The term used is selective quenching, for the Japanese have invented a process that allows the smith to transform the carbon in martensite only on the cutting edge of the weapon, while keeping the remaining of the blade as it is, in order to keep a good flexibility. Martensite is extremely hard and allows the blade to be polished until a razor sharp cutting edge is obtained, although this hardness makes it very brittle. The goal behind the heat treatment is to create martensite, highly saturated in carbon, on the cutting edge. The most remarkable historic detail of the Japanese sword was the hamon. The lamination of a composite katana blade There exist numerous different compositions, as illustrated in the diagram below. Unlike Maru swords, which are composed of only one steel block, a composite sword features a hard steel on the outside of the blade and a heart and back of softer steel to absorb vibrations. It resolves the hardness versus flexibility problem. A blade made from 1095 steel has a really good cutting edge and a suitable flexibility.Ĭomposite blades are among the most unequalled examples of the prowess of Japanese smithing. That is why the carbon content rarely exceeds 0.95%. Nevertheless, this hardness implies a lower flexibility, and the sword will not absorb shocks that well and might break.
Thus, the higher the carbon content is, the more easily the cutting edge is sharpened, and the more efficient the blows become. And there exist other variations: 1055, 1070.Ĭarbon allows for a harder blade. Whereas the katana used to be forged from tamahagane (Japanese steel melted in low furnaces), today blades are called 1045, 1060, or 1095, as they contain respectively 0.45%, 0.60% and 0.95% carbon. Katana are forged from steel (iron containing some carbon). The remarkable forging processes invented by the Japanese is the reason behind the fame surrounding the weapon and the legends about its cutting edge. Katana forging is a complex art that continuously evolved through history. Samurai disappeared in 1866, after an edict that forbade anybody to carry a katana. The katana could be obtained at the age of 13 during the gempuku, a ceremony which gave the sword wielder his real name, his adult name. Likewise, nobody could easily make a samurai part with his weapon. That is why, even during their sleep, a samurai did not leave his weapon.
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According to the Bushido, the moral code of the samurai, the katana constituted their very soul. Indeed, they were the only ones allowed to carry such weapons.
The katana was the sword favoured by the samurai, as it also represented their social status. The katana usually goes with a wakizashi (a shorter blade) to form a set called daisho. Furthermore, it allows the sword to better follow the line of the opponent's body, causing wider cuts. This distinctive feature allows the sword to be drawn much more easily. Later centuries, along with the different eras of Japanese history, saw the introduction of curved blades, with different variations. The first katana were not curved but straight, and were forged from around 300 BC. A Japanese sword, or katana, with a straight blade HistoryĪll through Japanese history, the Japanese sword or katana has acquired a reputation not only as a war weapon, but also as a political tool.
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