Quote Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
...When tamahagane is smelted, the tatara master is awake for 3 days, tending the fire, looking at the color and listening to the sound of the fire raging inside.
...
When swords are heat treated, the same applies: the smith heats the blade and judges the color to determine when the blade is ready for quenching.
Of course this takes a lifetime of experience, but it is possible.
Yes, it is, and not surprisingly the quenching of the sword requires a dark room. Some folks learn from their mistakes, some add another layer of technology and say the old way was no good.

After a while the experts really do look like they are not paying attention to any technology. I suspect that's why elements of magic still seem to play about the edges of what some smiths do.

Make sure all this information doesn't get lost Josh.