Why Katana are Made from Crappy Steel

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Let's ask Shogo | Your Japanese friend in Kyoto

Жыл бұрын

I question I often get from everyone is, “Why do you still use crappy steel (Tamahagane) to make katana in Japan?” I had an opportunity to ask actual katana swordsmiths this question,
and they told me these three reasons.
1. It wouldn’t be a katana
2. It’s high-quality carbon steel
3. Artistic coincidence
First of all, blades that are not made from Tamahagane can not be called a katana in Japan. In Japan, katana are defined as "works of art," so traditional materials and methods of making them are required.
Next, Tamahagane is not the best kind of steel, but as a carbon steel, it actually has a good quality. And carbon steel is a very convenient steel for craftsmen who make everything by hand, because it's easy to work with.
Finally, it is only because craftsmen make katana by hand using Tamahagane, which is not perfect steel, that artistic coincidence is possible. If katana were a uniform tool mass-produced in a factory, it would not be called a work of art. It is precisely because katana are believed to be the home of the gods that it is meaningful for craftsmen to collaborate with nature in their creation.
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@LetsaskShogo Жыл бұрын

▼My New Channel: Let’s ask Seki Sensei | Kobudo Asayama Ichiden Ryu▼ www.youtube.com/@letsasksekisensei Are you a Japanese budo martial art lover watching this video? I am now running the best channel for you to learn more about samurai, katana, and budo martial arts from a Kobudo master who is running a 400-year-old Ryuha. Our goal is to achieve 100,000 subscribers by 2023, so please check it out! ▼Please support me through Ko-fi (a donation platform like Patreon)▼ ko-fi.com/letsaskshogo The management (filming, editing, etc.) of the new Asayama Ichiden Ryu's English Channel "Let's ask Seki Sensei" is completely my voluntary work. If I am not able to pay for the expensive bullet train fare from Kyoto to Ibaraki Prefecture (where the main Dojo is located), and hotel/filming expenses, this activity will cease. Please help us spread and preserve this 400-year-old martial art. In return, I will try my best to create the most educational and exciting content about Japanese Kobudo. ▼The BEST online katana shop for martial arts (Iaido, Kendo, etc.): Tozando▼ tozandoshop.com/letsaskshogo Everything I use for my katana training is bought at this shop! I still use the first training katana I bought in 2016, and it is still in good shape! ▼The recommended online katana shop for decorations and cosplay: Mini Katana▼ minikatana.com/SHOGO *Get 15% OFF off all their products by purchasing through my affiliate link ▼Where you can meet me in Kyoto, Japan | Yushinkan Samurai Experience with Modern-day Musashi▼ A 90-minute experience in Japan where beginners can learn how to wield, draw, sheath, and swing the katana from the modern-day Musashi! I, Shogo, will be your interpreter to lead you into the wonderful world of samurai martial arts! Make your reservation here: www.airbnb.com/experiences/4577764?locale=en A video of me visiting this experience: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g9dydqR0mZjecYE.html ▼Let's ask Shogo Merchandise Shop▼ Where you can buy t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, etc. of cute Ukiyoe animal characters and logos of Let’s ask Shogo: suzuri.jp/lets_ask_shogo ▼Who is Shogo? What is this channel about?▼ kzfaq.infokZbyd0OfdC4 ▼Related videos on this channel▼ -My Crazy New Challenges of 2023 | Great News for Budo Lovers kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n8dmqbhhnrjahoE.html -Meet the Modern-day Miyamoto Musashi | Where You Can See Shogo in Kyoto kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iLyBqrt8vq_KXWg.html -My Battle Against My Sickness | Raynaud's Disease kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jN2la6SBpszFe6s.html ▼MY DREAM▼ kzfaq.infoWFF3AhN0LXE “To make every Japan lovers’ dream come true, by making Japan a more secure, comfortable, and safer place for everyone to visit, study, and live in” ▼Join our Membership▼ kzfaq.info/love/n7DCb9ttrcw9h3vh9dfnVwjoin The ticket to the front row seats to Shogo's rapid adventure to make his dream come true! Through the limited videos and live streams, your ideas and opinions will be adopted for Shogo to make the right decisions for his challenges! ●Membership benefits -Limited behind-the-scene videos every week -Limited live streams every two weeks -Priority reply to comments ▼Sub-channel: “Shogo’s Podcast”▼ kzfaq.info/love/ZAe1VayWxp5NLO4Net78DA ▼Instagram▼ instagram.com/lets_ask_shogo/ *Please ask me questions through the DM here!（⚠️I do not use e-mail）

@matthewcherrington2634 Жыл бұрын

Folded 1.2 billion times

@ruru672 Жыл бұрын

Sir can you please make a short on which kind of steel or metal or alloy is best for providing strength, durability, endurance and longevity for a katana

@MastemaJack Жыл бұрын

I have seen people argue you can't own swords in Japan? Once saw someone claim you need a license to own a sword. Are you not allowed to import European swords?

@jordancambridge4106 Жыл бұрын

So all 3 of those are lies.

@Primal_Smoke Жыл бұрын

I would love a katana but I'd rather forge it myself so its a one of a kind

@Oppetsismiimsitsitc Жыл бұрын

It's a cultural and artistic tradition going back hundreds of years. I'm a sword guy, martial artist and HEMA practitioner, and I can say that many HEMA practitioners wish that Europeans kept their martial traditions in the same way that the Japanese managed to.

@jethrocket9283 Жыл бұрын

^this

@jonajo9757 Жыл бұрын

If there was a traditional smith that partook in the entire process of forging a historical European blade, people would be shocked with how similar it'd be to Japanese smithing. I remember reading about a 16th or 17th European sword called a "storta", which had an eerily similar construction to Katana by being a sword that had a carbon steel edge with a low carbon or plain iron body.

@krieger8825 Жыл бұрын

@@DBT1007 pretty sure the Europeans back then didn't even know what about katana or scimitars

@george2113 Жыл бұрын

@@krieger8825 high quality swords have always been sought after

@Oppetsismiimsitsitc Жыл бұрын

@@jonajo9757 Europeans had access to superior iron, so dropped pattern welding techniques before they became the traditional method in Japan. While Japanese swords are differentially hardened, European swords are differentially tempered; different method, similar goal.

@christopherbrown6523 Жыл бұрын

Let's just rename reason #1 to because it's illegal.

@Arthurian-s9e Жыл бұрын

I don't get it

@lilsomething8905 Жыл бұрын

@@Arthurian-s9e Illegal to make katanas from steel other than tamahagane.

@Arthurian-s9e Жыл бұрын

@@lilsomething8905 ok

@joseguadalupemartineztorre9702 Жыл бұрын

Can you imagine someone just grabbing a chunk of the raw material, bashes someone head in, and using art& philosophy lingo, can get the court to see it as "death by katana"

@IchWerSont Жыл бұрын

@@lilsomething8905 In the same vein that only sparkling wine from the Champagne is champagne. At least according to japanese law.

@jacobwisner7821 Жыл бұрын

I really appreciate how you've managed to turn some of the frequent questions you get into shorts like this. I think you've done a much better job than most in sort of leveraging your existing work/research for creating/editing for shorts. Great work Shogo!

@shinnchoo3724 Жыл бұрын

I can tell you... in one word! "TRADITION!"

@Cormano980 Жыл бұрын

Toraditionu

@synthesis4030 28 күн бұрын

No it’s literally the law in Japan. It cannot LEGALLY be called a katana without being forged from tamahagane

@YandreYak 27 күн бұрын

@@synthesis4030 but the law was formulated due to tradition and culturally affected

@karlgustav9960 Жыл бұрын

Same with clay :-) There are lots of different clays in Japan, but real artists use it “nama” with its little stones and chips of rottet plants. It’s these impurities that if you are lucky create a “happy mess” like “ishihaze” (stone explosion) in the glaze. Some glazes like shino are not even possible without nama tsuchi. It is really beautiful to see it in forging as well, thank you!

@hellboy7424 Жыл бұрын

The clay to make raku needs certain characteristics to withstand the thermal shock between hot and cold. The use of this type of iron to make katanas is only justified through tradition, since there are better irons.

@karlgustav9960 Жыл бұрын

@@hellboy7424 that depends on what you call “better”. There are “better” swords than katana, the medieval European long sword for example. And “Nama” for clay does not always mean “straight from the ground”. Often it has to be broken to a powder and kneaded to make it workable. But the same with tamahagane, it takes quite a while to forge out most of the impurities before actually shaping the blade, doesn’t it?

@hellboy7424 Жыл бұрын

@@karlgustav9960 At no time in my comment have I said that the clay to make raku has to be strictly and directly extracted from nature. It's part of my profession and I know full well that commercial clay can be adapted to be suitable for raku. You see it? New adaptation and materials, NOT like the artisans who make katanas in Japan.

@hellboy7424 Жыл бұрын

@@karlgustav9960 By "better" I mean that there are better steel alloys out there today than what is traditionally used in making Katanas. Stronger, with better edge retention, more flexible, more resistant to oxidation...even lighter. That's what I mean by "better".

@bbdf21 Жыл бұрын

In regards for the „not real katana“ point: I am aware of several Shinken wich were purposely forged with European steel in the Edo Period. I doubt the Blacksmiths and Samurai wielding them would agree at all that these swords are not real Katana.

@gangrenousgandalf2102 Жыл бұрын

It's a legal thing. Foreign made katana aren't considered katana by Japanese law and so they have heavy restrictions

@bbdf21 Жыл бұрын

@@gangrenousgandalf2102 The ones I am referring though are fully recognized by the NBTHK. They are officially real Katana and were seen as such during their History of being wielded by actual Samurai. And the NBTHK is allready very conservative when it comes to Swords, they don’t recognize any Sword crafted after 1876 for example. Also he said he asked Blacksmiths. Blacksmiths views may vary.

@michaelpettersson4919 Жыл бұрын

They where quick to adopt European armour pieces as well such as breastplates that was then incorporated into more traditional armours.

@lildragon6415 Жыл бұрын

@@bbdf21 Newly made katana can only legally be considered katana when meeting such criteria. Historical pieces inherit their legal status.

@jackmcslay Жыл бұрын

European-sourced steel wasn't a whole lot different either and they treat them much like they treat locally-sourced steel

@SuperTrunkspace Жыл бұрын

Honestly, the fact that they turned iron rich sands into anything is basically a miracle. There is a LOT of work that goes into turning the byproducts of smelting into usable steel. In some cases up to roughly 90% of the material is taken away in the process, most of which is slag and impurities. European finery forges did much the same thing. It's remarkable to see the convergent design from the other side of the world.

@lukediehl1210 Жыл бұрын

They've actually done metallurgical analysis of swords from the Muromachi period, and found the steel to be roughly equivalent to modern 1055 carbon steel (if I'm remembering all the trace percentages correctly). It isn't the best steel in the world, but it's perfectly acceptable blade steel. Moreover, the form of the katana was optimized for the type of steel it was made from. The idea was to make the best possible sword from the available materials. The same steel would make a very poor rapier, but it makes a perfectly fine katana.

@laranabarco7882 Жыл бұрын

Can You name the people who did that analysis?

@lukediehl1210 Жыл бұрын

@@laranabarco7882 Cyril Stanley Smith. He was a metallurgist who worked on the Manhattan Project. Sadly, he passed in 1992, but his work lives on. He actually tested swords from several time periods, but it's harder to pin down later swords due to the varying carbon content in the san mai construction. The edge might be 1065-1075 while the body is closer to 1045. I just mention the Muromachi period blade because other than a lower manganese content, it's virtually identical to 1055. It's uncanny.

@SuperTrunkspace Жыл бұрын

@@lukediehl1210 there's definitely more impurities like phosphorous and silicon in most cases, but with the extensive forging process these are redistributed so finely within the metal that they're basically a non-issue.

@delsinhays6421 Жыл бұрын

1055?? that's pretty soft for what tamahagane is. You sure it's not something like 1070-1080 grades on the edge?

@ForgeDuLys Жыл бұрын

Impressive, did they temper the martensite or leave it quenched? I don't think 1055 would go up to 60+ HRC in hardness, but usually European swords went from 20HRC to 40, with exceptional cases at 50 and plus. There's no real point in having a hard edge if you're gonna strike hard targets all day, and i've personally butchered a deer with a mild steel falchion beacause i didn't have anything big enough to remove the head and limbs (no damage on the edge, the mild steel took the abuse no problem).

@theredbar-cross8515 Жыл бұрын

The Japanese are really great at making their shortcomings sound like magic. The true art of Japan is marketing.

@deus_ex_machina_ Жыл бұрын

I know right? 'Artistic Coincidence', what does that even mean?

@sonkeschmidt2027 Жыл бұрын

Or they are just better at seeing the bigger picture... Traditionally speaking.

@kingayvaz Жыл бұрын

@@deus_ex_machina_ "Its not a manufacturing defect, it's artistic coincidence" Marketing is the true craftsmanship of these blacksmiths.

@iotaje1 Жыл бұрын

Not really, Japan has and produces all the quality steel you could dream of. This is more about circumventing weapons laws.

@bigguy7353 Жыл бұрын

Tamahagane isn't a shortcoming.

@michaelschonhofen622 Жыл бұрын

I would say, reason #4: Nobody uses an Katana as a weapon nowadays, just as an piece of art or for Iaido. So it would make no sense to change an tradition just for a better quality that is not needed.

@dekippiesip Жыл бұрын

But it would still be interesting to see someone try to make one using the best quality steel available today, and put it through several cutting tests ;)

@nobleradical2158 Жыл бұрын

@@dekippiesip the thing is that a lot of the unique features of a katana exist specifically because the steel that they use is so bad.

@michaelschonhofen622 Жыл бұрын

@@dekippiesip I am sure someone already did that. Maybe these Swords used for mat cutting are made this way but I don´t know.

@BALONEYK--CZE- Жыл бұрын

@@dekippiesip there's definitely a katana made from CPM Steel, (the best material i know was cpm's)

@mattb8412 Жыл бұрын

They do, you can buy katana made from tool steels, alloys, you name it. They cut really well, retain edge and shape, are more affordable, acquired easier and don’t need near as much maintenance as traditional swords by a large margin. They’re fantastic for tamashigiri.

@LetsaskShogo Жыл бұрын

@closier2 Жыл бұрын

@paul_warner Жыл бұрын

There are no gods living in your sword

@tfordham13 Жыл бұрын

I find the reasons to be very bad

@personwithbadenglish8469 Жыл бұрын

@@paul_warner let people believe their beliefs dude-

@paul_warner Жыл бұрын

@@personwithbadenglish8469 no

@danielmcgraw812 Жыл бұрын

‘Still cuts through limbs and bodies’

@rustomkanishka Жыл бұрын

Pig iron can do that. However stainless steel does it better.

@jonajo9757 Жыл бұрын

@@rustomkanishka Pig iron's a bit misleading.

@krystofcisar469 Жыл бұрын

Sharpened rebar will do the same :D

@rustomkanishka Жыл бұрын

@@jonajo9757 you know how you see those videos of half naked dudes who will make steel in a crucible? That's the level of tech.

@raihanwinata5329 Жыл бұрын

Lets be real any sharpen steel that can hold an edge can cut bodies

@spiritof78 Жыл бұрын

The mixing of steels is what makes the blades of Soshu Masamune so beautiful.

@hobbyman47 9 ай бұрын

Masamune method is Sosho kitae 7 panel method. most modern katana are kobuse, Sanmai and maru (Mono steel) bloom steel is called pig steel for a reason Tamahagane have a same carbon silicon ratio of the 1095 and shirogami 2 or 3. but 52100, T10, aogami 2 will out preform tamahagane in both strength, toughness, hardness, wear resistance and stability.

@Shadow_Architect Жыл бұрын

People knowing nothing about a craft telling the craftsmen how they should do said craft will never not be annoying

@maximkonechno8742 27 күн бұрын

There is nothing special about japan made swords. They are even inferior to swords made with modern materials so that's why people asking. Japanese knife/swords are only for show not for real work.

@TotallyNotPC Жыл бұрын

Never knew there would be so much cultural and artistic value to a blade. both in ways of combat and the forging process. Thank you c:

@hironagamaki9744 Жыл бұрын

that actually makes sense

@hironagamaki9744 Жыл бұрын

@@AveragePicker I meant it makes sense from an artistic and spiritual perspective.

@jdmacduff1444 Жыл бұрын

Great explanation/ narrative; thanks!

@Saif-zf9vb Жыл бұрын

You missed the most basic and fundamental part: Japanese used dirty metal because that’s all they had. The constant hammering and folding was to remove the impurities in the metal.

@neutronalchemist3241 Жыл бұрын

European stratified steel swords (common in early middle age, before the availability of large quantities of homogeneous steel) were made like plywood. Katanas were made like concrete. The goal of European swordsmiths was to alternate soft iron and cast iron layers, so to have the right blend of elasticity and stiffness. That of Japanese swordsmiths was to blend Tamahagane of various carbon content so to have several bars of omogeneous material to use for the various parts (usually a soft internal and a stiff external, with variations) of the blade.

@sf4603 Жыл бұрын

He didnt miss that point he purposely omitted it because thats not a reason why they *still* make katana from tamahagane its a reason they originally made katana from tamahagane in the first place. ie maybe i used honey to sweeten my tea when i didnt have any sugar but now that i went to the grocery store and bought some sugar why do i *still* use honey to sweeten my tea? maybe i like how it tastes.

@Flying_Spaghetti_Monster Жыл бұрын

The folding doesn't even fully remove impurities, it just distributes them evenly so there isn't a waekspot that makes it succeptible to breakage.

@mad_max21 Жыл бұрын

No, they're talking about current-day katana production. You know the Japanese can source any type of metals worldwide nowadays, right?

@IShyper 6 ай бұрын

They could have made it better if they had better furnaces, european blacksmiths would make better product even out of satetsu.

@liossnimhaille4958 Жыл бұрын

I just saw a documentary about how tamahagane is made, on nhk world. Really amazing.

@Erraddo Жыл бұрын

Imma just point out that all steel has carbon in it, "carbon steel" means "carbon carbonated iron"

@Typexviiib Жыл бұрын

This is, of course completely accurate. Unfortunately the bladesmith community picked up some verbiage that's outside metallurgical norms. "Carbon steel" refers to steel who's only alloying element is carbon. It's used in much the same way that "manganese steel" is. Yes, it's redundant. But much like "atm machine" it rolls off the tongue and conveys information accurately, so it sticks.

@Erraddo Жыл бұрын

@@Typexviiib nah it should be called "nonchromed steel mixed with no copper, alluminum lead [...] enriched uranium"

@uwuLegacy Жыл бұрын

You know carbon steel is an actual metallurgy term?

@LikeTheBirb Жыл бұрын

From a chemistry standpoint yeah it is but from a manufacturing standpoint, distinguishing it as derivative or variation of a particular compound with its own name would be valuable

@Erraddo Жыл бұрын

@@LikeTheBirb right, but how many world renowned TV shows about metallurgy do you know? Checkmate

@BrahmaDBA Жыл бұрын

Its like asking an artist, "Why do you still make oil paintings if digital painting method exists?"

@serhat.I Жыл бұрын

no. it’s like “Why do you paint with this mediocre paint instead of this high quality paint?”

@rampagepotato4307 Жыл бұрын

@@serhat.I Nope. It's actually more like "why do use watercolor on your watercolor paintings when there are better type of paints?"

@Medbread Жыл бұрын

@@rampagepotato4307 No, actually it's like-

@worldofmusic1058 Жыл бұрын

@@rampagepotato4307 nope its actually like :"Why do I go to a prostitute when I have your mo-

@jonajo9757 Жыл бұрын

@@serhat.I It's more like "Why do you use Leonardo's drawing methods instead of using modernly process charcoal or graphite pens?"

@ryand.3858 Жыл бұрын

I have no doubt that a machine using modern steels would produce a superior weapon. These laws are in place to protect the industry. The fact that a couple of guys can produce very beautiful swords using primitive traditional methods definitely makes them art IMO. I think where things get dicey is when people make a correlation between being labor intensive and being better. Just because one guy spent a lot of time making it doesn’t endow the sword with magical qualities. At the end of the day a sword is basically a really fancy cutting tool. Worshipping them as a vessel of the gods seems silly. It’s like ordering a pair of bespoke shoes and the salesman believes they contain the essence of the gods, we’d probably laugh at the notion.

@littletomato7201 Жыл бұрын

You can buy a better sword with better steel but you cant call it as katana, same like food there is so many delicious food but you cant just call curry as a fried rice because they are made different

@ryand.3858 Жыл бұрын

@@littletomato7201 it’s kind of a case of semantics though. We recognize this style of sword as a katana. If you weren’t told beforehand that a sword such as this was made with modern methods then you’d still assume it was a katana. The point is they’re gatekeeping on this by saying it isn’t a ‘real’ katana unless it’s made with our materials by our people. Doesn’t matter if it’s inferior in quality or durability. They made these rules to put a kind of monopoly on the market in Japan. At the end of the day I don’t really care about katanas (not really my thing) but it’s just the principle.

@krystofcisar469 Жыл бұрын

I have never seen so much hype about sword since Excalibur :D As a amateur blacsmith i really like the traditions of japanese swordsmithing, you cant see that everywhere. I know only like 5 ppl in europe that make historical weapons in traditional way.

@koreboredom4302 Жыл бұрын

The thumbnail maid it look like he was ripping a phat cloud.

@Robert53area Жыл бұрын

I heard each katana is a direct reflection of the craftsman, and that emotions of the craftsman are in the sword. So then who or what caused the muramasa brand to be so cursed?

@henrytang2203 Жыл бұрын

The artistic and historical aspects make sense. Besides, we don't use katana for killing anymore, why does it need to made from weapons grade steel?

@Svabre Жыл бұрын

my material sciences professor would like a word with you about that carbon steel…

@masonr1666 Жыл бұрын

Also, it is my understanding that there are two steels involved. One is a very hard steel that holds an edge better, that is held in place by a steel that is less hard, but it more durable. The two working together creates a formidable weapon.

@CavemanZerron Жыл бұрын

I'll never know why people think it's a bad steel. It's almost the same thing European swords were made from

@just_space_ Жыл бұрын

I never cared about katana but the part about the artistry and connection to nature is beautiful!

@KaoticReach1999 Жыл бұрын

Cuz it looks cooler when it splits in half during a swordfight, cinematic and stuffz

@yoeyyoey8937 Жыл бұрын

I like that, the quality of the steel forces the craftsmen to utilize certain techniques and work around it in a way that results in a higher level of artistry.

@enderkatze6129 Жыл бұрын

That's alot of words For "We didn't have anything better at the time and now we stuck with it for Traditions Sake"

@Fif0l Жыл бұрын

There is one more thing that you missed, but that's okay because the inventors of the process didn't really know it either. It's really high carbon, which is normally a terrible material for anything, but in the lengthy forging process most of the carbon is burned away, so you end up with quality steel, even though you start with terrible steel. If you started with quality steel, you'd end up with pure, soft, iron. Which is actually what happens on the core of the blade.

@fclp67 Жыл бұрын

So basically if it's not made like that then it's just your ordinary sparkling sword

@leechan2108 Жыл бұрын

What website do you use for the cartoons? I think they look really nice and I want to use them in a presentation I have in class.

@gamersland2557 Жыл бұрын

I'm a Blacksmith and have looked into bladesmithing more than once, and I'd like to add. The tamahagane already comes mostly usable unlike some of the old European ways of steel production, making the steel way easier to turn from raw to blade. While modern steel is better, for making a sword from scratch use tamahagane.

@lilelly16 Жыл бұрын

Beautiful.

@juanlemod Жыл бұрын

Even though it wouldn’t be considered a “katana” any longer, I would love to see one made from the best, strongest steel currently available and then compare the durability and sharpness to the more “traditional” made ones.

@bocahdongo7769 6 ай бұрын

Check those tool-spec steel Katana like S7 or L6. It can carve Japanese Katana without leaving any dent

@damascusraven Жыл бұрын

Since they're classified as works of art, they can also be easier to own legally.

@JeSt4m Жыл бұрын

In Javanese culture we have similar status symbol weapon called Keris and reason number 3 is core part of the forging process. Basically letting the metal having it's way is a sign that the sword are made in collaboration with higher being and not just some ol' piece of steel. Tho the forging of a Keris is way way more spiritual than Katana... Like the craftsman are required to fast and live in certain way during the forging process that can took months to do.

@TeutonicRoom Жыл бұрын

It should also be worth noting that no other sword is made like a katana, the outer layer of the sword is tamahagane (a hard high carbon steel )while the inner layer is shigane (a softer low carbon steel), in this way the sword can have a very sharp edge while also remaining flexible.

@Dovahkiin049 Жыл бұрын

Makes sense. No need to change to a more effective method since they aren’t used for combat anymore.

@carry10mm Жыл бұрын

1. They use low quality steel, 2. They only call their own products a real Katana, 3. No outside competition is allowed. And they don’t allow imports of foreign-made swords. Sry but Japanese Katana business sounds like a big fat scam

@booshityyugi1563 Жыл бұрын

1. High quality carbon steel lad, listen to the video 2. Yes, because they impose strict standards on its creation, this isn't exclusive to Japan, many countries and trades apply these regulations, think of Champagne or Kobe beef 3. Incorrect. Foreigners from any nation are allowed to learn Japanese swordsmithing, but must adhere to regulations and protocols. Swords made without the use of tamahagane or Japanese methods, while beautiful in their own right, are by definition, not katanas. No scam there lad

@f.b.l.9813 Жыл бұрын

@@booshityyugi1563 just because they say it's high quality doesn't mean it is

@mexa_t6534 Жыл бұрын

Why are you even watching this video if you have all the answers and all you want to do is trash on the traditional katana making business?

@helenbaker7179 Жыл бұрын

@@mexa_t6534 why are you stopping people from stopping circlejerks?

@jephilologist Жыл бұрын

Wait til you learn about Italian pasta and pizza. They pretty much do the same thing.

@titleatptitleinsertcoordin3701 Жыл бұрын

Plot twist: if they use better steel, their katanas would become too OP

@Kennosuke88 Жыл бұрын

I find it mad that they worked out how to make these great swords with this technique years ago without any tech to help them! It's awesome 👌

@jimmysexton5634 Жыл бұрын

it is truly amazing the different ways and types of sword smithing has been done all over the world , is there a way to get a true battle ready katana these days , understanding that it would cost a lot.

@AngelofKaos Жыл бұрын

Supposed to be the "house of the gods"? I'd love to hear more, I didn't know they perceived katanas as such!

@Fishboi64 Жыл бұрын

It's a modern marketing myths, people like their swords, but so that much

@tenderandmoist5011 Жыл бұрын

@@Fishboi64 i mean there's an entire martial art about how to treat your sword I'd believe them

@oofroboxislit Жыл бұрын

From what I've learned Katana are not weapons in Japan but a piece of Art

@LAnite430 Жыл бұрын

Yeah it was mostly tachi, bows, and polearms, then katana, then mostly guns

@aaronyoung8301 Ай бұрын

For those who don't know, even Europe used bloom steel (same as tamahagane, just a different name) before they had the blast furnace. The only areas that had the purest of steels were India and the Middle East, who liquified the metal in mostly air-tight ceramic cups, which allows all the impurities to float to the tip and be broken off later.

@shades541 Жыл бұрын

In America a Katana is sold in the mall from BLADES BLADES BLADES, i love my Katana

@-The-Stranger- Жыл бұрын

Be careful, that when you search for the future, that you don't forget your past.

@martin7002 Жыл бұрын

Ok?

@DavidCruickshank Жыл бұрын

but if you're stuck in the past, you have no future.

@kylesmith390 Жыл бұрын

except that japan has conveniently forgot the... unpleasant parts of their past

@Mortablunt Жыл бұрын

Tamahagane is pig iron. They make high carbon steel after extensive refinement, partially during the smelting, and partially during the forging.

@jonajo9757 Жыл бұрын

Pig iron is cast iron. Tamahagane is just a spongy mass of carbon steel.

@touremenace10420 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your time and attention to detail. You do the world a service and I hope you continue. Thank you..

@jackmcslay Жыл бұрын

How is it sourced nowadays? Is is also required to get tamehagane made using the traditional manufacturing methods or are they allowed to use industrially-produced steel with the same composition?

@oops1208 Жыл бұрын

"Why do you use cheap material?" "Because it's high quality."

@f.b.l.9813 Жыл бұрын

exactly, these katana blacksmiths are so full of themselves

@Comedy_Gold Жыл бұрын

@@f.b.l.9813 Please watch the video

@f.b.l.9813 Жыл бұрын

@@Comedy_Gold Please watch the video

@LetsaskShogo Жыл бұрын

I never said that the steel is cheap, I said that the steel is often said to be crappy, poor in quality! The answer of the sword smiths was that it may not be the best kind of steel, but it has its unique benefits!

@Specters0rd Жыл бұрын

😐 Did you forget your glasses or something?

@IamRoley Жыл бұрын

High carbon steel isn’t bad steel, it just has different usage from most types of steel. High carbon steel creates some of the most brittle but sharpest edges. Due to its high carbon content it becomes very hard and when something is very hard it is very brittle. but being so hard means it can be sharpened to create a much more fine edge, suitable for cutting and slashing, which is ultimately what katana are made for.

@Xiassen Жыл бұрын

This sounds like the most valid argument for it, probably should be pinned, and perhaps is what the smiths meant when they reported to Shogo it was "high quality." High quality for the purpose it was being used. Rope makes a bad needle but an excellent lasso.

@dianapennepacker6854 Жыл бұрын

It isn't the most ideal but it still works. I am sure an other reason why the katana is single edged also has to do with the poor quality ore they had. I am also 100% that a swordsmith and samurai would absolutely jump to a sword with better steel. Japan is known for tradition but the Samurai definitely would "upgrade" if they could. People are shocked to learn the Samurai used guns as well.

@jonajo9757 Жыл бұрын

@@dianapennepacker6854 Japanese swords are single edged due to preference, religious significants and such. They did use double edged blades such as earlier swords or spear/polearms that called for it. It wasn't a technological issue.

@sawyerharris6966 Жыл бұрын

I made a katana out of spring steel and it is way better quality metal than what they use in japan

@jonajo9757 Жыл бұрын

@@sawyerharris6966 There's a reason why modern steel's lot better than pre-industrial steel

@-nomi.- Жыл бұрын

My understanding is the reason not for the original use of tamahagane, but the continued use is yes to maintain tradition, but also to regulate the market. Whether to hinder criminal use, or to maintain the value of nihontou as distinct products over modern katana-likes. There's a fairly hard cap on people who can or will learn how to produce and work tamahagane.

@echospecter2450 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video great job

@ocudagledam Жыл бұрын

In what sense is the steel used in katanas considered to be of poor quality? I understand that it is not stainless and that katanas have to be kept properly in order to prevent them from rusting, but other than that, are there other issues?

@anironfarm6056 Жыл бұрын

It’s a myth that Japanese steel was any worse than in other places during the Middle Ages. It is true Japan needed to use techniques like folding and differential hardening to remove impurities from the iron, but it was the same everywhere else. And similar methods evolved independently over many cultures. But later, during the Industrial Age, we moved away from traditional swordmaking as we figured out how to fully melt iron, removing the need for folding techniques. Most modern swords are made with steel that is MUCH higher quality than any steel from the Middle Ages. But some people seem to genuinely think that medieval European swords were made with modern spring steel..

@ocudagledam Жыл бұрын

@@anironfarm6056 Thanks!

@jonajo9757 Жыл бұрын

@@anironfarm6056 Isn't it nice that some people believe that European swords in the middle ages suddenly went from iron to spring-tempered modern alloy steels that can bend at insane angles and still return to true while Japanese blades are seen as primitive because of a couple of KZfaqrs that have perpetuated this idea without understanding the constancy of historical steel quality and also some German guy that tested a modern day longsword to a historical katana in a way that a sword shouldn't be used, leading to the myth that Katana were flimsy glass blades that were somehow forged from pig iron? Have fun with that run on sentence

@UwU-235 Жыл бұрын

@@anironfarm6056 I’ve never seen anyone claim that they used modern spring steel but in the late medieval period they most definitely using a form of spring steel that was becoming producible on a large scale. Japan and Europe by that point had fairly different techniques and types of steel. I’m not saying either was better than the other but European swords were a lot more flexible but softer and didn’t hold an edge as well meanwhile Japanese swords were much harder but very inflexible in comparison. Both types of steel worked very well for their location and usage. I’m not too knowledgeable about the Japanese methodology for steel but in Europe they discovered ways to heat iron to a hotter point for longer to make steel in the 13th-14th century and those techniques rapidly became widespread. To claim that Europe and Japan had super similar techniques to sword making is quite frankly unfair to both of them, they had very different techniques both of which deserve to be recognized and respected.

@tj8378 Жыл бұрын

So long story short the Japanese government neutered the katana

@NoTengoIdeaGuey Жыл бұрын

did you watch the video

@Swordphobic Жыл бұрын

It role as a weapon has ended, it should properly follow its role as a cultural tradition then.

@hollundergiersch8691 Жыл бұрын

We have to keep in mind, to actually make steel, the iron had to be purified.. nowadays we have machines, back then a smith had to do everything by hand, so it was a magical procedure, no matter where

@punchkitten874 Жыл бұрын

I like your channel, unfortunately KZfaq has so much clutter at the bottom of the screen your subtitles get covered up. So please raise them, thanks

@maxmaxneolit Жыл бұрын

- Why do you... *Because. Because we know why. Shut up. - Yes sensei. Forgive me sensei.

@theslimcreeper3779 Жыл бұрын

I'm now imagening an old-timey swordsman yelling at his enemys: "how does my God's Living room taste, you son of a cow?" as he is chopping their heads off.

@GothicOctopus 16 күн бұрын

That’s.. really cool. Thank you!

@TheDerpyDeed Жыл бұрын

The japanese: Katana are an art form, the home of the gods, countless lifetimes have been spent perfec- Europeans: Look! Spears! Stabby!

@remliqa Жыл бұрын

Yari wielding Ashigarus want to talk with yiu.

@FilmFlam-8008 Жыл бұрын

Even the Japanese used spears more than katanas. Katanas were impractical even at the time. More of a status indicator than useful tool.

@michaelterrell5061 Жыл бұрын

@@FilmFlam-8008 They weren’t impractical. They just wouldn’t be the first things used, they were still used very often however.

@FilmFlam-8008 Жыл бұрын

@@michaelterrell5061 actually…. No. Watch the specific video made on this channel about that. You are confusing movies with history.

@michaelterrell5061 Жыл бұрын

@@FilmFlam-8008 I’m literally not. The Katana is a weapon, it came in various shapes and sizes and there were techniques created for the various blade types to be used against opponents without armor and with armor, this would not be the case if it were not meant to be used in warfare. One needs only to look at the development of the sword itself to see this fact, as it developed out of the Tachi as a better tool to get through the boiled leather armor of the Mongol invaders during the first and second Mongol invasions of Japan, these advancements would not have been made, had they not been used in warfare. Bottom line, it is a sword, a sword is a weapon, and weapons are used for warfare.

@quiblydanger427 Жыл бұрын

It’s high sulfur, that’s my problem with the steel

@doncarleone973 Жыл бұрын

That was an excellent explanation 👍🏻👍🏻

@subratanandy2142 Жыл бұрын

I'm surprised that Edo period wasn't mentioned

@shanejustice7307 Жыл бұрын

Tamahagane....and caebon steel....not necessarily easy to work with.

@jackmcslay Жыл бұрын

easiER

@DreYeon Жыл бұрын

My question is would they make something like an European sword if you asked or more realistically if you ask for a sword made by a different metal but still the same smithing method would they do it?

@michaelpettersson4919 Жыл бұрын

That probably depend on the individual smith.

@ottersaurus Жыл бұрын

It would just be a katana with a different medal, only difference is that it won’t be considered one legally so you won’t legally be allowed to have it

@adrensamoth4337 Жыл бұрын

It would just be illegal. It would be a weapon, not a piece of traditional Japanese art. Japan has very strict laws on it.

@faymelp826 Жыл бұрын

It would be considered a weapon and not an “art” (katana fall under Japanese traditional art), so it would be illegal to own. This is also why Japanese people can’t own katana made outside of Japan, it may not be made with the appropriate methods/metals to be considered a real katana, hence being illegal

@J.Crime123 Жыл бұрын

Well if he says yes to it why not. We have all seen the video that explains that non katanas or those from the outside are weapons and not art BUT if he just makes it for you, writes some kind of certificate for it, it is a Japanese katana and NO ONE besides of the two of you know that it is not a Traditional one. So yeah i wouldnt worry about the weapons aspect.

@MannoMax Жыл бұрын

On the topic of metalurgy: basically all of the early steels produced before the invention of freshing/decarbonisation, is in modern terms (high) "carbon steel" (all steels have carbon, otherwise itd be iron). Before we found out how to remove carbon from liquid iron, it was technically pretty much impossible to make low carbon steel, like we use in construction, general machine building etc. While those traditional steels are all able to be hardened, as they are above the 0,2% C that are required for quench hardening, they will never produce a blade as finely tempered and tailor made as a modern mill steel, because you never know quite how much carbon and other stuff is in your steel, so you can't harden and temper exactly

@bigbrexitdad879 Жыл бұрын

Carbon steel is so many types of steel. But the steel isn't bad, just the raw materials that become steel. The methods needed were dropped in Europe due to higher quality raw materials

@emilwestgaardhenriksen1715 Жыл бұрын

The misconception that tamahagane would be crapoy steel I always find funny when people use it as an excise to bash the katana, sure tamahagane on its own isn't very strong, but after being worked into a complete katana it is actually a very high quality steel, it is the process of making a katana that makes it what it is.

@JennyEverywhere Жыл бұрын

When I was much younger, I found a Type 95 Shin Gunto in an antique shop. They wanted a really low price for it, but it was more than I had. It was not a katana, though shaped like one. It was for non-commissioned officers, and was machine made with a metal scabbard. The hilt was wood with simple wrapping, of I remember correctly. It might have just been cord wrapped wood, painted to look like a proper hilt.

@resolute123 Жыл бұрын

I've asked this question to you in a previous post (though not so derogatory). I figured a lot had to do with tradition and the steel was effective, though not the best quality that could be produced. However, your statement of craftsmen working with tamahagane makes sense as modern steel would be difficult to work with using traditional techniques. Thanks for your input.

@markerickson4273 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for explaination.

@sbrunscheon Жыл бұрын

There is no "best steel". Different types of steel have different uses.

@vicboom1880 Жыл бұрын

Fun fact. Japanese swordsmiths sometimes used spanish steel from the XVI to the XIX centuries because it was one of the best ones in the world

@jonajo9757 Жыл бұрын

Not really. For the most part, iron imported elsewhere wasn't consolidated, and generally low quality. The same applied to their neighbors.

@teddubois6055 Жыл бұрын

Perfect explanation of, "because it has always been done like this."...

@samuelberghuvud5527 Жыл бұрын

Interesting. I didn't know that. I learned something today thank you

@stevebrule3526 Жыл бұрын

another point to note is that the process of forging the katana removes most of the impurities, through repeated heating and mechanically by striking and folding, so much that by the end the quality of the steel is very high.

@wildtrippyt4860 Жыл бұрын

@LetsaskShogo So, what steel do you think is the most appropiate for Tameshigiri? t10? i`d love to get some custom katana but i dont know what steel i should choose, ty for your videos!

@410cultivar Жыл бұрын

T10 tool steel is the best carbon steel on the market that's mass produced You can spend 100s of thousands of dollars on a custom carbon steel alloy designed by computers, but it takes time and money. Where any smith can get a hold of T10/tamahagani/spring steel/ then your 10xx series carbon steel(like 1060 or 1040) the higher the number the better quality, so 1060 is better than 1040

@wildtrippyt4860 Жыл бұрын

@@410cultivar I`ve heard that 1090, for example, is more fragile since has less flexibility, do you know if that is correct? In that chase, which one would you recommend me? Thank you again bud ;)

@victorthecollector9198 Жыл бұрын

Idk why people even ask that kind of question, it's not like they're gonna be used to chop heads in this day and age

@magicmaqwa Жыл бұрын

the shortest answer: to flex on anyone using high quality

@EddyOfTheMaelstrom Жыл бұрын

Everyone knows that it isn't the steel of the blade, but the spirit of the makers. Katana are the greatest work of art in the history of weapons.

@MouldMadeMind Жыл бұрын

Why do you even make such ridiculouse statements?

@surft Жыл бұрын

people forget that if a broad-sword and a katana literally clashed, the sword would absolutely obliterate the katana. Swords are made of much better material.

@Fullerite_ Жыл бұрын

Firstly, European swords weren't made from better steel. The thing is European furnaces were hotter, thus removing more impurities from the blade. Secondly, you can't argue with physics. Katana edge was ~60-65HRC, sometimes even higher. Whereas european swords were fully made out of spring steel. Average hardness of a european sword would range from 40 to 45, rarely 50HRC(more modern swords ~16th century). Softer steel can't damage harder steel, that's freaking physics dude. And also last point. Because of katana differentially hardened nature, it would almost certainly never snap into halves, unlike European spring steel swords. Softer spine would deform, but overall structural integrity of katana will remain(chips on the blade edge are possible). Whereas European mono steel sword, if strike force overcame ultimate tensile strength, would just crack and snap into halves.

@michaelpettersson4919 Жыл бұрын

European swords had a wide range of qualities.

@thebluestig2654 Жыл бұрын

The whole idea of fighting with a Katana is not to clash swords, it is to avoid the other weapon and wait for the opening the other fighting style always creates.

@hugom2418 Жыл бұрын

Literally just not true at all

@lucanic4328 Жыл бұрын

@@Fullerite_ The idea that Japanese furnaces were not hot enough is easily dismissed by the existence of zuku oshi tatara and the history of indirect steel production methods in Japan. They produced cast iron, therefore they had that level of technology people often associate with Europe. This is not a major secret in Japan, you can easily check on the Japanese wiki for the tatara. Second most important point is that beside the hardening process, European swords well into the 17th century were made like Japanese ones, with inhomogenous steel and often layers of different steel, sometime even with iron cores. Hence, they will not be that springy in the first place as modern replica. For reference, there is a very interesting paper on Italian swords of the 16th and 17th century with their production - "Archaeometallurgical Investigation on Historical Sword-Making Techniques in Northern Italy Between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries"

@S1L3NTG4M3R Жыл бұрын

thanks again!! :)

@yorichii8483 Жыл бұрын

I like how he gets to the point

@thedood4713 Жыл бұрын

Cause it's historic! I still get wheels made of weed cause it says made in America.

@squrilebrain 6 ай бұрын

by any chance can you show how tamahagane is made and what towns still make the steel each year?

@GamelanSinarSurya Жыл бұрын

Fantastic video Shogo-san. These same questions and answers also apply to the Art of making the beautiful ceremonial Keris daggers of Indonesia.

@monirulislam1629 Жыл бұрын

Imagine if someone makes a katana with Stainless Steel. ⚔

@BoostedMonkey05 Жыл бұрын

"Move the material how it wants to be moved" is something I picked up from when Illya was making the katana from Kill Bill

@unknowngamer37415 Жыл бұрын

I'm watching interesting video of how they source iron Sand and modern tomahogany is made using iron sand attracted using large magnets which is actually quite pure especially compared to older methods of acquiring the iron Sand. Edit this is compared to how the Japanese would have originally gone about acquiring ore to produce tomahogany which would have been relatively unpure for the time