The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-03-13
old JAPANESE ART
Swords of Perfumed Steel That
Cannot Now Be Made.
MARVEL OF A CRYSTAL BALL
Rubbed Into q Perfect Sphere by Hand.
II Would Be Difficult to Duplicate Il
With Modern Machinery-Lesend Of
the Secrey Of a S~ordnaker.

II Would Be Difficult to Duplicate II
With Modern Machinery-lesend OF
the Secres Of a S.vordnaker.
Steel made more than $40 years ago.
with a sweet odOr put In SD that the
metal still retains the scent-that is
one OF the secrets of an old japanese
sword maker described by Reginald f.
st. Fere Vale of London. Mr.. Vale
Is an amateur collector and his en-
thusiasm for the beauty OF old Japa-
nese art has carried him far back
into the centuries.
Mr.. Vale actually owned a sword OF
scented steel ono time. but 1t was
stolen from the office Of his lawyer
several years ago. He regards this
loss as the greatest a collector could
face and feels sure that he will never
get that sword back again.
''The perfume was delicate and
pleasing" he said. 1T is not the only
sword of the kind in the world. The
royal collection ut Vienna has one, and
there are two or three more which
ho'S tHtIi lOT All
these hundreds of years.
The scent is actually a part Of the
steel. The sword WAS incased In a
wood sheath. which gave forth no odor
The handle of the sword was OF wood.
which was easily removed and which
gave no odor. The makers names.
father and son. were on the steel OF
the handle
Il entertained group of Sheffield
steel men ut my home several years
ago and just as a surprise for them
had the sword on the table. They were
boasting about what great steelmak.
ers they were. and then | asked them
to smell the sword. They were the
most surprised men you ever saw.
'Steelmakers.' said. There Is
some real art in making steel: let us
see you equal that They could not, OF
course"
Mr.. Vale said that there are hun
dreds of mechanical tricks Of the Jap
anese artisans of hundreds OF year.,
ago which have been lost These men
have made many articles which can.
not be duplicated with modern machin.
cry.
II have In my home a crystal ba III six
inches In diameter" he said. 1T Is as
round as billiard ball: It will stand
any test for roundness. That was made
by hand several hundred years ago. 1t
would be difficult to make IL iiow with
mn n hinnpv 10 ~ to h,,k x.,~l.
Of the years Of toll and the special abil-
ity required for man to rub block
Of crystal into a perfect sphere"
Mr.. Vale said that old Japanese
princes kept hordes of men ut work.
paying them fairly well These men
had food and lodging assured for the
rest of their lives. and they didn't have
to hurry with their work.
He told Of one cabinet started by one |
man for the prince who employed him |
but who failed to finish it, He died |
md the prince died. The son of the
artisan took up the work, expecting to
inish ii for the son of the former
prince. They both died. ana the cabi |
,et was finally finished 10y the grand. |
son OF the original cablncrluaker and |
PRESENTED to the grandson Of the orig
nal prince.
There was one swordma6er who had |
he trick 0f making dagger with n
cry hard steel point. which gradually
rev softer toward the handle. He did
his by taking II dagger blade OF uni
orm hardness packing IL la clay which
vas thicker toward the handle. IN this
way when he heated the pack the heat
vas graded, being strong at the point
nd soft near the handle.
The secret lay in tue temperature of
he water he pun IL in after heating
/. NJ one could discover how hot tile
water was or how hong he KEPT the
mass In the water.
"iIc had several young men working
or him. and one Ot these men. "A trick
ter. was anxious TO learn the secret |
Tie old mnn prepared his hath In n
rivnte tent one day be was coming
M Of the tent with a newly inlshet
word under his arm when the young
nan darted past HIM and stuck bis
and IN the waller
The old man wheeled and struck
n; with his sword lie cut so quickly /,
hat he severed the young mans arm #,
etore the young mans nerves could
Onyey any idea vi the temperature vi