Handmade Portraits: The Sword Maker

[The One]

Korehira Watanabe is one of the last remaining Japanese swordsmiths. He has spent 40 years honing his craft in an attempt to recreate Koto, a type of sword that dates back to the Heian and Kamakura periods (794-1333 AD). No documents remain to provide context for Watanabe’s quest, but he believes he has come close to creating a replica of this mythical samurai sword.


AWESOME


http://vimeo.com/32113233

[vibrations]

This is awesome, really. I normally claim that a tradition is the excuse not to grow, but this is just opposite. The art of swords and personal growth in one. How I like all this Japanese specialties.

[modwiz]

I really enjoyed that. I could feel the soul of the passion there. I would have loved a longer piece to fall into.

[Carmody]

I've always thought the the secret laid in the quench.

For example, not water, but OIL.

Oil has a better contact and a larger or better thermal transfer.

Or, water and alchohol, or other additives, to change the behavior of the water when it comes in contact with the metal.

Change the interface, change the molecular ordering during the quench.

Oh yes. It's the mix, or the salting of the metal. The alloy. And the layering.

But I think he already knows that.

This is the area I work in. Molecular ordering or atomic or submolecular ordering.

My last name, again, means:"that which pulls the smoke from the fire, to expose the light of the forge"