By lyuesword | 28 August 2020 | 1 Comments
Tamahagane Steel
The Tamahagane steel is the famous steel used by Japanese blacksmiths for the creation of samurai sword throughout history. It is a very rare and precious material, which presents its own challenges when using it.
In this article we will know about what Tamahagane is, what is the forging process like, and what makes it so special.
What’s the Tamahagane Steel
The Tamahagane is the same steel that blacksmiths such as Masamune(c.1264-1343), Muramasa(born before 1501), Amakuni, Kotetsu(c. 1597-1678), and more used to create their renowned blades.
It was the most sought-after material in ancient Japan, but if a samurai could not afford it, he also had the Orishigane available, which was made from his leftovers. Or there was the Hocho Tetsu, which was a lower carbon version. We will speak of these in next chapter.
It is composed of both carbon, from the charcoal used during its casting, and steel ore, which comes from the iron sand used (traditionally collected in Shimane). The combination of both factors is what creates the Tamahagane.
The iron sand is key in this process, because it is what gives Tamahagane its particular characteristics. When it comes to this marial there are two options.
On the one hand, there is the so-called akome satetsu, which is of lower quality and has less steel ore in its composition. The other is the satetsu mass, which is of better quality and has more ore.
There is also the issue of the amount of charcoal used for the creation of Tamahagane. Historically, the amount of carbon in this steel was 0.50% to 0.70%, which creates medium density swords. However, there are cases in which it could reach up to 1.5%, creating really rigid blades.
How to Forge Tamahagane Steel
I've posted this chapter in my previous blog. It may take 3-4 months to forge a real Tamahagane Katana.
Orishigane Steel and Hocho Tetsu
Due to how laborious and expensive the process of creating Tamahagane can be, requiring many people and rare materials as you have seen above, and the small amount that is achieved with each foundry, its prices are higher than the rest of the steels.
That's why this is a material rarely seen in swords today.
This has led, throughout history, to the weakest parts of steel being used to forge things. This lower quality steel is called Orishigane, which is a mixture of the leftovers from the Tamahagane with other types of steel, including old nails or shavings. It also usually contains other types of materials with iron.
Sword forgers in ancient times used to enrich this steel with more carbon, controlling how much carbon was present in the Orishigane. This is a practice, however, that is not seen today when forging swords (being a lower quality steel, it is normal that it is full of problems).
Hocho Tetsu is similar to Tamahagane. The only difference is that it has considerably less carbon, which prevents a sword forged with it from having a sharp edge.
Want a unique sword? Feel free to contact us:
Email: lyuesword@hotmail.com
Website: www.lyuesword.com
Custom Sword Page: www.lyuesword.com/Custom-Sword/customization-options/Create-Your-Own-Swords
In this article we will know about what Tamahagane is, what is the forging process like, and what makes it so special.
What’s the Tamahagane Steel
The Tamahagane is the same steel that blacksmiths such as Masamune(c.1264-1343), Muramasa(born before 1501), Amakuni, Kotetsu(c. 1597-1678), and more used to create their renowned blades.
It was the most sought-after material in ancient Japan, but if a samurai could not afford it, he also had the Orishigane available, which was made from his leftovers. Or there was the Hocho Tetsu, which was a lower carbon version. We will speak of these in next chapter.
It is composed of both carbon, from the charcoal used during its casting, and steel ore, which comes from the iron sand used (traditionally collected in Shimane). The combination of both factors is what creates the Tamahagane.
The iron sand is key in this process, because it is what gives Tamahagane its particular characteristics. When it comes to this marial there are two options.
On the one hand, there is the so-called akome satetsu, which is of lower quality and has less steel ore in its composition. The other is the satetsu mass, which is of better quality and has more ore.
There is also the issue of the amount of charcoal used for the creation of Tamahagane. Historically, the amount of carbon in this steel was 0.50% to 0.70%, which creates medium density swords. However, there are cases in which it could reach up to 1.5%, creating really rigid blades.
How to Forge Tamahagane Steel
Orishigane Steel and Hocho Tetsu
Due to how laborious and expensive the process of creating Tamahagane can be, requiring many people and rare materials as you have seen above, and the small amount that is achieved with each foundry, its prices are higher than the rest of the steels.
That's why this is a material rarely seen in swords today.
This has led, throughout history, to the weakest parts of steel being used to forge things. This lower quality steel is called Orishigane, which is a mixture of the leftovers from the Tamahagane with other types of steel, including old nails or shavings. It also usually contains other types of materials with iron.
Sword forgers in ancient times used to enrich this steel with more carbon, controlling how much carbon was present in the Orishigane. This is a practice, however, that is not seen today when forging swords (being a lower quality steel, it is normal that it is full of problems).
Hocho Tetsu is similar to Tamahagane. The only difference is that it has considerably less carbon, which prevents a sword forged with it from having a sharp edge.
Want a unique sword? Feel free to contact us:
Email: lyuesword@hotmail.com
Website: www.lyuesword.com
Custom Sword Page: www.lyuesword.com/Custom-Sword/customization-options/Create-Your-Own-Swords
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