(no subject)
So yeah, Japanese swordmaking course....
It was good. It focused on forging damascus steel, and drawing it out into a blade. Because of time constraints, we only made short swords (tantos)and only 3...it was such a large group (they doubled the size of the class because there was so much interest, and there was still a huge waiting list) that it wasn't really hands on. The swordsmith and his assistant (a local smith with whom I've taken courses in the past) had 3 blades on the go at once.
It's nice to see that even the experts have challenges...a high-carbon steel/nickel billet kept coming apart and eventually dropped off the handle into the forge, and a second attempt didn't go much better. Layered billets that the sensei was "sure" had welded sprung apart and had to be press welded.
Good group. Mostly knifemakers, some blacksmiths, some like me (interested in the process, the tradition, the history), some I'm pretty sure just came to buy one of his swords. ($6000 for a mid-range katana, blade made by him but polished and finished by others). Including one kid who brought his mom to buy him a sword (Arrrggg!).
Got to swing a hammer and play with the forge. Good times.
In the end, one blade (512 layers) had a serious internal flaw...thought we could salvage it by grinding it out, but in the end it cracked during the hardening quench. The sensei laughed and said that was why all his successful blades were marked "fortunate day". ;)
One successful tanto, unpolished, was raffled off (a $2500 value),but I didn't get it...and so I'm still swordless. Some day something I can afford may come my way.
It was good. It focused on forging damascus steel, and drawing it out into a blade. Because of time constraints, we only made short swords (tantos)and only 3...it was such a large group (they doubled the size of the class because there was so much interest, and there was still a huge waiting list) that it wasn't really hands on. The swordsmith and his assistant (a local smith with whom I've taken courses in the past) had 3 blades on the go at once.
It's nice to see that even the experts have challenges...a high-carbon steel/nickel billet kept coming apart and eventually dropped off the handle into the forge, and a second attempt didn't go much better. Layered billets that the sensei was "sure" had welded sprung apart and had to be press welded.
Good group. Mostly knifemakers, some blacksmiths, some like me (interested in the process, the tradition, the history), some I'm pretty sure just came to buy one of his swords. ($6000 for a mid-range katana, blade made by him but polished and finished by others). Including one kid who brought his mom to buy him a sword (Arrrggg!).
Got to swing a hammer and play with the forge. Good times.
In the end, one blade (512 layers) had a serious internal flaw...thought we could salvage it by grinding it out, but in the end it cracked during the hardening quench. The sensei laughed and said that was why all his successful blades were marked "fortunate day". ;)
One successful tanto, unpolished, was raffled off (a $2500 value),but I didn't get it...and so I'm still swordless. Some day something I can afford may come my way.