Usually high carbon, like 1095 or 1085 (speaking about modern steel). The simplest pattern katana (Maru) are forged from only one type of steel. That the hard steel sheet (white) encloses the softer one. But we want the body strong and sturdy, so we make sure the inner layers are of SOFT and MEDIUM steels. That means we want its edge to be of HARD steel so that it maintains sharpness. The solution is to fold those steels together in a way that give the blade the best of both worlds. And that soft steel dulls out rather quickly but is durable. We know that hard steel keeps it sharp but makes it brittle. We want the katana to stay sharp and be strong enough so it doesn’t shatter on impact when hitting a sturdy target. Here is the logic behind the folded steel design. They fold one around the other according to the more complex forging patterns above ( Soshu Kitae, Orikaeshi Sanmai). No mistakes can be made! The last thing you want is a throw-away after months of work, and an angry samurai waiting for his sword.Ī supremely good katana should contain all three steel varieties. Hammering thin sheets of red-hot steel is a dangerous and unforgiving task. I wrote how the swordmakers folded the layers, usually around a soft core (rod). The three types of steel are classified by hardness:
#PARTS OF A KATANA HOW TO#
Folding Patterns and Their Propertiesĭetermines several qualities of the sword: durability, sharpness, visualĪesthetics, color, price, how much effort does it take to produce it.Īfter the blade-smith makes the three varieties of tamahagane, he will then decide how to fold them. Different types of steel, which the swordsmith folds, wraps, and binds, by repeatedly heating and cooling the blade. If you ever wondered what are katanas made of, now you know. Others require a lot of skill, time, and money – but the sword is worth it!Ĭooled repeatedly to make sure that the individual steel rods and sheets bind Some of these are very basic (less work and time, lower budget, and lesser quality). Different layers of steel (of increasing carbon content) folded around each other, according to one of these patterns. Charcoal is used during forging, and also in the tempering process, albeit in smaller amounts. The charcoal provides the carbon which mixes with iron, to make tamahagane steel.
The tamahagane steel is created by combining pine tree or chestnut charcoal (for carbon) with iron and steel scraps (for iron), and putting it under fire. The process of making this material starts with smelting iron-sand ore. The steel used by traditional Japanese blade-smiths is known as tamahagane, which in Japanese literally means “jewel-steel”. The solution is to use various varieties of steel, to bind & fold them together, in a way that gives the katana all of the strengths and removes all the weaknesses. However, low-carbon steel blades won’t shatter easily, but they will blunt more often. High-carbon steel keeps the blade sharp but makes it brittle. I’m talking about steel. Specifically, about its carbon content.Ĭhoosing the right steel is difficult because of that sharpness vs strength conflict. And what makes a sword strong, also allows its razor-sharp edge to blunt easily. Unfortunately, what keeps a sword sharp makes it brittle, at the same time. That would be a death sentence in a real fight. The edge needs to stay sharp, but the sword needs to be strong enough not to break. Thousands of different steel alloy variants, each with their uniqueĪpplications and uses, from jewelry to spaceships.īut a good sword needs the strongest variety, particularly if it’s as nimble and elegant as a katana.
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