The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-26
HOW JAPs MAKE SWORDS.
Processes Which Go to Make Up Excel.
lent Results.

CF'rom the st. Louis Glcbe-D emocrat.)
An interesting paper on japanese
swords by Mr.. Gilbertson appears in
the last volume Of th5 Transactions of
the japanese society. The blades are
made from metal, chiefly the deposits
of magnetic iron ore and ferruginous
sand and i'll the opinion Of many ex-
perts nc weapons are superior to those
produced by the Japanese. The art of
making the blades was at one time a
secret, handed down from father 10
son, and master to pupil. The mode Of
manufacture is as follows: strip of
steel is welded to a rod Of iron, which
serves as handle A number of other
strips Of steel are then welded on the
first Until the mass measures six or
eight inches in length, one and quar-
ter to two and a quarter inches in
width, by quarter to three-quarters of
n inch thick. When hot, this bar is
doubled in half and then beaten out to
the original dimensions. This process
is repeated fifteen times. Four such
bars are made, welded together, then
doubled over, again welded and forged
as before five times. So thin are the
original strips of steel and so often are
they doubled over that it is estimated
that a Japanese sword blade consists
of !, 194304 layers of metal. The bar is
then beaten out from the six OF eight
inches to the required length. Some
times in the forging process the metal
is hammered on the edge, and the in
strunents, instead of being all steel,
are alternately a layer of steel and one
of iron-a combination which produces
beautiful markings representing fine
wood grain or wavy lines.
When the blade is complete, it is
scraped with a knife. and the tang
that part inserted in the hilt-is shaped
The blade is then roughly ground, and
if the smith is satisfied with it, he gen
orally signs his name upon the tang
Now it is ornamented, and the process
is interesting. The blade is thickly
coated with a mixture Of clay, fine river
sand and finely powdered charcoal. The
clay was in olden days taken from
Mount Inari, and the smiths proceed
ing there, prayed to the god mari Sa-
ma for permission to carry away the
necessary material. When this coat
ing y nearly dry a design is traced
upon it, cutting through to the blade.
The weapon when the coating is prop
erly set is plunged into a specially pre-
pared fire, and when sufficiently heat
ed-only by long experience can a man
judge this-it is dipped into water or
oil. The story goes that Massamume,
a famous smith, was tempering blade
in the presence of a fellow smith, when
the latter furtively put his hand in the
liquid to find out what it was, and
whether it was hot or cold. That cost
him dear. for with one clean sweep of
the sword, Massamume cut the rash
inquirers hand off The operation Of
sharpening in the case of a fine blade
sometimes required so days to finish
the surface being gone over as many
as 20 times. Finally the blade is most
infinitely examined by the owner or by
an expert Among the Japanese no.
bles, a good sword becomes a valued
heirloom, and it is almost impossible
to obtain any of the older weapons
forged and finished by noted makers,
as those which are not heirlooms have
been dedicated to national deities and
hung up in churches.