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The steel used in sword production is known as tamahagane (玉鋼:たまはがね), or "jewel steel" (tama – ball or jewel, hagane – steel). Tamahagane is produced from iron sand, a source of iron ore, and mainly used to make samurai swords, such as the katana, and some tools. Diagram of a tatara and bellows
Tamahagane (玉鋼) is a type of steel made in the Japanese tradition. The word tama means 'precious', and the word hagane means 'steel'. [ 1 ] Tamahagane is used to make Japanese swords , daggers , knives , and other kinds of tools.
Blades whose length is next to a different classification type are described with a prefix 'O-' (for great) or 'Ko-' (for small), e.g. a Wakizashi with a length of 59 cm is called an O-wakizashi (almost a Katana) whereas a Katana of 61 cm is called a Ko-Katana (for small Katana; but note that a small accessory blade sometimes found in the ...
The museum has a collection of about 190 items, including swords (mainly katana), tosogu (mountings), yoroi (armor) as well as documents of metal working and metalwork materials. [2] Some of the swords have been designated and certified by the national government as national treasures, important cultural properties, and important art objects.
In 1976, in order to secure sword-making materials that would become increasingly difficult to obtain, the Nittoho Tatara Plant was established to produce wako (Japanese steel for blades) and tamahagane (High-quality blade steel), in Okuizumo town, Shimane Prefecture. [12] In 1977, the Nittoho Tatara Plant was revived in Yokota Town, Shimane ...
Tamahagane (玉鋼) is a general term for steel, not used prior to the Meiji Era, literally meaning "precious steel". Steel is smelted at Shimane facility for Japanese swords (nihontō (日本刀), commonly known as katana (刀)) by contemporary Japanese forge masters like Kihara Akira and Gassan Sadatoshi is still smelted in a tatara.
Hyohō Niten Ichi-ryū (兵法 二天 一流), which can be loosely translated as "the school of the strategy of two heavens as one", is a koryū (ancient school), transmitting a style of classical Japanese swordsmanship conceived by Miyamoto Musashi.
The statement in this article that the 2.5 ton kera, or steel bloom, produces 2.5 tons of tamahagane is incorrect. I think it should be noted that the kera is mostly mild steel at best, and contains quite a lot of wrought iron, as well as the medium and high carbon steels used in katana smithing.