The process of creating a katana

How to forge a blade of a Japanese sword katana on your own using an old technology step-by-step process How to make a katana from a stick.
Japanese swords and other weapons have become a hobby of many people. You can make your katana using this guide. In the photo you can see all the materials and tools that you will need during your work.

First you need to make a blade. To do this, take metal plate 1 meter long and 7 cm wide. The thickness of the metal must be at least 5 mm. Cover the plate with spray varnish and let it dry.

Use a grinder with a cutting disc to shape the katana blade to the desired shape. Then use an abrasive disc to polish the metal. Also remove the wavy edge around the edges of the blade.

When the shape of the blade is perfect, coat it again with paint and varnish and let it dry. Draw a line in the center of the blade.

Using an abrasive sander disc, grind off the cutting edges.

Do the same on the other side. The end of the blade should then be about 1 mm thick. Please note that the blade should be perfectly straight, without snags or waviness.

You can make a guard of any shape from the remains of metal.

Then you need to make a guard (tsuba), a scabbard (saya) and a handle (tsuka). To determine the shape of the guard, attach the finished blade to the metal. Paint the finished guard with the appropriate paint.

Now sketch out the outline of the handle. When doing this, take into account the thickness of the guard. Do not forget that the sketch will be in a mirrored position.

Through milling machine cut the desired shape from the wood.

Mark the parts of the handle that will connect the two parts.

Once the two pieces of the handle are ready, place the blade between them and secure the guard.

When making the scabbard, consider the length and thickness of the blade.

Sand both sides of the scabbard smoothly and glue them together.

You now have three katana pieces.

Now you should polish the blade with sandpaper.

Then you can cover the blade with wax.

Then you need to make an artificial blade covering.

Now grind the edge of the blade.

Rub the entire blade to avoid rusting.

Now glue all the parts of the katana together.

Cover wood surfaces with a soft matte varnish.

Glossy varnish can also be coated.

Other knives and swords can be made in a similar way.

Very often you can come across the question: "What is a katana?" Many who are interested cannot tell the difference and believe that this is a simple samurai sword. In fact, the katana is a very interesting and difficult weapon that you need to know a little better. Difference In Japanese, this word is used to denote a curved sword with one blade.

A katana can be called a blade of any origin, but it has some differences: One blade. Subtlety. Square or round hand protection design. The handle is long enough to hold the sword with both hands. Very high pungency. The blade has a special bend that makes cutting easier. A large variety of blades. History of creation In order to fully answer the question of what a katana is, it is necessary to study the appearance of the legendary sword. The blade was invented as a direct competitor to tachi and dates back to the Kamakura period. In those days, a split second was enough to win a fight. Therefore, the katana has become widespread due to the speed when unscheathing.

The length of the sword remained practically unchanged. It became slightly smaller in the 15th century, but by the end of the 16th century it returned to its size again (70-73 cm). Today, real katanas are serious weapons with deadly sharpness. Making To understand how to make a katana, you should carefully study the process of making it. It consists of a large number of stages: Steel selection. Traditionally, refined steel (tamahagane grade) is used to make the blade. Not every brand can have the properties that are necessary to create a real weapon. Steel cleaning. During manufacturing, individual pieces of metal are taken, which are reforged into ingots. Then they are put together and again, heated, returned to their original shape. Slag removal and carbon distribution.

The pieces are folded and poured with a solution of clay and ash. When unnecessary additives come out of the metal, the pieces are heated and forged again. The process can be repeated up to 12 times. After that, carbon will be evenly distributed over the entire plane, and the number of layers reaches 30 thousand. When specialists are asked what a katana is, the master first of all points out a large number of folding pieces of metal. Addition of mild steel to resist dynamic loads. Forging. It can take several days. At this time, the whole block diverges in length. To prevent overheating and to protect against oxidation, a liquid clay is applied. Drawing on the cutting part of a special pattern called jamon.

Hardening.

It is performed in a differentiated manner. The front is subject to more heat than the back. As a result of heat treatment, the blade gets bend and high hardness. Vacation. Relief of internal stresses by heating the steel and slow cooling. Polishing. It is done first with coarse and then with thin stones. The work takes about 5 days. With its help, the Japanese katana is sharpened, given mirror shine, the jamon stands out and minor imperfections are removed. Decorating the handle takes several days.

The sword is an extension of the arm, and the swordsman's arm is almost always slightly bent, so the weapon also has a bend. Everything is simple, but at the same time it is wise. Sori is due in part to a special processing that uses extreme temperatures. The hardening is not uniform, but zonal, some parts of the sword are exposed to much greater impact. By the way, in Europe, masters used just this method.

After all the procedures, the Japanese sword has different hardness, the blade is 60 units according to Rockwell, and the reverse side is only 40 units. What is the name of the Japanese sword? Bokken To begin with, it is worth identifying the simplest of all Japanese swords. Bokken is a wooden weapon, it is used in training, since it is difficult to inflict serious injury on them, only masters of art are able to kill them.

For example, you can designate aikido. The sword is created from various types of wood: oak, beech and hornbeam. They are native to Japan and are fairly durable, so the choice is clear. For preservation and appearance, resin or varnish is often used. The length of the bokken is about 1 m, the handle is 25 cm, the blade is 75 cm. The weapon must be strong enough, so making it also requires skill. Bokken can withstand strong blows with the same sword and with a jo, a wooden pole. The most dangerous is the tip, which can seriously harm. As mentioned, a professional is capable of delivering a fatal blow using a Japanese wooden sword. For example, it is enough to take the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who often used a wooden sword in fights, most often the battle ended in the death of the enemy. Therefore, in Japan, they have great respect not only for real blades, but also for bokken.

For example, upon entering the plane, it must be checked in as baggage. And if you do not use a cover, then this is equivalent to carrying a cold weapon. This Japanese sword is dangerous. The name can be applied to all swords made of wood. Interestingly, there are three types of wooden sword: male, female, and training. However, do not think that only the fair sex uses the second. The female is the most popular, as it has a special curvature and lightness. Male - with a thick blade and directness. The training one imitates a steel blade, the blade has a particularly large thickening, implying the weight of the iron. What other types of Japanese swords are there? Daisho Literally the name is translated "big-small". This is the main weapon of the samurai.

The long sword is called daito. Its length is about 66 cm. A short Japanese sword (dagger) is a set (33-66 cm), which serves as a secondary weapon of a samurai. But it is a mistake to believe that these are the names of certain swords. Throughout history, the bundle has changed, used different kinds... For example, until the early Muromachi period, the tachi was used as a long sword. Then he was supplanted by a katana, which was worn in a scabbard, secured with a ribbon. If a dagger (short sword) of tanto was used with tachi, then wakizashi, Japanese swords, were usually taken with it, the photos of which can be seen below. Interesting moments In Europe and in Russia it is believed that the katana is a long sword, but this is not entirely true. It has been such for a long time, but its use is a matter of taste. Interestingly, in Japan only samurai use of daishс was strictly observed. Military leaders and shoguns venerated this rule and issued appropriate decrees.

The samurai themselves treated weapons with special trepidation, they kept it close to them even during sleep. The long sword was removed at the entrance to the house, and the short one was always with him. Other classes of society were not allowed to use daish, but could take them separately. A bunch of swords was the main part of a samurai's costume. It was she who was the confirmation of class affiliation. Warriors from an early age were taught to take good care of the weapons of their master. Katana Finally, perhaps the most popular of the finest Japanese swords. Katana on modern language denotes absolutely any representative of this type of weapon. As mentioned above, it was used by samurai as a long sword, most often it is paired with wakaji. Weapons are always sheathed in order to avoid accidental injuries to others and to oneself. Interestingly, the angle at which the katana is usually placed on the belt allows you to hide its true length from the rest.

The clever and simple way dates back to the Sengoku period. In those days, weapons ceased to be a necessity, they were more used for the sake of tradition. Manufacturing Like any Japanese sword, the katana has a complex design. The manufacturing process can take several months, but a real work of art comes out. First, the pieces of steel, stacked together, are poured with a solution of clay and water, and also sprinkled with ash. This is necessary so that the slag that forms during the smelting process is absorbed. After the steel is hot, the pieces are joined together. After that, the most difficult process begins - forging. The pieces are repeatedly flattened and folded, thereby allowing the carbon to be evenly distributed over the workpiece. If you fold it 10 times, you get 1024 layers. And this is not the limit. Why is this necessary? So that the hardness of the blade is the same.

If there are significant differences, then under conditions of heavy loads, the probability of breaking is high. Forging lasts several days, during this time the layers reach a truly large number. The structure of the blade is created by the composition of the metal strips. This is its initial appearance, later it will become part of the sword. The same clay layer is applied to avoid oxidation. Then hardening begins. The sword is heated to a certain temperature, which depends on the type of metal. This is followed by instant cooling. The cutting edge becomes hard. Then the final work is done: sharpening, polishing. The master works on the blade carefully for a long time. At the end, when the edges are flat, he works with small stones that are held in place with one or two fingers, some using planks. Today, engraving has become popular, which usually depicts scenes with Buddhist themes. The handle is being worked on for a few more days and the katana is ready. This Japanese sword is dangerous.

The name can be attributed to a large number of representatives that differ from each other. Appearance Real Japanese swords must have not only a sharp blade and strength, but also durability. They should not break with strong blows, and also do without sharpening for a long time. Carbon gives hardness, but at the same time the sword loses its elasticity, which means it becomes brittle. Blacksmiths in Japan invented various shapes that could provide both elasticity and resistance. Ultimately, it was decided that layering solves the problem. The traditional technique involves making the blade core from low carbon steel. The rest of the layers are elastic. Various combinations and methods help create such a Japanese sword. A war blade should be comfortable for a certain warrior. Also, the blacksmith can change the type of steel, which greatly affects the entire sword. In general, katanas can be very different from each other due to the above reasons.

Due to the difficulty in manufacturing, the designs of the blades cost differently. For example, the cheapest one involves the use of one grade of steel. Usually used to create tanto. But sucking kitae is the most complex structure, it has seven layers of steel. The exemplary work created with its application is a work of art. One of the first to use sucking kitae was the blacksmith Masamune. At home and on the street As you know, in Japan there are a huge number of traditions, many of which directly relate to edged weapons. For example, when entering a house, a warrior never took off a short Japanese samurai sword. Wakaji remained in the scabbard as a reminder of the guest's alertness. It was different with the katana (long sword). The samurai held it in his left hand if he feared for his own life. As a sign of confidence, he could shift it to the right.

When a warrior sat down, he also did not part with swords. On the street, a samurai wore a katana in a scabbard called a sai. The sword mount was called koshirae. If necessary, the warrior did not part with the katana at all. However, in peacetime, the longsword was left at home. There it was kept in a special shirasaya montage, which was created from untreated magnolia wood. She was able to protect the blade from corrosion. If we compare the katana with its Russian counterparts, then it most of all resembles a checker. However, thanks to the long handle, the former can be used with two hands, which is a distinctive feature. Useful property katana can be called that with its help it is also easy to inflict stabbing blows, since the bend of the blade is small and the blade is sharp. Wearing a katana was always worn to the left of the body in a scabbard. The obi belt secures the sword securely and prevents it from falling out. In society, the blade should always be higher than the handle. This is a tradition, not a military necessity.

But in armed conflicts, a samurai held a katana in his left hand, that is, in a state of alert. As a sign of trust, as already mentioned, the weapon passed into right hand... The Japanese sword katana supplanted the tachi by the end of the XIV century. Interesting Facts Usually everyone chose a handle decorated with decorative elements, and no one chose the ugly and untreated one. However, at the end of the 19th century, the wearing of swords was prohibited in Japan, all except wooden. And the raw handle began to gain popularity, since the blade was not visible in the scabbard, and the sword could be mistaken for a bokken. In Russia, the katana is characterized as a two-handed saber with a blade over 60 cm.However, not only the katana was used by samurai. There are lesser known and popular types of Japanese swords. They are described below. Vikazashi This is a short Japanese sword. The traditional type of cold weapon was quite popular among the samurai. Often it was worn together with a katana. The length of the blade actually made it not a sword, but rather a dagger, it is about 30-60 cm. The whole wakizashi was about 50-80 cm, depending on the previous indicator. The shallow curvature made it look like a katana. Sharpening was one-sided, like most Japanese swords. The bulge is much larger than that of the katana, so soft objects are cut more sharply. A distinctive feature is the square grip. Wakizashi was very popular, many fencing schools taught their students to use it and katana at the same time.

The sword was called the guardian of its honor and was treated with special respect. However, the main advantage of the katana was the free wearing of wakizashi for absolutely everyone. If only samurai had the right to use a long sword, then artisans, workers, merchants and others often took a short sword with them. Due to the considerable length of the wakizashi, it was often used as a full-fledged weapon. Tachi The long Japanese sword, which was supplanted by the katana, was quite popular at the time. The fundamental differences between them could be identified even at the stage of creating the blade - it was used different design... Katana has much better performance, however, tachi deserves attention. It was customary to wear a long sword with the blade down; a special bandage was attached to its belt. The scabbard was usually wrapped to avoid damage. If the katana was part of civilian clothing, then tati was exclusively military. Paired with him was a tanto sword.

Also, tachi was often used as a ceremonial weapon at various events and in the courts of shoguns and emperors (the former can still be called princes). When compared with the same katana, the tati's blade is more curved and also longer, about 75 cm. The katana is straight and relatively short. The handle of the tachi, like the sword itself, is rather curved, which is the main distinctive side. Tachi also had a second name - daito. In Europe it is usually pronounced "daikatana". Error due to incorrect reading of the hieroglyphs. Tanto Paired with tachi was a short sword, which could also be attributed to daggers. Tanto is a phrase, so in Japan it is not considered a knife. There is also another reason. Tanto was used as a weapon. However, the kozuka knife was worn in the same sheath. The length of the blade was within 15-30 cm. Most often the blade was one-sided, but sometimes double-edged ones were created, but as an exception.

Interestingly, wakizashi, katana, and tanto are the same swords, only differing in length. There was a type of yoroi-doshi that had a three-edged blade. It was needed to pierce armor. Tanto was not banned for use by ordinary people, so not only samurai wore it, but doctors, traders and others. In theory, a tanto, like any short sword, is a dagger. Another variety was the kaiken, which was shorter in length. It was most often worn by high society ladies in an obi belt and used for self-defense. Tanto did not disappear; it remained in the traditional wedding ceremonies of the royal people. And some samurai wore it instead of wakizashi in conjunction with a katana. Odachi In addition to the above types of long sword, there were lesser known and common ones. One of these is odati. The term is often confused with nodachi, which is described below, but these are two different swords. Literally, odati is translated as "great sword".

Indeed, the length of its blade exceeds 90.9 cm. However, there is no exact definition, which is observed with other species. In fact, any sword that exceeds the above size can be called an odachi. The length is about 1.6 m, although it often exceeds it, the handle of the Japanese sword was considerable. Swords have not been used since the 1615 Osaka-Natsuno-Jin war. After her, a special law was issued prohibiting the use of edged weapons of a certain length. Unfortunately, today there is a meager amount of odachi. The reason for this is that the owners cut their own edged weapons in order to comply with the norms.

After the ban, swords were used as gifts as they were quite valuable. This became their purpose. The high cost was due to the fact that the manufacture was extremely difficult. Nodachi Literally the name means a field sword. Nodachi, like the odachi, was of great length. Because of her, creation was difficult. The sword was carried behind the back, since only this method was possible. Nodachi did not become widespread due to the complexity of manufacturing. In addition, he also required skill in battle. The complex technique of possession was due to its large size and enormous weight. It was almost impossible to snatch a sword from behind in the heat of battle. But where, then, was it used? Perhaps the best application was fighting horsemen. The long length and sharp end made it possible to use the nodachi as a spear, moreover, striking both a person and a horse. Also, the sword was quite effective when dealing damage to multiple targets at once. But for close combat, nodachi is completely unsuitable. The samurai, if necessary, threw away the sword and took a more comfortable katana or tachi in their hands.

Kodachi The name is translated as "little tachi". Kodachi is a Japanese edged weapon that cannot be attributed to either long or short swords. It is, rather, something in between. Due to its size, it can be easily and quickly snatched out and fenced perfectly. The versatility of the sword, due to its size, made it possible to use it in close combat, where movements are constrained and at a distance. Kodachi is best compared to wakizashi. Although their blades are very different (the first has a wider one), the technique is similar. The lengths of one and the other are also similar. Kodachi was allowed to be worn by everyone, as he could not belong to long swords. It is often confused with wakizashi for the reasons described above. Kodachi was worn like tachi, that is, with a downward bend. The samurai who used it did not take a second melee weapon in daishho due to its versatility. The Japanese combat sword was not required in a bundle. In Japan, a large number of swords were created, for which there was no precise definition. Some, small ones, could be worn by all people. The samurai usually chose the types of swords that he used in a bunch of daisho. Swords drove each other out, as new ones possessed the best characteristicstachi and katana are prime examples. Highly crafted by great craftsmen, these swords were true works of art.

Use and storage Real katanas are formidable weapons. They are uniquely sharp and must be handled very carefully. There are several swordsmanship techniques for this blade. Kenjutsu. It falls on the IX century and coincides with the emergence of a separate class of warriors in Japan. Iaido. This technique is based on surprise attacks and lightning-fast counterattacks. Battojutsu. The emphasis is on drawing the sword and deflecting the blow during quick exposure. Iaijutsu. Based on outstretched arm techniques. Shinkendo. The youngest technology that appeared in 1990.

It is necessary to store the blade only in a case and in a certain position in which the blade is directed upwards. If not used for a long time, the blade should be polished, covered with oil and powder. The sword does not like long-term storage, so it must be removed periodically. By linking together all the provisions considered, one can answer the question of what a katana is. It is a powerful and formidable weapon that skillful hands can be fatal to anyone. It is required to be attentive to the sword, and also to understand that without experience and skill, it can not only injure, but even cripple an ordinary person.
Japan at all times was famous not only for masters of martial arts, but also for craftsmen capable of making striking examples of edged weapons. One of these masterpieces is a common samurai two-handed sword - the katana. Making a real katana, perhaps, will not be so easy for you at first, but making a training version of it from wood is absolutely allowed to try.

You will need

• - birch board;
• - tools for working with wood;
• - sandpaper;
• - varnish for wood.

Instructions

1. Prepare a dry birch board or block. Hazel or dead oak is also suitable. The main requirement for the material for a sword is the absence of imperfections in wood, especially knots. The length of the workpiece should be about a meter or slightly more. The overall dimensions of the upcoming wooden samurai sword are determined by the growth of its owner; usually the handle of a katana is about 25 cm long, and the working part (blade) is no more than 75 cm.

2. Use a plane to plane a straight, wide workpiece. Remove excess wood layers; if you are using a solid bush trunk, you should remove the bark in advance and dry the workpiece a little. Later on, you should have a strip 10-30 mm thick.

3. Give the sword a slightly curved look by removing the excess. So that the size and shape are not distorted during processing, the silhouettes of the upcoming weapon should be applied to the workpiece in advance, and after that, using a planer, stepwise remove the excess material.

4. Grind the sharp edges of the workpiece, giving the katana a slightly rounded section, or oval shape... Pay special attention to the handle of the sword, because the ease of handling the training weapon will depend on the quality of its processing. It will be perfect if you make the handle of a round or oval section. Make sure that its thickness is identical along each length.

5. After giving the working part of the katana the desired shape, process it with a file, and then with sandpaper. This will keep your hands free from splinters. First, use more large sandpaper, gradually moving to more fine sanding. For the sake of safety when handling the projectile, make the tip of the katana rounded and also grind.

6. Cover the finished sword stepwise with two or three layers of varnish in order to protect the wood from the harmful effects of the environment. To comfortably hold the training weapon in your hand, carefully wrap the sword handle with insulating tape. Now you can bravely begin to master the art of fighting with samurai swords.

The aura that surrounds the mythical samurai sword - katana, maintains interest and admiration for this type of weapon for more than one hundred years. The Katana is a strong, lightweight and resilient sword. It becomes this way due to the special materials from which it is forged, the special forging technique and, according to the legends, the true heart of the master.

You will need

• Ferruginous sand
• Smelter
• The hammer
• Anvil
• Charcoal
• Rice straw
• Clay
• Sandstone powder
• Tools for grinding and polishing steel

Instructions

1. In order to forge a positive katana, you need to stock up on special "black sand" from the Japanese coast. These are iron sands from which you have to smelt tamahagane - the traditional Japanese iron used to forge samurai swords.

2. Load ore sand into the smelter - Tatara - and smelt about 4 kilograms of steel on charcoal. Temperature in melting furnace should aim for 1,500 degrees Celsius.

3. Sort the iron into low carbon and high carbon. High carbon tamahagane is heavier, clear silver in color. Low-carbon - coarser, gray-black.

4. Cover the bottom of the forge with chopped charcoal, add huge chunks of coal and light them on fire. Apply a layer of mild steel and back up with a layer of charcoal. Wait for the iron to sink to the bottom of the forge.

5. Cover the bottom of the forge with ash from rice straw in half with powdered charcoal, place a layer of high-carbon steel with a hill, and cover with charcoal on top. Start actively pumping the bellows. Wait until only iron remains in the forge.

6. Take the pieces of tamahagane and start forging from them flat sheets half a centimeter thick. Chill the sheets in water and crush them into 2 square centimeters. Sort the iron into high carbon and low carbon.

7. Take selected pieces of high-carbon steel, place on a steel plate with a handle. Wrap with paper and coat with clay. Place in the forge. Cover with charcoal and heat for at least thirty minutes until clear yellow or white.

8. Remove the block from the forge, place it on the anvils and siege it with a hammer. Replace in forge, heat and bake. Repeat this cycle several times.

9. When your block is ready, chise it with a chisel and roll it towards you. Reheat and hammer until the top and bottom halves are fused and the bar returns to its original length. Repeat this cycle six times.

10. Cut the block into four equal pieces before continuing with forging. Fold them one on top of the other and weld them together by heating and forging. Repeat rolling, heating and forging six more times. You have a Kawagane iron.

11. Take the low-carbon iron that has been set aside, hammer a bar out of it, and then roll and pierce it ten more times. You have got "shingane" or iron core.

12. Forge a 40 centimeter long flat plate from the kawagane, fold into a U-shape. Place a shingane block inside the plate. Heat the workpiece in a furnace until a clear yellow color and begin to shackle. Achieve complete welding of the plates together.

13. Make a blade blank by heating a block in a forge and forging a rectangular blank from it. Shape the blade by stretching the blank perpendicular to the length. Form the cutting edge, point, side ribs and butt.

14. With the help of a scraper knife, work the surface of the sword. File the butt and the cutting edge. Pre-grind each blade using a silicon carbide stone.

15. Prepare a gooey clay mixture of clay, crushed charcoal and sandstone powder in equal proportions. Dilute with water and apply to the cutting edge with a spatula. A thick layer along the butt and on the side surfaces and a hefty thin layer along the very edge. Wait for the clay to harden. Heat the blade in a furnace to 700 degrees Celsius and cool in a container of water.

16. Correct the curvature of the blade and polish it.

17. File the shank of the blade.

18. Finish the production of the katana by making a handle out of 2 pieces of wood, wrapped first with leather and then with cotton cord.

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Useful advice

Learning the art of making an ordinary katana is allowed extraordinarily personally from a true master. There are a lot of subtleties and secrets that are passed only from teacher to student.

Katana is the weapon of samurai in Japan. The art of wielding a katana has not lost its relevance to this day. But swinging a real katana in training, which, according to legend, can cut steel rods, is primitively unsafe. An analogue of material for a genuine samurai sword is allowed to consider damask steel or, more recently, the newly discovered special technology of the so-called "Anosov" steel. If you decide to research ancient art samurai, put the "genuine" blade aside. Let it be a better interior detail.

Instructions

1. In comprehending the art of wielding a katana, its full analogue of the blade, called "bokken", has long been used in its properties.

2. Bokken in shape is entirely consistent with the katana, but since it is made of wood , then a little lighter.Bokken, as usual, is made of strong rocks wood such as oak, beech, hornbeam and the like. In Japan, bokken is usually made from white oak (Shiro kashi), red (Aka kashi), chestnut or black (Chaironuri kashi).

3. Since the custom of wielding a sword in Japan is more than one hundred years old, training bokken swords also have their canonical sizes, weights and names depending on the schools that use them. For example, the bokken Bokuto (iaito) is made of white or red oak, with length 102 cm its weight ranges from 580 to 620 g, depending on the material.

4. Bokken Casey-Ryu is the most weighty of all, with a length of 102 cm weighs 730 g. Garda (transverse pad that protects the hand from the opponent's weapon sliding down the blade) is not used in bokken, as usual.

5. To give a characteristic whistling sound with the correct position of the weapon when hitting, a shallow groove is made on the "blade" of the bokken, called "chi".

6. The bokken "blade" blade (like a real katana) is beveled at an angle of 45 degrees at the end. The bokken profile, depending on the type, can be flattened-oval or round.

Sword samurai - his pride, a symbol of courage. The first samurai swords were made of hardened iron plates, shaped like a blade. But little by little iron replaced steel swords. An authentic samurai sword combines the elasticity of iron and the hardness of steel. However, experts say that the uniqueness of the Japanese sword lies not in the alloy of materials, but in the method of its manufacture.

Instructions

1. In order to make a genuine samurai sword, purchase a strip of layered Damascus steel. Instead of Damascus steel, any other steel is suitable, belonging to the type of spring-spring or instrumental and certainly with a huge table of contents of carbon. High-alloy iron is the best option.

2. Use a huge file to give your steel strip a diamond-shaped section, respecting all the usual proportions of a Japanese sword. Saw the edge of the sword from the tip to the tip of the shank. Saw down the shoulders only after the final formation of the blade from beginning to end. Do not make the cutting edge too thin. It must be at least 1 millimeter.

3. Hone the surface of the blade with 2 files: one huge and the other smaller. Both files must be new. Move the file perpendicular to the axis of the sword, on the contrary, irregularities will appear on the surface. If you do not plan to put clay on top, then at the end, go over the blade with a file to add gloss.

4. In order to perfect the back line, make a special device. To twenty centimeters wooden block attach sandpaper. One side of the bar should be convex to match the deflection of the sword. With such a device, similarly to a jointer, align the arch of the back.

5. To heat-treat your sword, you need a huge muffle furnace with a one-meter deep chamber. Submerge your sword in the oven virtually horizontally with the blade down. The same procedure can be done in a forge using coke. Annealing must be carried out in a layer of ash. To do this, make a tight pencil case along each length of the strip and heat it until it shines orange. Take out the sword in a hot structure within 2 hours, after which you will judge.

6. After cooling completely, proceed to the final sanding step. Use industrial abrasives to slowly reciprocate the bar over the sword to make it look like a Japanese samurai sword.

Related Video

A real katana, being a samurai weapon, is made of certain types of iron, forged in several layers. But modern katanas, as usual, are forged from spring steel. Consequently, the sharpening of Japanese remake swords has its own characteristics.

You will need

• - katana;
• - stones for sharpening;
• - electric emery;
• - marker;
• - protective glasses.

Instructions

1. Take the sword in hand and mentally divide the blade into three parts. The upper part will require a particularly sharp sharpening (it will cut), the middle - sharpening at a huge angle (it will be subject to the load upon impact) and, finally, the lower part, which is closer to each guard, is sharpened minimally (it really does not have a load) ... Mark these parts with a marker.

2. First, sharpen the blade to a minimum. To do this, turn on the electric emery, put on your safety goggles, wait about one minute for it to fully unwind, and bring the tip of the sword to it perpendicularly. With a light movement, without pressing the blade firmly to the emery disk, slide the sword from right to left, then overturn it and slide it from left to right. Repeat the procedure until you can clearly feel a sharp corner on the cutting edge with your finger. The same result can be achieved by driving a sharpening stone over the blade, but this will take much more time and effort.

3. Now sharpen the top of the blade. Bring it up again katana to the emery, place the blade flat on the disc. Tilt it so that the cutting edge lightly touches the rotating disc. Move the blade from the tip to the mark of its middle part with movements from left to right and from right to left. This will reduce the sharpening angle.

4. Sharpen the middle of the blade. The sharpening angle should be 40-45 °. Drive the blade over the emery, pressing it tightly against it - from the middle mark to the lower mark using the above method, until you achieve the desired sharpening angle. Do the same with the lower part of the blade. Here the sharpness of sharpening is not so important, therefore, an angle of 50 ° will be enough (but no one forbids you to make it smaller). The sharpening of the lower part should end 2-3 cm from the guard (it will be difficult to sharpen further, and it is easy to rip off the guard).

5. Now bring the sword to the required sharpness with the sharpening stones. First, run them evenly along each length of the blade in order to remove the permissible irregularities. After that, purposefully sharpen each part separately, starting with the bottom with sharp short movements.

Note!

The smaller the angle of sharpness, the lower the strength of the blade. Cutting hard materials requires large taper angles, while cutting soft materials requires a much smaller taper angle.

Useful advice

Later, cutting with swords on your blade will inevitably remain notches (for its safety it is better to beat off enemy weapons with the flat side of the blade), therefore, repeat the sharpening procedure with sharpening stones after any battle or once a week.

The katana is a long, two-handed curved sword with one sharp edge. Along with the wakizashi short sword and the tanto auxiliary dagger, it was included in the core set of Japanese samurai weapons. The katana was the soul of a warrior, a jewel, a family heirloom, and even a philosophy. Nowadays, Japanese culture and martial arts are extremely famous in Russia, therefore, samurai swords are in great demand. The knowledge to correctly choose the katana is also an art that must be learned.

Instructions

1. Decide for what purpose you want to purchase katana ... The size of the sword, equipment and even material will depend on this.

2. If you need a sword for training, get a bokken - a wooden model of a katana. Bokken must withstand strong blows, therefore it is made from hard wood (beech, oak, hornbeam) and impregnated with varnish or resin to increase its density. With intense training, the sword will last 1-2 years. In Japan, bokken are treated with about the same respect as real katanas.

3. If you choose to train with a real sword, prioritize your choice of katana, not decor, but size and shape. Take the sword in hand: it should be comfortable and gratifying to hold it. The length of the katana varies from 95 to 120 cm. In order to positively choose the length of the sword for yourself, stand up straight and take it by the base of the blade near the round guard (tsuba). The tip of the blade should actually touch the floor. The length of the handle of the katana (tsuka) should be approximately three of your fists (an average of about 30 cm).

4. When purchasing a weapon as a present, as an interior decoration, give preference to a set of 2 swords (katana and wakizashi) or 3 (katana, wakizashi and tanto). It will look more dramatic and rich. Unlike European sabers, daggers and swords, Japanese katanas are not hung on the wall, so you will definitely get a special stand.

5. In order for the katana to take its rightful place in the interior, take care of the accessories. A distinctive feature of samurai swords is the likelihood of disassembling them into combined parts. Since the handle was traditionally made of wood and covered with leather or fabric, it quickly wore out and needed to be replaced. By choosing katana , purchase an extra kit for her frame (soroi-mono). It includes tsuba (garda), menuki (handle decorations), kashira and futi (handle head and sleeve)

6. Remember that the samurai sword, like any other weapon, must be properly looked after. Be sure to purchase a special katana care kit. It includes natural stone powder for polishing, rice paper for cleaning, oil for lubricating the blade, and mekugitsuchi, a tool for removing the wooden nails (mekugi) that secure the handle.

Related Video

Note!

If you want to buy a katana as a present, not as a piece of furniture, but for practicing martial arts, be sure to come to the store together with the upcoming owner. Finally, there will be no surprise, but only the warrior himself will be able to determine whether the sword has the correct length and whether it will be convenient to work with it.

The Japanese katana sword is created within a few months. The process is so difficult because the weapon must be sharp, strong and not brittle at the same time. In order to achieve this, craftsmen combine several types of metal in one blade. If you decide to draw katana and if you want the drawing to be believable, consider the features of the device of this weapon.

You will need

• - pencil;
• - paper;
• - eraser;
• - paints / colored pencils.

Instructions

1. Draw a straight line. It will serve as the basis for the sketch. If there are other objects or people in the drawing besides the katana, determine their proportional ratio. Consider the length of the weapon - about 70-100 cm.

2. Divide the line into three equal parts. The top line indicates the length of the handle. From the fact that the sword should be curved, slightly bend the drawn segment. The most "convex" point is located in the middle of the line segment.

3. Indicate the width of the katana. The width of the blade is approximately 30 times smaller than the overall length of the weapon. Make the handle slightly wider than the blade. The edge of the blade should be beveled - "cut" the end of the sword at an angle of 45 °.

4. Draw a guard on the border of the handle and blade. This is a metal attachment that guards the warrior's hand. Its diameter is 8 cm on average, and its thickness is 5 mm. You can prefer the shape of the guard as you wish - it can be round, oval, quadrangular, polygonal, divided into parts. On the surface of this part of the katana, it is allowed to depict a thread or edging with non-ferrous metals. Above and below the guard is attached with washers - draw them in the form of thin strips.

5. Draw a strip under and above the guard, making the top more tight. These are couplings made of brass or bronze.

6. Delete the construction lines and detail the surface of all parts of the katana. It is allowed to make a watercolor background in advance, and add pencil strokes to the dried paint.

7. The handle of the katana should be covered with leather. From above it is wrapped with tape. Create a winding pattern or copy it from a photograph of an original weapon. It is allowed to add volumetric decorative elements between the turns of the braid. Closer to the guard, draw a small pin that attaches the handle to the blade.

8. A katana blade can be made of one or more metals. The most solid specimens are made of strong metal at the edges and more soft metal in the center of the blade. Draw the boundaries of these "layers". When swinging the blade, determine where the light source is and mark the highlights and shadows on the blade.

9. Draw the katana scabbard in a curved rectangle. In the upper part of it there should be a cord threaded through a loop.

Japanese weapons have long ago conquered celebrity in every world. The long sword of the katana even got into the Russian weapon state standards of edged weapons, where it was called a two-handed saber. A well-made katana seems monolithic, but in fact it is allowed to disassemble it. For example, it is recommended to disassemble it during transportation. It may also be necessary to replace the handle. In addition, collectors are often allowed to see individual parts of this sword.

You will need

• - small hammer;
• - brass tongue:
• - gloves.

Instructions

1. The scabbard is an integral part of the katana. In Japan, they were often made of stingray leather. Now this material is used mainly in expensive models, and for the rest, the scabbard is made of any leather, including unnatural. Katana in a scabbard, they are traditionally placed in the obi belt This fashion originated in the 17th century and has survived to this day. Before removing the handle, remove the sword from its sheath.

2. The tsuka (handle) of an excellent katana is attached with the support of one or more pins - mekugi (in another transliteration - mekugi). The pins were usually made of bamboo and were not glued. Now mekugi are made from other materials, and in inexpensive models, the handle parts are often glued. Therefore, when buying a katana, you need to ask the seller to disassemble it. Put on gloves before removing the handle. It is permissible to do with one - on the hand with which you will hold the blade.

3. Place the katana on a horizontal surface. If you are not too sure that the pins will come out easily, it is permissible to neatly fix the sword in a vice. But usually this is not done. Place the brass tongue against the pin with the tip. Diligently hitting the head of the brass piece with a hammer, knock it out. Knock out the rest of the mekugi as well. Rarely is there more than 3 pins, usually one or two is enough. Set the mekugi aside or in a small box to avoid getting lost. It was customary to make tsuku from magnolia wood. Now they often use different plastics.

4. With your gloved hand, grab the sword by the blade next to the guard. Pull the handle firmly. It should be removed from the shank, the one that is called nakago, with some effort. Remove the futi clutch between the handle and the guard.

5. A further detail that needs to be removed from the knife is seppa, the original washer, which makes the connection stronger and prevents the handle from splitting. The same seppa is located on the other side of the guard.

6. Remove the guard, which is called tsuba in the katana. Later, it remains to remove one more washer and another clutch, which is called habaki. Occasionally it is allowed to disassemble the handle by removing some decorative elements... But these decorations are usually not removed from modern working swords.

Useful advice

A short Japanese sword is disassembled in a similar way and with the support of the same simple devices. The hammer doesn't have to be huge. They do not need to knock hard, brass is a rather soft material, and the tongue can deform. Items for katana care can be purchased in the same store as the sword itself.

They have survived to this day and do not lose popularity. Since ancient times, the katana was made of damask steel - "Anosovskaya" steel, but it is dangerous to fight with such an instrument, so we will put aside the original samurai weapon for now, let it decorate the interior.

If you decide to study the ancient art of samurai, then bokken - a wooden analogue of a blade - is perfect as a training weapon. "How to make a katana out of wood?" - This question was asked by many, but only a small number of samurai mastered the technique of wooden bokken.

Features of wooden katana

Japanese culture is rich in tradition. For hundreds of years, training swords have been used in samurai art. There are many martial arts schools in the East. Depending on belonging to a particular school, the bokken sword has its own parameters and name. For example, for the manufacture of Bokuto's bokken, white wood is used or the length of such a blade is 102 cm, and the weight varies within 580-620 grams. As for the Casey-Ryu bokken, such a weapon is more weighty and weighs 730 grams with its length of 102 cm.

Bokken is a replica of a katana made of wood, which has been used since time immemorial to learn samurai craft. Having learned how to make a katana from wood, you will be surprised, because this process is not laborious.

The shape of the bokken completely duplicates the shape of the katana, but due to the material used for the production of weapons, it weighs less. How to make a wooden katana with your own hands and get a quality product? Choose the right material. For the manufacture of bokken, wood of the following species is mainly used:

• oak: white, red, black, brown;
• hornbeam.

The blade of a wooden bokken, like a real katana, is beveled at an angle of 45 ° at the end, and the profile of the blade has a flattened oval or round shape. It depends on the type of weapon.

A distinctive feature of the samurai bokken is the absence of a guard, a transverse lining that protects the hand from the enemy's weapons sliding along the blade. A shallow slot is made along everything - "chi", due to which the bokken emits a characteristic whistling sound when struck.

How to make a wooden katana

Today you will learn how to make a katana out of wood by following simple instructions.

Ownership training takes place with the bokken, which is why the need to make or purchase this instrument is so common.

Step by step guide

1. To get started, you need a drawing. You can draw a rough drawing of a katana or download a ready-made template from the Internet.
2. Having made the workpiece, start processing, starting with the handle. Process the place for it with a file and a planer.
3. Shape the blade by removing excess wood using a template.
4. Round off the tip and smooth out the corners of the handle.
5. Sand the handle and blade with sandpaper.

If you wish, you can cut out and attach the guard, but most bokken are made without this element.

Now you know how to make a katana from wood. It turns out that this is not as difficult as it might seem. Even a beginner in this business can cope with such a task.

As you know, males show interest in any type of weapon at any age. And if you do not know what to present to a man in the form of an original presentation or what craft to build for your son at school, then we advise you to look at the swords.

Today we will tell you how to make a paper katana with your own hands in a matter of minutes. This is a very simple but interesting model that even a child can make. There are two most common manufacturing methods, which we will consider in more detail today.

Option one

The katana is known to be a Japanese saber that dates back to the fifteenth century. Before you start making such a curved samurai sword, you need to decide on its size and prepare necessary materials... Even knowing how to make a katana out of paper, you cannot do without the right tools and high-quality "raw materials" for the craft.

Instruments

• Tube from any foil or pastry paper.
• PVA glue.
• Stationery knife.
• Corrugated paper or cardboard.
• Plain paper.
• Black ribbon.
• Acrylic or any other paints and brushes available at home.

Manufacturing process

So let's take a look at how to make a paper katana. The first thing to do is to prepare five rectangles for the blade. Better to cut them out of durable cardboard. Determine the length yourself, and the width in such a craft is fixed - six centimeters. To get a fairly strong blade, you should evenly and carefully lay the strips of cardboard one on top of the other. We will fix the blanks with PVA glue. Then we put some weight on top and so we leave the blade to dry for two to three hours.

For the handle of the sword, use a tube of foil or baking paper. It should be well painted over with silver paint. We leave the paint to dry.

We make a blank guard. It is a circle that protects the hand from contact with the blade. The guard can be cut out of cardboard or made of plain paper. If you craft from paper, you will need about ten layers, which are carefully coated with glue. How to make a katana sword out of paper to make it more realistic? Try to carefully carve a beautiful ornament on your guard. It is better to do this with a sharp clerical knife. If the craft is done by a child, then in this matter it is recommended to resort to the help of parents.

Now all that remains is to connect the blanks. Insert the blade into the hole in the tube and lay a guard between them. If necessary, we adjust the dimensions and angles with the help of clerical scissors.

So, we told how to make a katana out of paper. The scheme is simple and straightforward. Now all that remains is, showing imagination, to paint the product with acrylic paints.

Option two

This method is more suitable for "fierce" children's battles than a souvenir gift. How to make a paper katana for a child and what is needed for this?

Necessary materials

• Scissors.
• Paper.

That's all the materials that will be needed for such a craft. We decide on the size. A4 format will allow you to make a small sword, but if you take A3 or A2, you get a rather impressive and formidable weapon.

This option will be performed in the classical technique - origami. The katana will not be a piece of work, connected from several blanks, but one sheet folded in a certain way.

The first thing to do is fold the sheet diagonally and cut off the excess to make an even square. We bend the corners on both sides so that they connect in the center. Now we unfold the sheet and make folds on the long side. Next, we fold, without turning the sheet, already the short sides of the square. You should end up with a long rectangle with folded corners.

Now we form the handle. To do this, you need to bend one corner and lay three quarters of the length of the entire rectangle. Now we fold again, but the length will be even less. When you unfold and turn the product over, then in this place it should look like an accordion made of paper.

We mentally divide the strip into three parts and wrap the two extreme parts towards the center. Now we unbend the part where the accordion was to the side. It turns out the handle. It remains to add a sharp angle to the sword where there will be a piercing lance.

We have told you about only two ways to make a paper katana. But there are many more. If your product turns out to be too fragile, then you can always strengthen it with scotch tape. Several layers - and the origami craft will be durable and reliable.