Thread: Japanese Swords

Howdy all,

Ive been trying to get a friend into straight shaving while he in turn has been trying to get me to collect swords like he does.

At first i thought it was silly since i wouldn't use the swords for anything, but then i got to looking around and actually really like them.

Does anyone here have any Japanese swords? Or maybe be able to recommend me a good one

I've been looking and the Hanwei swords and they seem pretty awesome.

Hanwei is a good, solid brand, and are very attractive too. I have two Paul Chen pieces: a katana from his Practical series (can't remember which one, I believe it's the higher end model) and a Zatoichi style cane sword. His workmanship is increbible. I'd love to have a proper folded sword (Chen makes those as well), but of course they go for big $$$ - hard to justify for something you're not likely to use for its intended purpose.

Good thing I am not into those, a real tamahagane hand polished katana is pretty pricey.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Good thing I am not into those, a real tamahagane hand polished katana is pretty pricey.

With something like that if you need to even mention price you can't afford it.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

With something like that if you need to even mention price you can't afford it.

yes hehe.
I was looking at a japanese site for sword polishing they charge 2,500,000 yen for full blade polish.

Have you showed your friend any kamisori?

Originally Posted by mainaman

yes hehe.
I was looking at a japanese site for sword polishing they charge 2,500,000 yen for full blade polish.

I've been looking at the lower end models and might end up getting one.

I've been reading alot about the traditional swords and would love to have one one day but alas like you said the price tag is way to high.

Also is it safe to assume that you own a blade since you are looking to get one polished?

If they're not made by Japanese people, nor in Japan, not even of Japanese steel...

What makes them Japanese?

Originally Posted by JimR

If they're not made by Japanese people, nor in Japan, not even of Japanese steel...What makes them Japanese?

It's an interesting question that collectors suffer more than the people who work in the craft. You may as well say that the tamahagane I make in my shop is not the real deal as well. I don't have Japanese DNA either and am not a licensed swordsmith having no formal apprenticeship with a Japanese master.

But I have had my steel inspected by the Murage himself and he didn't have any problems with it. Indeed, he was operating a furnace here in the US with Minnesota taconite making sword steel.

I know nihonto tosho who will say they are katana. And call me and several of my friends tosho or katana kaji, Jim. I have showed my stuff, both steel and blades, at shinsa here in the US and the fellows doing the appraisals had no problem with me making a katana or wakizashi or tanto, any blade in that style. One of my good friends has sold his swords into Japan.

Swordsmiths, the shinsa fellows, and the Murage and his crew all bowed to my blades. That should make sense to you since you live there. It means a lot to me.

I don't know how to explain the difference about this subject that my perspective develops. It's a matter of spirit or heart perhaps but also an attitude. Those with the correct spirit, an open mind, respect for the traditions of the craft, the methods, the intent or purpose find themselves welcome in that community with little reservation.

This next is intended to be slightly humourous and serious too. Iron and nickel are the heaviest elements produced in our solar wind. The stuff is falling to earth all the time. The core of this ball of dirt is iron. Chemically iron is iron. Iron is the same the world over.

The iron in steel doesn't care where it comes from. The iron mines in the US were having a very hard time staying in business until the Japanese and Chinese made some serious investments in resurrecting them because their native sources are becoming depleted. This is especially true in Japan. The iron sands used in smelting steel for swords are becoming tough to acquire. Some of this is that the ore is difficult to collect and probably more of a reason, young people are not interested in coming into the crafts to apprentice. (I could make the same case for polishing stones.) There have been smelts done in Japan using Minnesota ores.

Saying that it's all the same common stuff kind of dilutes the cache that makes the Japanese sword something special. But there is nothing special or undiscovered about Japanese irons. It's the craftsmen and their rigorous traditions using essentially primitive methods to produce elegance in execution that makes it special. They are not just striking steel or filing away what is not a blade, nor polishing the steel to bring out the features, they are working on themselves as human beings.

Mike,I can't speak for Jim, but I have issue with all the Chinese reproductions out there not being authentic rather than a quality piece as you or Howard Clark would make.