Month: January 2011

  • Sumi-kiri san nen…

    Sumi-kiri san nen…

    Sumi-kiri, the elaborate cutting of charcoal by apprentices is said to take three years (san nen) to assimilate. I'm obviously a slow learner for it's been over five years and my charcoal is far from all right. But what's all the fuss?! If you ever tried shoveling gravel, you'll have noticed it's a lot easier…

  • Sumi-kiri – Charcoal cutting

    Sumi-kiri – Charcoal cutting

    Sumi-kiri, the cutting of the charcoal by japanese swordsmith apprentices, as poorly performed by me. In this video, one strike out of ten is ok, while all others made me frown… size wrong.. size wrong.. swing wrong.. size wrong.. strength wrong.. size wrong.. wrong angle.. and so on. It is said it takes three years…

  • Kata: Making a sword pattern

    Kata: Making a sword pattern

    A good to way to learn proper sword sugata, or silhouette, is to make a kata, or pattern, from 1.25-1.5mm thick sheet of mild steel. I bought a full sheet and cut it in about forty 5 cm wide bands of various lengths. The longest tachi won’t usually exceed 100 cm of zen-nagasa (full length,…

  • Tool handle wrap

    Tool handle wrap

    There are several ways to wrap a tool handle, usually with plain rope. I'm presenting one here, used on the teko, the bar used for tanren.

  • Kata – Sword Patterns: Tanto – Aizu Shintogo

    Kata – Sword Patterns: Tanto – Aizu Shintogo

    Tanto – Aizu Shintogo Shintogo Kunimitsu is known as one of the best swordsmiths to have ever lived, and a master of the tanto. This is a tracing of the Aizu Shintogo, a tanto listed as a Meibutsu. Download this PDF file which provides detailed measurements of the tanto. (right-click on link and save file)…

  • Kata – Sword Patterns: Kozuka – Kogatana

    Kata – Sword Patterns: Kozuka – Kogatana

    Kozuka – Kogatana These pocket knives were utilitarian first and foremost. They were inserted into a sword scabbard’s side, through the guard. Kozuka (small tsuka) refers to the hilt of the knife, whereas kogatana (small katana) refers to the actual knife itself. Download this PDF file which provides detailed measurements of a classic kogatana. (right-click…

  • A tour of the forge

    A tour of the forge

    Wishing you a truly successful new year! This morning I fought my way out of my futon, and into winter. It was three degrees. Inside. The pipes were frozen. No water. They keep telling me “Aren’t you tough?! It’s much colder in Canada!“. “Yeah, but we have heating in our insulated houses,” I always reply.…

  • Katana-kaji – Forge

    Katana-kaji – Forge

    This is a tour of my smithy here in Shimizu, Japan. The smithy has over a century of recorded history as the workplace of a village blacksmith. Only the forge itself has been refitted for sword making.

  • Gaijinto: Happy New Year and a Real Treat

    Gaijinto: Happy New Year and a Real Treat

    “Pierre Nadeau is an incredible Canadian who is probably the only westerner swordsmith apprentice in Japan at this time…” Original Link