Japanese sword-making apprenticeships typically last five years
Making a Japanese style sword is not easy. It requires much practice and dedication to become a good sword smith. Traditionally Japanese swords were made using a type of steel called tamahagane and all grinding was done by hand. However modern tools and steels exist to make forging a sword an easier task and something that you, with enough time and dedication, may become good at.
Instructions
1. Purchase a 2-by-30-by-1/8-inch bar of 5160 spring steel. Many modern blades are forged out of this type of steel as it possesses ideal qualities for a sword such as hardness and flexibility. The bars may be purchased from metal fabricators or online metal dealers.
2. Heat the steel to a dull orange heat in a gas forge and forge the tang. Remove the bar from the forge with a pair of tongs and place on the anvil. Using a hammer, forge the tang of the sword at one end of the bar. The tang is the part of the sword that will later become the handle. Forge it to 5-inches in length and 1/2-inch wide.
3. Forge the blade. Hammer the edge bevel of the sword. Japanese swords, also known as katanas, only have one cutting edge so you only need to hammer one edge. Hammer the edge bevels on both sides of the edge, flipping the blade regularly and placing the same amount of blows on one side of the edge as on the other. This is necessary to prevent internal stress from forming in the steel. The blade will have a tendency to curve because you are only hammering on one side of the blade. Simply heat the steel in the area where the bend is occurring and hammer it straight again. Katanas are, however, curved blades so you do not need to completely straighten the blade out as you will want a slight curvature in the blade once you have finished forging.
4. Rough grind the blade. Using a belt sander or even file, shape the blade to its final shape. If you do use a belt sander, start on a coarse grit such as a 60-grit belt. Grind the edge bevels and the flat part of the blade until the surface is completely even and smooth. The blade should now have the shape you desire.
5. Heat treat the blade. This is the most crucial part in forging any blade as the heat treatment will make or break the blade. Heat the blade to a dull orange color. When the blade is the same color all over quench the blade horizontally, cutting edge down, into a large vat of water. Hold the blade in the water for several minutes to allow it to cool. Now you must temper the blade as it is hard but brittle. This is done by heating it to 350 Fahrenheit. The blade will acquire a blue sheen. Once it has reached this temperature, quench the blade in the same way you did the first time. Repeat the tempering process up to three times.
6. Final grind the blade. This is the cosmetic step in making a blade. Using progressively finer sandpaper use the belt grinder to polish to surface of the blade. Start with a 120-grit belt and move on to 250, 400 and finally 600-grit.
7. Make the tsuba. This is the guard on a katana. Cut a 3-inch diameter piece of iron, brass or bronze with a thickness of 1/8-inch. Use a power jigsaw to cut the metal into a circular shape. Now use a 1/8-inch drill bit and a drill to drill four holes beside each other in the center. This is where the tang will pass through. File the holes to fit the tang precisely. Slide over the tang right up to where the blade begins.
8. Make the handle of the sword by cutting a 5-inch length of the 3-inch diameter wood dowel straight down the middle. Use a rasp to shape the wood to fit your hand comfortably. Now carve or file the inside of the wood pieces to fit the shape of the tang. Add epoxy to the tang and place the wood pieces around the tang. Hold them in place with the clamp and wait for the epoxy to set. Decorate the wood handle however you like.
Tags: blade will, 3-inch diameter, become good, belt sander, blade same