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The first blade I made when I started forging was a sword and my interest has continued for over twenty years. The Japanese katana is the ultimate challenge for the bladesmith and I return to them consistently. While I have been known for my museum quality art knives, I have chosen to keep my katana functional and have tried to make the best sword I can and still keep them affordable. To do this, I have eliminated all aspects of the traditional sword that do not add to the function of the piece.
You will not find fancy fittings, decorative menuki, ray skin, silk cord, and expensive polishing. While these are attractive and represent an art form in themselves, they only add cost to the sword. What I do make is a well balanced, properly heat treated, live blade that responds well in the hand and cuts. My swords are by no means unattractive, but there is a purpose to everything included in it.
I use carbon steel for the blade and work with a variety of steels depending on the customer’s preferences and use. I also offer a laminated version made from folded and welded high carbon cable steels on request. The blades are hand forged to shape, ground and then heat treated in the traditional manner using a clay coating. This process yields a hard edge that is under compression and a soft back for toughness and durability. I offer the blades with a variety of finishes, the least expensive being a bead blasted or buffed finish. This provides a practical finish for cutting and is easy to maintain. I also offer a hand-rubbed finish. While this is not the traditional stone polish you will find on more expensive Japanese blades, it does reveal the hamon and is quite attractive. Polishing is one of the most expensive operations involved in building a katana and traditional polishes can run in excess of $150 per inch of length. Obviously a finish of this type would preclude anyone from using the sword and I have decided not to offer it in my swords. The maximum blade length that I offer at this time is 28 inches.
The blade has a hand-fitted copper habaki, bronze seppa and forged iron tsuba. The handle is hard wood and is cord wrapped. The sword comes with a hardwood scabbard. The swords are made to be disassembled, but I have bedded the tang so that it will not loosen during use and do not recommend that it be taken down.
My swords are meant for the martial artist who needs a real sword to cut with and has been dissatisfied with the museum replicas or does not want to use an antique for practice. If you want a more traditional treatment in your sword, I can recommend other makers who can provide this service. If you are looking for a real sword for a reasonable price however, I am confident that you will find no better buy anywhere. For more information about Japanese blades check out the bibliography. I have also written up the sword forging class at J.C. Campbell Folk School and it details the steps I taught in the class.
Update: I am no longer accepting orders for swords. My production is very limited and I have already committed to more work than I should have. I do hope to offer swords when they are available via this web site and would be happy to send you and email notice when new pieces are posted. If you would like to receive an email notice please use the following contact form.
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