The vast majority of modern katana and wakizashi are the maru type which is the most basic, with the entire sword being composed of a single steel. The Honsanmai type is made using three steels, which are called hagane 、Kawagane and shingane. Steel of different materials is forged and welded together to hammer the basic shape of the sword. This allows the overall blade to have a higher toughness and absorb a lot of impact. Reducing the possibility of breaking or bending to some extent. Makes the blade not only has high hardness, but also has super toughness.
To maximize both the cutting edge and the resilience of the sword spine, a technique of differential heat-treatment is used. The sword is painted with layers of clay before heating, providing a thin layer or none at all on the edge of the sword, ensuring quick cooling to maximize the hardening for the edge. A thicker layer of clay is applied to the rest of the blade, causing slower cooling. This creates softer, more resilient steel, allowing the blade to absorb shock without breaking.
In the forging process , the most useful process is the folding, where the metals are forge welded, folded, and welded again, as many as 24 times(15 is the best). The folding removes impurities and helps even out the carbon content, while the alternating layers combine hardness with ductility to greatly enhance the toughness. The less impurities, the harder and sharper the blade will be. We have done cutting tests on the blades. it can cut bamboo(young bamboo tree), grass mattings and slice paper(The blade should be tilted at 45 degrees).
TSUKA-ITO & SAGEO
SAMEGAWA
Samegawa(鮫皮)is the ray or shark skin wrapping of the tsuka (handle/hilt).
Colored Blade
Manual production really takes a lot of time. We will prepare most products in advance ,and arrange delivery within about a week. However, sometimes the delivery time is delayed due to weather or raw materials,etc. we hope to get your understanding. Feel free to contact us to inquire about the status of your order.