Topic: Katana Forging: The Ancient Method

Kruger · Date: 2013-12-22 20:58 EST

First Class: Creating Kera

Kruger stood in the near empty building as students wandered in. Many of the faces had an unsure look on them, young men and women who seemed uncertain if this was where they were meant to be. They looked at the sign outside that announced the class name Katana Forging, The Ancient Method. Their looks became more sure as they passed inside and looked to him. There was a bit of sophomoric shoving going on between those students who knew one another well. A bit of tittering from the girls who watched them with an interest that had more to do with social dynamic than with the nature of the class they were about to undertake.

Kruger checked off the names on his list as they entered giving a few minutes for stragglers who may have been a little more lost than others to filter in slowly. His heart was pounding slightly, this wasn't exactly a night in the rings. He took his trade seriously, one on one he could have taught any of them. Standing before them all he was nervous. "Please, those of you who have brought books in the hopes of studying for other classes place them in the changing room. Inside you will find heat resistant coveralls. This work is dirty, it is dangerous so I would ask that the moment you step inside my class you do so knowing that the risk of injury to you and your classmates is real. I do not say this to scare anyone, rather I want you all to know you depend on each other to stay healthy."

Kruger was already in his coveralls, the heavy fabric had been taken to the mage wing to be further protected from the incredible heat he knew they would face. When the last student emerged he looked from face to face before continuing. "I fear there will be no time for study of your other courses. This is a hands on class, and we will be working for the next seventy two hours to make the steel we will be using. Behind me are two Tatara, the kiln used in ancient times to create the Tamahagane. I had considered showing you how to create them as well, but that would add time that I don't think we really have if we want to maintain our schedule."

http://www.kajita-token.com/tamahagane.jpg Tamahagane Image credit http://www.kajita-token.com/e_process.html

Kruger · Date: 2013-12-22 21:04 EST

There were two kilns in the darkness behind him twelve feet long by four across, the walls rising into the air another four feet. The air holes along the side flickered with the flames that had already been lit in preparation for this day. "There are a couple of reasons that I have chosen to create the steel this way. The first being that sometimes knowing the difficulties the ancient's went through gives a better appreciation for the ability to overcome them. The second, and maybe more importantly is that it is illegal to purchase the Tamahagane in its raw form. The Tamahagane though is essential in crafting a real Katana. Third is tradition, there is only one of these smelting furnaces left in Japan, it is located in the Shimane Prefecture. They only produce the steel in the winter, therefore we will follow their example." He was pleased to see the nods from some of the students, either from understanding or because they were seeking to catch him on a detail. Kruger would give them what he knew, and what he understood.

Kruger wet his lips as he looked at the students, his brow lowered slightly in thought before he continued. "My lectures will be short, I am no historian. I am not here to tell you about history. Here you will live it for yourselves, in doing so I believe you will gain a better hold than any amount of words I can give you." He led them into the building further and let them see for the daunting task they were about to undertake.

On one side of each tatara rose two mounds, one of iron sand, the other of charcoal. "Let's first say that, without understanding what they had done, the ancients managed to create steel that had one percent carbon, and never exceeded one and a half percent. This is Tamahagane, and is vital to give the katana the toughness and flexibility required. The temperatures we will be working with are in excess of one thousand degrees centigrade. This is not hot enough to melt the iron. The results will yield a bloom of steel, or kera, we need. In this case there will be two. I chose to use two because steel of the grade we need is rare, and there are enough of us here that I wanted to ensure we all have the best to work with."

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Tatara_steel_making_method_NT.PNG Tatara Diagram Image Credit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_swordsmithing

Kruger · Date: 2013-12-22 21:13 EST

Kruger indicated the two mounds that loomed large next to each tatara. "What we have here is ten short tons of iron sand, known as satetsu, and an additional twelve short tons of charcoal. From this we will get nearly two and a half tons of steel." He lifted shovel and indicated the others should do the same. "Charcoal and iron will be added by the shovelful every ten minutes. I don't have time for the math of how many sets of ten minutes occur in seventy two hours. I'll let someone else worry about that. For now I will show you what is needed. There is a pair of bellows located there and there." The smith pointed to a couple of multi-tubed bellows one at each tatara.

"They will be inserted and worked as those who are shoveling do their work. This will keep our fires lit, keep them hot so that they can pull away the impurities of the iron. At the ends of each kiln is a channel that will need to be cleared of these impurities." Kruger gave a smile to the faces who were now beginning to realize that they had gone from student, to apprentice. He took two students aside and showed them how to attach the bellows to the tatara. He let them know they would be responsible for showing the others. The bellows were large and would require two pairs of hands to work.

"Everybody digs, everybody works the bellows. Everyone will have a turn clearing away the impurities. I will listen to the fires, and try to show you the differences in them. I will look at the growing bloom and try to show you how to know when it is ready. These things must be taught, and the only way I can do that is in process." When the bellows were in place he looked to the two he had shown and gave each one charge of them. A second pair of hands was selected randomly for each. "Those of you not on the bellows, grab a shovel and let's get started."

http://www.thejapanesesword.com/images/tatara/satetsu.jpghttp://climatevoices.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/charcoal1.jpg Satetsu-iron sand Image Credits: Iron Sand http://www.thejapanesesword.com/tatara/ Charcoal http://climate-connections.org/2010/08/30/groups-charge-nature-communications-article-shows-true-colours-of-biochar-advocates/

Kruger · Date: 2013-12-29 19:16 EST

Three days, the fires burned hot enough to have every one of the students sweating in their work. Kruger had peeled away his protective coveralls. It hadn't taken long for them to develop routines, Kruger had to remind them as he checked the color of the steel that they were not in a race, tamahagane took as long as it took. "It's better to take the time to do it right, than to finish early and have a couple of tons of metal you can't use."

The fires raged on for those three days, the students taking turns resting and looking on as Kruger refused to sleep. He had fallen into a routine that left him no time to worry over how tired he had become. Always the first to pick up his shovel, or a second hand with the bellows, it was here that he could guide them more easily. He showed them techniques to make the work easier on them. There had been a single incident with the fire one that made the entire class understand that they were dependant on each other.

Tres, and Thomas had been posturing with each other since the work had begun. Kruger had seen it and had separated them from one another by putting them on different kilns. It had worked for the most part, until it was Tres turn to work the bellows between the two tatara. Thomas noticed and thought it would be funny to place his bellows and send gouts of fire out into the space where Tres was. Kruger stood and spotted it a moment too late. Tres was engulfed in the flames, and Thomas face went from joking to what did I just do' Kruger ran at Tres and hit him with a shoulder knocking him clear but the fire had sucked the oxygen from the space. Tres had been protected from the flames, though his coveralls were ruined. He lay there coughing and trying to get his breath back.

The smith called Thomas over. He was tempted to hit the kid for being so stupid. "Everything burns Thomas, the outfit burns the air you breathe burns. Take off your coveralls, collect your things and go see the headmistress. On your way you will take Tres to the nurse's office." He shook his head at Tres protestations that he was fine. "It would be unwise not to get checked out after that. There may be something you can't feel and I can't see."

The pair of them made their way out of the lab all eyes watching them go. Kruger turned to those left and stated as calmly as possible. "There is no place in my class for someone who puts themselves ahead of safety." There had been no repeats of that incident. One or two had tried to follow Kruger's example and take off their coveralls only to discover that they hadn't built the resistances to the heat Kruger had.

http://img.allvoices.com/thumbs/event/609/480/97353930-smelter-works.jpg Image Credit: http://www.allvoices.com/news/14322720/image/97353930-a-smelter-works-with-raw-iron-on-a-salzgitter-blast-furnace-in-salzgitter

Kruger · Date: 2013-12-29 19:23 EST

There was no set time for the completion of the bloom. He knew it by color, the way the steel looked heated up. Some seventy hours after they had begun he pointed them to the sledge hammers. The walls of the tataras were broken away like a vault sized piggybank. What waited for them was a two and a half ton slab called the bloom, or kera. Kruger directed the students to affix a chain to each bloom. Logs were brought before each to be used as rollers. Even the step of freeing the kera from the kiln would be done in the ancient way. The students pulled and slowly the steel was extracted from the remnants of the tataras.

"I give you Kera. Every part of the katana comes from here. The tamahagane steel, the softer iron core will come from here. We just need to wait for it to cool. Go back to your rooms now, take the weekend and when I see you Monday I will show you where to find the parts you need. I will show you how tell good from great. I'm afraid the work has only just begun." He looked from face to face, they were covered in streaks of ash and charcoal. They leaned heavily on shovel handles and hammer hafts. All of them had the same look on their face though, pride in their accomplishment. "Job well done, I am proud of you all."

Kruger moved away from them and started what would be a long process of cleaning up. No rest for him yet, there was still too much to do. Behind him the students looked ready to go, except that they watched him. One young dark haired girl spoke up. "Master Kruger" Aren't you going to sleep yet' You've been up since the beginning."

"This place won't clean itself. I need to get the rubble out, and dispose of the impurities. I need to make space for the forges that will be brought. I?" There was a metallic scrape from behind him that had him turning to see what was going on. He couldn't help but smile as the students closed in around him.

"You said we would do it all start to finish sir." It was the same girl who had questioned him. Kruger nodded once and gave an exhausted breath. At his nod the kids began to cart away the pieces of the tataras.

"Job well done.? It was a simple whisper meant for no one but his self.

http://www.wattention.com/wp-content/uploads/regular/2010/10/craftman-2.jpghttp://www.thejapanesesword.com/images/tatara/kera.jpg Image Credits: Broken Tatara http://www.wattention.com/archives/master-of-tatara-seitetsu/ Kera/Bloom http://www.thejapanesesword.com/tatara/

Kruger · Date: 2014-01-05 18:34 EST

It took more time to tell them than to show the students how to retrieve the steel from the bloom. Kruger walked the outside of both blooms before they had shown up. He'd been close as it was, sleep was something that came and went for him long before now. He had their attention as he held aloft the pieces of tamahagane that he had broken away himself before they had come. "This is good, note the color, the grain of it. This is what you are looking for, I will make things easy for you, but not so easy that you can't learn. In my hand is the best quality. It will be on display over on a table, with the least acceptable."

Kruger pointed to three tables, on each a pair of piles of metal over a label that indicated the quality. "The best place for the tamahagane is on the edges. There will be no taking from the table to bring to the keru. I want you to learn to see it because you won't always have known samples to use." He walked to one of the three tables and placed the metal. On that table were tools for the students to break off their own pieces. "The Keru will give us everything we need. Weights required of each are on the tables, scales are there as well."

Kruger gathered the students around him and knelt by the metal slab. "The metal on the tables will be there for the duration of this class. I will be taking from the bloom as well, I will teach you by demonstrating first. Then I will observe you and correct as needed." He made a point to chip away metal that he deemed moderate for his own work. He would compensate with the other metals that were involved.

Once he was sure that the students could manage without crushing a finger he directed them to the tamahagane table where their own tools awaited. "Remember, there is no failing here. Bring me your samples once they have been weighed out and I will be the final judge." Kruger had asked for a desk and chairs to be brought down for this part. A place for each of them to keep their materials as they gathered them was necessary. He also asked for a chalk board, his own bits of steel were left on his desk and he began writing on that board. He was making simple drawings and charts. There were temperatures needed and explanations of how to know when the metal was ready. It should be clear to them how to know in lieu of special equipment. That after all had been the entire point of this class.

Kruger · Date: 2014-01-05 18:35 EST

A few of the students moved away towards the pair of Keru without ever looking at the samples on the tables. He moved slowly with them suggesting quietly they might want to look at what they are supposed to be duplicating before starting. He wasn't against trial and error learning, but there was only so much of the material available. It wouldn't be wise to not know before acquiring samples.

Kruger's board was now being filled with ingredients. The clay mixture that would go on the metal in between heating was written down and would be another of those things that had to be correct in order to get desired results. There were tolerances, the problem with tolerances is knowing when they have been exceeded. The students needed to learn to be alchemists as well as smiths.

It wasn't a constant line, but they were returning to him often enough that getting everything done seemed like something he could forget about. Questions he liked, specifically pointing at how the pieces brought to him were slightly different than what was set out as an example. Kruger was glad to show them everything he knew. One student seemed to be lingering near the blooms. Kruger watched him as he studied the metal, stopping here and there to look closer.

"The steel won't separate itself you know?" He didn't laugh though his tone was far from serious. "What's going on?"

Rory Martin looked up at Kruger and gave a shrug. "Trying to decide if it's better to have higher quality or lower. Trying to take as much as I can from the same place, things have been picked over pretty badly though." Kruger sat on the slab as Rory went into the places he was looking at.

"I like that you're thinking. What do you do if your metal isn't the best' If it is passable how do you make that not matter" Or maybe you mix what you have some better some worse" These are things you should be considering. Finding the right material, the ideal may be easier than knowing if you should sometimes. Tell me what you want to do." He stood, turning to look down from next to Rory.

"I want it to be perfect." Rory's matter of fact response forced Kruger to stifle another laugh. He shook his head twice before responding to Rory.

"Perfect' There is no perfect weapon, there are perfect matches to the user. Higher carbon content makes a sharper weapon, but it has a detrimental effect on the brittleness. Something with lower carbon and more iron will not hold as good an edge but will take more blows. If you can get between the two then you are doing your job." He slipped his hands behind his back and took a deep breath. "Only you can decide, but take the time you need to decide. Maybe you should think about the design, and choose accordingly." He walked away letting the boy be alone with his thoughts. Others would begin to think about theirs as well he hoped.

Kruger · Date: 2014-01-08 21:06 EST

There were drawings posted, close up pictures of sword segments placed as well. Forges had been supplied, small enough for the space within the building which The Academy had provided, yet still stand up to the thirteen Hundred degrees Celsius that was required for the next part of this class. Kruger stood before them though, he had promised them short lectures and it had been proven so on each occasion. He knew that a few words as the work was happening would be more powerful than many before beginning that would fall into forgetfulness.

The students had split attention, and this could be a problem. He watched them look towards the forges eager to begin the work. He thought perhaps they were over romanticizing the folding of the steel. That the need for it had been glamorized to the point where actually doing the work had been diminished. They would learn that part soon enough. "Yes, the forges wait for you." He spoke softly raising a callused hand to rub at the wolf brand beneath his left eye.

Eyes came to the front when he broke the silence. "There are several ways to make the skin of the sword or Hada. The images behind me show their variations. Designing your blade should take this into account. Do you wish to use the nearly straight Masame method, or go with something broken and twisted like the Itame. Maybe you wish something with a more circular pattern like Mokume, or with large waves in it like Ayasugi. You will ask what?s best, I will say the choice is yours. I will say that I prefer Masame for some and Ayasugi for others."

He had their attention, this he could tell by the eyes that were on him and on the pictures he was pointing to. "I promised short lectures, I would encourage you to know what you are looking for in your sword. The Hada will affect the look but not the performance. We will address the Haman later, first we must create the steel we need."

He sat moved down the center aisle and continued to talk. "The Ancient Sword smiths did not know what they were creating. I have said this before. Through years of practice though they managed to make something incredible, Martensite. The folding spreads the carbon, it evens out the content, the metal you have will weigh about half as much when you have finished making your blocks. The hammering drives out the impurities, the clay heats and reacts with the metal to aid in the welding of the layers. No, they didn't understand at a microscopic level as we can today and that is very much why when you hear me speak of them, you hear my admiration."

http://www.ncjsc.org/images/vis_gloss/hada-ayasuji-1.gifhttp://www.ncjsc.org/images/vis_gloss/hada-masa-2.jpg Image Credits: Ayasugi Drawing and Masame Picture

Kruger · Date: 2014-01-08 21:10 EST

"I will be demonstrating the Kobuse, and Makuri styles which are similar. I will also give a demonstration of Honsanmai, which is the most common laminate method." There was a bit of a disturbance and a hand went into the air. Kruger fixed amber eyes on the hand and then the girl whom it was attached to. "Shari Desmond isn't it' Go ahead miss Desmond."

Shari sat up a bit and pushed blond bangs behind her ear. "Sir, what if I wanted to learn the Masamune laminate method?" Several others nodded with her and caused her to blush. She kept looking at him with eyes the color of the sky.

Kruger backed down the aisle way and stopped before hitting his desk. "The Masamune method is the most famous, this is because of him as much as the sword itself. It is complex though, not something I can easily show in this venue. Unless everyone is wishing to learn this method, I will be available to you at the Kruger's Exotic shop down in the marketplace. By a show of hands, who wants to learn the Masamune way?" Hands shot up throughout the class, nearly all of them wanting to learn the famous way. Rory was a standout though, the fact made Kruger smile, he thought perhaps the boy was put on Rhydin to make his life difficult.

"Fine then, it won't affect anything yet. The forging of the blocks is still folding techniques. Rory, you will need to schedule time with me at my shop to learn the method of your choice." Shari's look to Rory was daggers, Perhaps she had reconsidered wanting to learn the famous way now that everyone wanted to. Perhaps she understood that Rory would be learning two methods to everyone else's single one. Kruger couldn't get caught up in that kind of thing, he was here to teach.

No one had heard the arrival of the men in white. Two stood by each forge looking on silently as though they had no voices, or thoughts beyond the long handled hammers in their hands. "The forges will burn at 1300 degrees Celsius. That is more than enough to leave permanent damage. Do gather around and watch. The clay at your stations is the same you made." Kruger took the broken and flattened pieces of steel and began to stack them on top of one another. "Yesterday we flattened our steel, and I showed you how to tell the best pieces by the carbonization at the edges."

He wrapped the steel in paper and covered it with the clay and a light coating of ash. "Today we take all those pieces and we make them into one single block." The wrapped metal was then pushed into the forge to heat and the two men with hammers moved closer. The students that couldn't see adjusted around behind Kruger to get a better view. "Watch the metal, know the colors. You will need to be quick to get your fold done before the metal cools too much."

http://pmpaspeakingofprecision.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/pick_maddin_martensite.gif Image Credits: Martensite

Kruger · Date: 2014-01-08 21:17 EST

It took time to heat the steel, there would be nothing to show them before he could pull the steel out so he explained the presence of the two men. "Tradition, I can do this myself but tradition says three, one master and two apprentices. They will wield the hammers, and I will fold the metal. It is important you do things as I am showing you."

The glowing metal was pulled from the forge, it was bright orange and caused the air about it to shimmer with the heat it was giving off. Kruger seated behind the anvil placed the metal down and the two men moved as though synchronized. The sounds of metal striking metal echoed through the building.

Tink, tonk, tink tonk.

Once fractured pieces of metal sparked and welded into place. Kruger however stopped the two as the color changed. He coated the metal once again in the clay and ash before putting it back into the forge. "That was not a fold, it is important that you have a solid piece to work with when folding or you will find that the pieces simply scatter beneath the hammer strikes." When he pulled it out again, he placed a maul down on the center of the glowing metal. The hammers now hit the blunt side of the maul and left a deep crease. Kruger ran a brush across the surface of the steel removing a layer of impurities that hadn't been visible until the hammers had struck. The crease was then positioned at the edge of the anvil and the apprentices beat the metal into a right angle. Kruger never looked at the pair hammering, his full attention remained with the steel as he positioned it in a way that they would be able to fold the angle and beat it flat again. He ran the brush again, after bringing the metal back to the original length.

Another coating of clay and ash were added before putting it back into the fire. "That is one fold, we will be doing that, sixteen times. When I say that will give us in excess of 65,000 layers, some of you mathematics majors will try to prove me wrong by doing the math. I encourage you to do so. If you need more time I will be doing it again, or you may begin on your own."

As one every student went to their forges and their own pair of apprentices. The two before Kruger flickered and disappeared. ?The students down in the alchemy wing have put holo imagers into the ceiling. Your apprentices have been programmed to answer questions, to give suggestions. They also all sound like me for some strange reason. I'll be making observations as you work, forget I am here, you have nothing to be nervous about."

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Katana_brique.pnghttp://www.samurai-weapons.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/masamune.jpg Image Credits: Katana Brique and Masamune Sword

Kruger · Date: 2014-01-20 20:28 EST

The student's entered as students do. They were speaking loudly about the latest parties they had been to, or their boyfriends tendency to over indulge. They guys had more immediate concerns on their mind like did you see how short Lillian's skirt was today. They deposited their packs at their desks and removed the ingot they had created over several days of folding. On the board were drawings one of a sword with a pair of grooves running the length of the blade, engraved into it was a vine with large leaves. The final leaf was not a leaf at all but a butterfly.

Also on the page was a round tsuba. This too had butterflies, two of them, one to either side of the hold left open for the blade. The rest of the tsuba was blank, carved space and outer ring that tied the butterflies" together and lent strength to the tsuba. Hanging from the board was a length of material so red it was nearly black. The students looked at the board and had a vague idea of what would be required for the day. They took their seats though there was no sign of Kruger.

Where his desk normally sat, there was a wooden platform and words written in Japanese. There was an altar and a fat man statue that sat upon it. Kruger walked up the aisle dressed in white from head to toe. He even had a white headband tied around his head. The wooden sandals on his feet were removed when he approached the shrine and left on the floor outside it as he knelt within. The students quieted waiting for their morning lecture.

They grew impatient in the silence. Whispers began, and subdued laughs. Kruger backed out of the shrine and slipped the sandals back on his feet. He still had his back to the kids when he began to speak. "Belief, I have stated that the making of these weapons was deemed as mystical." He turned to the students and smiled. "If the great sword makers had lived today they could have discovered what exactly had happened with all their mixing folds and pounding out of impurities. They didn't though, the sword makers draped their art in belief. Reverent, religious and possibly the one thing that allowed them to make these weapons with very little fallout. They considered each of them as gifts.?

http://www.trocadero.com/zentner/items/1066753/catphoto.jpg Image Credit: Shrine

Kruger · Date: 2014-01-20 20:31 EST

He moved to the center of the room, so he could tell who was paying attention to him and who was not. "This is not a class of theology, I am not here to teach you how to pray. I am here to show you the ancient method. That always began in prayer. I have mentioned often to all of you to keep your design in mind." He put a hand up to in the direction of the drawing on the board. "This is my design. It is the exact length and thickness of the one I will forge. I have given each dimension and even designed my Tsuba hand guard."

"My colors were chosen when I chose my design. The Mourning Cloak Butterfly, as you can see will have two grooves on each side. This is not a blood groove. Blood grooves are myths, they don't exist. These grooves perform three functions. I will only give you two today, the third will be demonstrated at a later date. The first function of the groove is to reduce the weight of the sword. Less material, less weight. The second function of the groove, believe it or not there is strength in them. Think of the I beams used to erect this building." He pointed to the ceiling but continued to speak. "Wider material on either side of thinner yet strong. Today you will make your designs, you will have every angle, as I do on mine. There is no requirement of grooves in your design. You won't be going near your forges until your design is complete and correct. That is my way of saying, don't rush. You will begin faster by being thorough."

"I'll begin mine when you have all finished. Don't take too long though, I already have a buyer." Kruger laughed a little as he said the last. Rory rose and looked at Kruger for a moment. Kruger nodded to the boy who pulled his drawing out and the two of them disappeared behind it. "You made the changes here, good. Don't start yet though, I want you to help your peers as they need it." Rory stepped away with a smile. It was clear by Shari's expression that she knew Rory had been getting a depth of instruction that the rest of them were not. She decided she would try to schedule her own time with the smith at his shop in the marketplace. A voice called out to Kruger then, 'sir" If it isn't private, how much will you be getting for the Mourning Cloak Butterfly?"

Kruger looked up from the drawing of Rory's. "I expect no less than two thousand for it, as much as ten perhaps. It will depend upon the final quality test, and its beauty. Why do you think I pray so hard?"

http://th07.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2010/243/7/4/mourning_cloak_butterfly_by_mogrianne-d2xpz4f.png Image Credit: Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Kruger · Date: 2014-02-12 02:39 EST

Hammers rang throughout the class in a cacophony of ringing. Every so often the hammer strikes would align and the ringing of hammer on steel and anvil would become an almost mystical sound. Kruger was showing them how to draw out the metal. Working amongst the students gave them a place to look and gain insight. The pairs of holographic apprentices were gone now, after the folding process they were no longer needed. Now each student had a holoscreen in front of them. It showed Kruger working at the head of the class. The advantage to this was the ability of the students to stop the image of him working. They could back up the image and review the process.

Kruger looked up at the students, and on the screens every image of him did the same. Before him he had an elongated piece of steel, still well short of the katana length. It had a deep v from a partial fold, and glowed a dull orange. He cleared his throat and began to speak. Hammers stopped moving and attention went to the holoscreens. "The soft steel core, the heart of your Katana" I have seen others who have taken the folded length and used a chisel to make the opening for it. This is not correct. A smith who does this cannot guarantee equal distribution of the layers. That will weaken the katana, it will leave it unbalanced, if only slightly. Slight imbalance is enough though, it will ruin the effectiveness of your weapon. The correct way is to make a fold that is almost full, then insert your core material."

Kruger worked as he spoke pulling the low carbon steel from the forge. It glowed hotter than the metal it would join with. "Use your chisel as a form, something to fold around that will give you the shape you need." He angled the hotter metal into the v using his hammer to seat it firmly and fully into the groove. "Make sure that you seat your core far enough forward to maintain strength, but the tip must remain. Inserting too far will give you a katana that won't be as sharp at the tip.? A few more hammer strokes seated it fully, and Kruger sent the whole back into the fires.

He would take a break from his work now to watch theirs, and guide those who seemed to need it most. Shari, and Rory had excelled at this. He could see in them the potential to become weapon makers. All the students seemed to have an aptitude for metal work, but the pair of them were gifted. This wasn't unexpected. It wasn't that making swords were any more difficult than making plow blades. There was an expectation though for this kind of weapon. It required an attention to detail that other weapons did not. Crucible steel was relatively pure from the moment it was freed from its casing. It was harder to form than the Tamahagane though, requiring much more hammering to get it to a point where it could begin to be drawn out. With Tamahagane, it was important to never miss brushing away impurities when you formed your ingot.

http://www.2-clicks-swords.com/images/image/sword-forging.jpghttp://www.warriorcrafts.com/hardened%20cutting%20edge.JPG Image Credit: Core Insertion and Diagram

Kruger · Date: 2014-02-12 03:00 EST

Kruger never lent a hand or a hammer to his students as he observed them. If they were having that sort of problem he would instead tell them how to position the tongs to get the proper grasp. He would stop them mid swing and correct the angles of striking, or the way the steel was positioned on the anvil. "It isn't always easier, the way I show you to do things. It is correct though' and here's why it must be the way I say." Those words had been said often, quietly over a student's shoulder. He would tell them the effect of an off angled strike. He would show them how to correct those places where he noticed bending or twisting that was improper. It was often surprising the satisfaction he took as he watched a student take his coaching and prevent, or repair mistakes.

He refused to take pride in it though, not wanting to take responsibility for the work of the students. Occasionally he would recommend a student find time to see him at his shop and bring along his materials. It was the only way he could manage to keep the entire class close together on their overall progress. Once he was satisfied that the cores had been properly placed by everyone, he was free to begin the next step of drawing out the steel, making it thinner and longer. "Now that our Katana have hearts, they cannot be folded again. It is all but impossible to separate them. Fortunately the drawing process here is the same as any."

He demonstrated the process of making the grooves. "There is no such thing as a Blood Groove, with the Katana the groove serves two purposes. The first like all swords, it reduces weight. The second is perhaps more interesting. The grooves will serve to tell the user if he is making the perfect cut. The sword will whistle in the air as it is swung. A single whistle on one side or another will indicate an improper cut angle. Two together, as one, is what they want to hear." He was working again, talking out loud to the class, yet it was little different than a night alone in his forge. He talked then to himself as he drew out a weapon long before he would try to create it. This time could be instructional to any who understood, of course there were only shadows listening to him most times.

Kruger looked up as some students rose and began to clean up their work areas. He had grown used to the schedules they carried. They all were free to leave, his time for instruction was well over. Those who had other classes to attend made their way out, others would stay. He called these students lost in creation. It was hard not to smile seeing others taking the same kind of joy he did in his craft.