I love your attention to detail. I don't care about what anyone else says. You took the hardworking route instead of wasting your talent on the couch. An absolutely outstanding job!!!! If I ever get one, you are on the top of my list
Beautiful hamon and folding, and sheath! You are a master craftsman to say the least and amazing to watch. I love the finished piece, thanks for sharing!
I like the fact that someone else referred to it as a "kata type of sword". Having said this, what a stunning, wonderfully executed work! Would give select body parts for the shop he has.
Wow !!! Most beautiful process and execution, with an Elegant result i am inspired by your handiwork Thank you for allowing me to watch every last step i am honored ~!!!!
Once you started using your own interpretation I knew that this set was going to be something special and unique, and you did not disappoint! The blade itself, with the distinct wire wrapping Harmon, came out fantastic. Your closed habaki and use of the seppa in between the habaki and the tsuba (which is almost always ignored) was great to see. The rest just pulled everything together into one solid blade. VERY well done Freerk!
Soon as I saw the seppa and fuchi, my heart began to sing. So many bladesmiths don't include them and it's so frustrating to see. I'm only an amateur with three years of iaido and battodo training, but I would love to own such a fine blade. It may not be a Japanese Sword by technical definition, but the skill, effort and focused love put into this puts it far above "just another katana." Very satisfying.
@Tim C. Ok, it's not a Katana, and that's right, maybe I've never held one, but tell me, do you really need to go to College to know how good a sword is?... What's next? A whole degree on knowing how to tie up a shoe lace?... Let me guess, a Master's that can prove that you can tie the other one too! Hahaha I like this work. I like this sword. If you don't like it, good for you. It's a well forged sword. For me, this man is a good blacksmith, maybe the best I've ever seen. I'd put my life on one of his weapons.
KATANA has a strict and prestigious manufacturing method, and there is a rule that other products made should not be called KATANA. I understand and support the desire to avoid disseminating fake knowledge and wrong manufacturing methods to the world. For KATANA fans and Japanese people, I wouldn't want to admit that something different from KATANA is treated as KATANA and praised.
@Tim C. Katana is simply a japanese sword... They use tamahagane which is simply bloomery steel. Because the steel is not melted uniformly like this guy used, they have to pick the pieces with the higher carbon content(the shiny ones) . Don't get me wrong they are awsome but they are just a sword made with a brilliant formula, that almost achives a steel just as good as the fully melted steel
i lost your channel when my device crashed thankfully i found it again and re subscribed and now i have 2 or 3 months of videos to catch up on thank you
I' ve seen this movie five or six time and it"s better than netflix. I promise you man, you will take an order. Conratulations your work is unbelievable.
Traditionally, katanas are forged straight, it is the differential cooling along the spine created by the application of several clays that causes the bend as the final form is quenched spine-first in water or oil. The bend would be my only critique. After correction the curvature was interrupted slightly. In every other aspect, this is the best katana build I've EVER seen on RU-vid, BY FAR.
@@FFFF-zu9bx I would say the hamon is in keeping with the understated nature of this sword; it's not trying to be something, it really is what it is... If that makes any sense?
The first thing my eye was drawn to was the artificial bend which has a sweep that begins too close to the grip. I can’t make that so I have no room to complain but yeah, it is a bit wonky for a “Samurai .” Well done!
Freerk vids are always great! I was thinking that the blade had an awful big curve in it right before you used the wood block and hammer to lessen it. The man is just a consummate pro.
A perfectionist, amazing how you layered the iron plates, in the old days we would get to the melting point, (lots of sparks) join both pieces tougher and hit the anvil with with a heavy hammer try to join the pieces while they are liquefied, then do the process over again. As a apprentice I loved to work as a blacksmith, we would make tools for auto mechanics in Germany, it was part of a three year program to become a journeyman/master mechanic.
Came out beautiful, and it's an interesting take. While I'm not a complete purist, there are a few things I do think need to be present for something to be a samurai sword / katana which are missing here. First, the handle needs to have certain elements: same (stingray skin or some equivalent), menuki (small figurines that create bulge for hands to grip), kashira and fuchi (collar and end cap), and most importantly ito (cord wrap). Next, your blade shape is close but there are some important differences. Primarily, the tip of the katana called the kissaki needs to be more distinct, which is usually achieved during the blade grinding and polishing stages which were absent here (though that is understandable since it would probably double the amount of work). Lastly in terms of the forging process, generally the curve isn't forged in but rather the blade is forged straight, and then the curve happens naturally during the quenching step. Still it's a beautiful sword and an example of great craftsmanship, would love to see a cutting demo video
I don't think you can say "I'm not a purist" and then go on to use the Japanese terms for specific sections of each part. (you listed five elements for the handle alone, let alone blade construction)
Qué gran nación,que civismo y qué educación sentí tristeza a mi regreso a España que ejemplo para el mundo saque unas dos mil fotos de todos y todo pero lo que más me emocionó son las fotos de los escolares con sus diversos uniformes sonrientes pulcros y educados espero volver,gracias Japón por todo lo que nos dais,gracias.❤
While the workmanship is excellent, that's not "true" Damascus (crucible) steel or homogeneous alloy steel . It's a "pattern welded" alloy steel of his own creation.
You, sir are my first every RU-vid subscription. I appreciate your craftsmanship and the methodical, purposeful manner in which you work but good God, how do you do it without ever saying a word?! Keep up the great work. I will be following with enthusiasm. Knives out, Warriors!
Pasé toda mi vida dedicado a trabajos en la madera,caoba,palo santo, ébano y todas las maderas autóctonas utilizadas en muebles de estilo especialmente la sillería pero paso horas contemplando tan Bello trabajo de acero madera pieles etc.precioso y meticuloso trabajo de precisión,paciencia y buen hacer,lamento no poder tener una pieza igual a ésa,gracias por su arte.
Good job. It's his ability to make, is what counts, not the comments. As a kid I made a wooden sword, still a sword to me. 😊 The Vikings and there long boats, or their axes all a work of ingenious.
A authentic one is made of very poor quality metal that is forged over and over to make it pure. Then have 2 different quality of metals welded together causing them to warp into a curve when quenched. When made with a modern high quality steal and with modern equipment it is better to forge out the blade than unevenly harden the blade making it weak to cause the blade to curve in the quench.
And there's no Shigane. @CMDR Wee Jet: Tamagahane is not poor quality, you sop. Its bloom steel, same smelting as most of Europe made its own swords. This is a far older steel making and forging process than the modern steelmaking industry of post-industrialised modernity. There is no comparison anyway, they forged a composite blade so if you want to compare this is a superior forging technology as against the employ of just a monolithic alloy and the expressed hope that folding that bad boi fixes everything. A composite forging methodology may be revisited quite liberally to produce the finest laminated material ever, like say choosing a selection of Fe-V alloy hard jacket and low carbon Fe-C or other metal Shigane core. Very shock resistant. But we owe Japanese swordsmiths discovery of the process, even if they learned how steel was made from somebody else first the composite forging process is pure Japan. So like the mongol composite recurve back in its time, the Katana today is a time honored technological marvel. Japanese swordsmiths practiced superb craftsmanship, produced superb swords... and the mongols lost twice. Sheffield steel and all that was much later. Only the Levant used crucible steel, sometimes imported it, in the time of sword making, and that is properly called Wootz steel. And the arabs only laminated their ferro-vanadium alloy billet in the forging process, they didn't make a composite blade. Its only by chance arab mines had traces of Vanadium in their iron ore.
@@santyclause8034 to be fair fapanese steel at the times was so bad it was called pig steel. You know far more about the topic than me, that is painfully obvious, but it still stands that the level of practice back then was partially driven by the horrible steel they had to work with until later.
I find this guys methods interesting. The billet in sand after a few folding, well cut and welded folding. His use of no power hammer is encouraging as well, shows yes its possible. I tried finding the name of this style of blade. At least from what I know a Katana does not commonly have a fuller and its curve is created by differential heat quench. Similar to the white stuff he used after hammering in curve. As demonstrated by Japanese masters blade is straight then curves in quench post heat. That all said this blade he made would stand well along with the traditional blades. I just wish smiths would stop deviating by making it curved by hammer/wood mallet. This sword though would cleave about anything. Wonder if he has been on Forged in Fire? His blades would likely stand out.
The aggressive curve and weight, as well as tsuka, reminds me of the very old finds of well preserved tachi, blades of katana characteristics before the words “samurai” or “katana” were even made.
Lovely work and a fine attention to detail. I am very surprised that the main thing keeping the blade from flying out of the handle when swung are two small pins made from wood.
Está claro,gracias al ver la elaboración en otros vídeos se percata de qué es grande la diferencia pero así todo es un gran trabajo,mi respeto y amor a las tradiciones y artesanía japonesa,hace un mes pasé dos semanas visitando diferentes lugares y quedé enamorado de esa gran nación por su educación y buenas costumbres, volveré Japón.