Month: February 2011
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In preparation for tanren
Japanese traditional sword making is bound to the use of certain types of steel which are the product of ancient manufacturing processes. Without the use of such steels, it wouldn’t be traditional japanese sword making anymore. It is not possible to use those steels such as they come from their maker. In the old days…
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How to make a te-bōki
Useful hand-held straw brush and tool The te-bōki (手箒 lit. “hand-broom”) are extremely useful tools during forging to hold down hot work, brush away scale, push back hot coals, hit apprentices (!), etc. At first sight they look pretty simple, but their making requires a bit of practice so that they become tough and rigid…
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Making aku – Fabrication d'aku
Aku, or charred straw, is used as a coating when forging traditional steels at very high temperatures in the processes of japanese swordsmithing. The charred straw is both a light source of carbon for the steel, as well as an anti-oxidizing coating when it liquifies near welding temperature.