Tamahagane Small Works

Tamahagane (Wakou) is steel born by ancient iron (Tatara iron manufacture). It burn charcoal in “the たたら(Tatara) furnace” which they made with clay, and they repeat input turn and oxidize good quality iron sand and charcoal and. They deoxidize(return) it. The writer helped an observer for the operation of the Tatara iron manufacture several times,too. but it began from the place where piece of wood did pine charcoal Small Cutting and admired the enormous time and effort and an expense.

It is called “Kera”. They do it like that, and to have been born. ”Kera” is a lump of iron including carbon. The constitution is Tamahagane, Orositetu, Zuku.. Among the present, swordsmiths, They call the high quality first grade goods of the inside and the part of a second grade product and the third grade product Tamahagane.

The raw materials of the Japanese sword are “Tamahagane”.
Therefore Agency for Cultural Affairs, association of art sword preservation in Japan do lage-scale”Tatara” operation every year. and They supplies with the first grade goods born from there, the “Tamahagane” of the second grade and the third grade product to swordsmiths .

However, width of the expression of the surface of a sword blade is fixed only with Tamahagane from association of art sword preservation in Japan. However, breadth of the expression of the “Hada” is fixed only with “Tamahagane” from and does a Some pattern. But, in its own way the reason is that accurate and beautiful. but They demand freer expression and put thought to the celebrated sword of Kamakura period and demand the “Ji-hada”(Surface of sword blade) where an old Japanese sword is near and build (Small-Tatara) of the iron manufacture method in the oneself ancient times, and the swordsmith working hard at a making a sword with ball Tamahagane (Wakou) which He got by the self steel manufacture exists. They think about freer expression, a celebrated sword of Kamakura period and demand the “Hada” which is near to an old Japanese sword and build (small Tatara) of the iron manufacture method in the oneself ancient times, and the swordsmith working hard at a making a sword with Tamahagane (Wakou) which they got by the self steel manufacture exists.
“Shoji Amada” of the living national treasure, and Mukansa (without audition swordsmith) of “Tsutomu Sou” Also “Yoshindo Yoshihara” hear it with one of the inside for such a romance, too.

From old days, there are a noted product and a praised sword. It is a legend of a sword. sharp well which not to break, not to bend, and a razor sharp cutting edge. For example, It is a (Mei-butu Masamune) and He cut a big lron bell, (Turiganekiri “Kuniyuki), swordsmiths ”Habu Kanemitsu” of (nami-oyogi kanemitu). who are said to be it when a trunk was be torn right in half in the moment. when after being river side the first cut on the person arrived at the opposite river side, and “Youtou muramasa”(demon sword) which were cracked to two so that a leaf floating in the surface of a river drifting to from the upper reaches is breathed in to a sword blade.

For the imperial audience “Kabutwari”(helmet-splitting) of swordsmith (KenkichI Sakakibara) and the Japanese sword. In late years it make a bullet fired with a gun right in half, and leave various proof and legends, Japanese sword.
The secret of the mystery sharpness is not yet unravel.