese swordsmithing is the labourintensive bladesmithing process developed in japan for forging traditionally made bladed weapons nihonto including katana, wakizashi, tanto, yari, naginata, nagamaki, tachi, uchigatana, nodachi, odachi, kodachi, and ya arrow.
Made of 1095 high carbon steel, every one of our katanas is made with an intense focus on detail and quality craftsmanship. To start with, the category of the european sword is far more diverse than the japanese one, which makes this more like an apple and orange comparison. Large, beautiful pictures, with english text explanations, and some basic info in japanese. Here are some books, tools and more on the art of blacksmithing. Find more information about the index, its description and methods of use here. The method of construction, a form of pattern weldin. Onesided jians from the tang dynasty provided the basis for various japanese forging styles and techniques.
To create this article, 28 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Reading books is no replacement for actual forgetime. He said it was a very good basic guide, for he had others, some in japanese about his sword collection. The kobuse type is made using two steels, which are called hagane. Sep 17, 2015 the japanese sword is superior to any european sword it is often thought that the japanese sword outperforms any european counterparts. However, producing a quality sword is an extremely difficult task that takes years to master.
A very good book on japanese swords highlighting mr. We interviewed yoshihara, said to be the best swordsmith in japan, who, even today, continues to protect the traditions and cultures of sword making. Tokugawa yoshimune, november 27, 1684 july 12, 1751 was the eighth shogun of the tokugawa shogunate of japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. Nihon toko jiten by matsuo fujishiro japanese, english 34. I just wanted to give yall a report on a dvd i bought.
Rivanna river company, may 1, 2001 swordsmiths 272 pages. As such, this book offers exciting insights into the future of japanese swordsmithing. Media in category swordsmiths from japan the following 7 files are in this category, out of 7 total. He has published a list of these swordsmiths as a prelude to his book on the same subject. This was my brothers book and he collected with my father. Forging japanese knives for beginners by ernst siebeneicherhellwig and jurgan rosinski is published in 20 in the us by schiffer publishing. This site is dedicated to the study, appreciation and preservation of japanese swords nihonto.
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