Konnichiwa! Hallo everyone!
Recently, we are doing consignment sales at various museums and exhibitions related to noted swords.
Then, I was a little wondering there ...
What kind of sword is a "noted sword" in the first place?
【What is a noted sword?】
Who and how decides?
When I looked it up in the dictionary, it said, "An excellent sword. A world-famous sword." It seems that even experts can get their opinions.
It is a pity that many great swords have been lost due to war and fire.
Many of the remaining famous swords are stored as national treasures and important cultural properties. They are swords that can be seen at museums.
In addition, there are other famous swords that individuals have.
Many of the so-called "noted swords" are said to have been used by great men who existed in the past.
They are valuable as weapons. It is left with the name of the military commander who was using it.
The other thing is that the shape is beautiful, that is, it is valuable as a work of art.
【What is a beautiful Japanese sword?】
So what kind of sword is a "beautiful sword"?
It is said that the beauty of the sword was recognized from Muromachi period, when sharpening techniques were developed.
The curved shape and brilliance of the Japanese sword is certainly very beautiful.
There are three points of beauty of Japanese swords. It is said to be "figure," "jigane," and "hamon."
"Figure"…"Point of the sword", "width" and "curve" change depending on the times and schools, so the standard of beauty of shape depends on the times. There are so many features that it will not end if I write in detail, and there are many types in each part. Japanese swords are quite deep!
I also feel that the "curve" is very beautiful. I'm more attracted to that curved shape than just a straight sword.
"Jigane"…The basic metal or base metal of the sword. And a pattern is formed on the surface.
Since the sword is made by folding and forging many times, the base iron becomes a thin layer over many layers, and the strength increases.
Depending on the number of times and the Tamahagane itself, different patterns can be created on the jigane iron.
There are various types such as "Itamehada", "Masamehada", and "Mokumehada".
Picture：pinterest
There are various swords in the world, but only Japanese swords can be forged by combining multiple materials or folding them many times.
Therefore, this "jigane" can be said to be a unique feature of Japanese swords.
"Hamon"…The pattern that emerges in the white part of the sword. It seems that it appears after "quenching".
Quenching is the process of applying clay called "Yakibatsuchi", which is a durable clay-based soil, to the blade and bake it, and then rapidly cooling it with water. The thickness of the painted soil causes a time difference in the cooling rate, resulting in a variety of patterns.
It is said that this is the most important process that affects the quality of the sword.
Depending on the school to which the swordsmith belongs, the "hamon" that he is good at is different.
【Tamahagane, which is indispensable for the beauty of Japanese swords】
Another element of the beauty of Japanese swords is the splendor of "iron". The material is "Tamahagane".
Tamahagane is a very high-purity steel made from iron ore and iron sand using Japan's unique iron-making method.
It is a valuable item that can be extracted from a large amount of raw materials in a small amount.
Furthermore, iron becomes stronger and more beautiful by striking it over and over again with Japan's unique method "strike and fold forging".
Why does it become beautiful?
This is because the impurities of iron, which is originally high in purity, are further removed.
And it shines beautifully.
And this "Tamahagane", the part with a small amount of carbon is soft, and the part with a large amount of carbon is hard.
By using it properly, the core of the Japanese sword is soft and the outside is hard.
Combining these different hardnesses is called "tsukurikomi".
Since the core is soft, it absorbs shocks and is hard to break.
Not only the material but also the craftsmanship of swordsmith is added, an excellent Japanese sword that is "strong yet flexible" is completed.
At Dentoya Akatsuki, we make accessories using this "Tamahagane".
【How is "Tamahagane" different from ordinary iron? 】
As I mentioned earlier, the more carbon you have, the harder iron becomes.
However, on the other hand, it is easy to break.
Even if ordinary iron does not break, it bends easily when force is applied, and it breaks when stronger force is applied.
In comparison, Tamahagane is a perfect material for Japanese swords that do not bend and do not break, as they are repeatedly "struck and stretched" to increase their suppleness.
Since it is a very rare material, it is rarely used for anything other than Japanese swords.
At Dentoya Akatsuki, fine Tamahagane steel that cannot be used for Japanese swords is used as an accessory.
"Tamahagane" itself is not just a material, but a very valuable one made by a unique ironmaking method using traditional Japanese technology.
I hope you can feel the wonderfulness of Japanese technology.
↓Please check the Tamahagane accessories from here↓
Due to the recent surge in material prices and transportation prices, the prices of some products have been raised since April 1.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your understanding.
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We deliver you Japanese genuine skill with warmhearted crafts. We hope that we can continue to help you add color to your life with "tradition" and "craftsmanship".
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