I am still enjoying this excellent series, I feel that I need to point out how appreciative I am that your demenor while working vs narating clearly shows your focus around the task at hand, I can almost feel your will and intentions being infused into the steel and I am amused by your narration, superb ballance.
After watching this series vs other knife makers, traditional Japanese crafted is far more difficult than others, just using an electronic induction forge and press Mill. Absolutely love this series and the transition from raw material to a finished sword
Thank you, I appreciate your kind comment! Yes, there are not many possible shortcuts, if we want to preserve this art. A big part of the beauty, is the fruit of the process...
@@YashaYukawa It's really important to preserve arts like this because it would be incredibly difficult to re-discover them if they were lost; we should be grateful for artisans who maintain them.
Just watched this video. Watching you use your eyes and hands but also your ears to guide you to the specific temperature is amazing. I look forward to seeing more of your talent. Thank you for the videos. Subscribed.
Hello, thanks a lot for sharing all these videos ! Recently i have tried for the first time making my own steel, using the black scales fallen around the anvil when i forge, and a small dirt furnace (a kind of tiny tatara ?). It took me 3 days to create the iron (it wasn't steel, it didn't have much carbon at all out of the furnace), make it into a small nugget, and then fold it on itself multiple times until it seemed solid and easy to forge without breaking. I then made a small knife blade with it, and because it was just iron, i covered it in charcoal and let it cook at a white heat to gain carbon. It took me 3 days to make a tiny knife blade. I then destroyed the blade to see how good it was (it was pretty similar to modern steel, perhaps slightly more fragile, but barely). I am not a religious person, but when i broke that blade, i understood the traditional japanese vision of sword making. So many days of precise but slow work, where going too cold will create impurities, and too hot will make you lose your steel, is very humbling. However in your video, you started stretching the bar with a lot of sparks (so, very very hot). Why not stretch only at normal white temperature ? (so, very hot, but before the sparks). If the bar is solid and welded nicely, wouldn't a normal white heat work well ? Also, all that sparks are a sign of the carbon leaving the steel very quickly, so isn't staying below sparking very important during these steps ? Thank you for all your videos, i will continue to study them and practice to learn the techniques from ancient times. If you are interested, i made a video on the making of the iron, from black forging oxides (you can watch it here on youtube : th-cam.com/video/zpi5tWHbbQM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=YCZi1iKGRtmv7aBm). In the next video i will show how i tried to make a knife blade from the small nugget of iron.
Hello hello, and thank you for your interesting comment, as always! That sound like a very engaging project, I will check it out. Thank you for sharing! Yes you're right about the steel bar. But at this stage it's still a steel block turning into a steel bar. At this stage it's technically still "steel-manufacturing" The block is gradually stretched out at a low welding heat (lemon. White would be way to hot) temperature, because its been forge welded at a relatively low temperature. This is to maintain the integrity of all layers, while at the same time eliminate the risk of de-lamination. So the carbon content must be anticipated from the start, in order to end up at the optimum end percentage. (0.7-0.8%) At this stage it's actually still way too high, so controlled decarburizing (sparks) is one objective...
@@YashaYukawa okay i see, thats very interesting. How would a white heat risk de-laminating during stretching ? Isn't it better for the steel to feel like a soft paste? It moves faster under the hammer, and it's pretty much welding itself constantly...
absolutely love the videos you produce. the respect and love for the craft, the slow meaningful tenor of your speak patterns. really loving the series and feeling more and more a passion for a craft i have never touched! thank you
Let me just say I love the videos not only from the information but the fact that you do it using the old methods, its also so relaxing to just sit and listen to the work and only speaking when its important. Keep up the awesome work.
Your passion for the craft is outstanding, creating the perfect katana the old ways. It’s awesome to see you keeping the craft alive. Thank you for your passion and dedication. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Thank you very much for saying so. To protect from carbonloss. It's explained in the description box on EP 3 or 4 as one of the Warabai Aficionado notes. Check it out.
Live y use modern hammer doesn't get tired ,more impurities gone ,what is Yr thoughts on modern air blowers respect to Yr work ,and continuity of traditional methods of pride in the piece
Yukawa-san, if I may be so bold as to ask a very nerdy question: Many smith's I've seen work don't let their steel get so hot when drawing out a bar. Is this because of the steel itself needing a higher temperature to be worked accurately? Or is there a purpose beyond simply shaping the steel (regulation of carbon content in the steel or something similar) ? In a way, it was very reminiscent of senko hanabi with the way it shot sparks.
Yes, the process is very different. Basically it is still in the stages of making the steel. Hand-crafted steel of this kind, needs many different procedures compared to industrial steel. Great observation! Senko hanabi is the right kind of sparkles in the end stages of this process.
It's very exciting to see a drawn out bar now- may I ask: are micro-delaminations the defects you say you have to be careful not to cause? Since you have more than 40k layers now, I imagine it must be a real concern to split one somewhere deep in the bar that may not show up until the final grinding and polish. My understanding, since I haven't worked with it much, is that wrought iron must be worked very hot to avoid splitting- so I expect the same thing must apply here.
Thank you. Yes, you're right.That's basically the main concern. There are possible delaminations, and also to begin with separate pieces that needs to be fused and drawn out. So if temperature is not sufficient, those will not fuse while drawn out. But too high, and the layers will melt together and also carbon lost uncontrollably.
@@YashaYukawa Arigato! This is another aspect of your videos I really appreciate: you mention and show things that no one else bothers to. I can't even imagine how stressful it would be to have to deal with so many possibilities for failure that would cause the loss of so many weeks of work- especially when you might not even know for a long time, and thus lose even more work. Would I be correct in believing that much of the way apprenticeship is designed is to cultivate the acceptance of so high a chance of failure? I have always wondered just why it's said to take so long to learn this or that, which looks like something a decent apprentice should become good at in far less time. But if the time said to be necessary isn't entirely just to really 'master' the technique but also to teach acceptance that one must wait, or that one may have to repeat long processes if there is a failure, etc., it makes far more sense.
love these videos and the process in making this work of art. Also a question about the material that you roll the tamahagane in. Is it charcoal made from the same material that is piled up that you use to stop the heat when your using the power hammer (6:22) and what is it?
Thank you very much for your comment! It is ashes from rice straw. (warabai) Explained briefly in the description box of the last episode. Please check it out.
I like the way you show the whole process of making a Japanese sword. Everything in your own style. My question is; I have seen several times how some blacksmiths make their steel, and I usually see that they fold the metal first widthwise and then lengthwise. I always see that you fold the metal in the same way. Is there a special reason for this or have I overlooked something? I love your way of presenting and am already looking forward to the next part.
Thank you for your kind comment! I sometime cut and fold crosswise, it saves the tekko-bou as you don't need to draw it out as much. In the filmed sessions I choose this way.
Yes, you are right. Thank you for your concern! I appreciate it.The belt broke suddenly, so the hammerhead was preliminary tied up with plastic bands way too tight. That's why you see me desperately adjusting the bolts in the video. It needs a lot of maintenance, but sometimes there is not enough time... I intend to show my work in a realistic and somewhat raw way, with all mistakes and challenges along the way. I though it may be interesting that way.
I am still enjoying this excellent series, I feel that I need to point out how appreciative I am that your demenor while working vs narating clearly shows your focus around the task at hand, I can almost feel your will and intentions being infused into the steel and I am amused by your narration, superb ballance.
Thank you so much for your comment! I really appreciate your superb observations!
The steel looks to have great potential. Thanks you again for sharing this (your) process.
Thank you for your input! Let's hope so.
everything is relaxing in this series despite all the hammering noise..it helps me sleep (in a good way) ❤
Thank you so much for your kind comment!!!
After watching this series vs other knife makers, traditional Japanese crafted is far more difficult than others, just using an electronic induction forge and press Mill. Absolutely love this series and the transition from raw material to a finished sword
Thank you, I appreciate your kind comment! Yes, there are not many possible shortcuts, if we want to preserve this art.
A big part of the beauty, is the fruit of the process...
@@YashaYukawa It's really important to preserve arts like this because it would be incredibly difficult to re-discover them if they were lost; we should be grateful for artisans who maintain them.
Just watched this video. Watching you use your eyes and hands but also your ears to guide you to the specific temperature is amazing. I look forward to seeing more of your talent. Thank you for the videos. Subscribed.
Thank you for your kind comment, and thank you for subscribing!
This series is my favorite. I strive to be that good one day. Please keep the content coming!
Thank you so much for your kind comment!
I enjoy your dedication to your work a lot!
You ask the steel kindly to do what you want from it, and it obeys.
Thank you so much! But sometimes there will be struggle...
May God help me to own one of your fine art katanas in the future sensei! Keep up with the good work! With love from your brother country Turkiye
Thank you so much! I appreciate your heartwarming comment!
Weeks of dedication and sweat just to refine the tamahagane. Now that is a commitment. Can't wait to see the final work! Keep up the good work, master
Thank you for your support! I'll do my best.
Hello, thanks a lot for sharing all these videos !
Recently i have tried for the first time making my own steel, using the black scales fallen around the anvil when i forge, and a small dirt furnace (a kind of tiny tatara ?). It took me 3 days to create the iron (it wasn't steel, it didn't have much carbon at all out of the furnace), make it into a small nugget, and then fold it on itself multiple times until it seemed solid and easy to forge without breaking. I then made a small knife blade with it, and because it was just iron, i covered it in charcoal and let it cook at a white heat to gain carbon. It took me 3 days to make a tiny knife blade. I then destroyed the blade to see how good it was (it was pretty similar to modern steel, perhaps slightly more fragile, but barely).
I am not a religious person, but when i broke that blade, i understood the traditional japanese vision of sword making. So many days of precise but slow work, where going too cold will create impurities, and too hot will make you lose your steel, is very humbling.
However in your video, you started stretching the bar with a lot of sparks (so, very very hot). Why not stretch only at normal white temperature ? (so, very hot, but before the sparks). If the bar is solid and welded nicely, wouldn't a normal white heat work well ? Also, all that sparks are a sign of the carbon leaving the steel very quickly, so isn't staying below sparking very important during these steps ?
Thank you for all your videos, i will continue to study them and practice to learn the techniques from ancient times.
If you are interested, i made a video on the making of the iron, from black forging oxides (you can watch it here on youtube : th-cam.com/video/zpi5tWHbbQM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=YCZi1iKGRtmv7aBm). In the next video i will show how i tried to make a knife blade from the small nugget of iron.
Hello hello, and thank you for your interesting comment, as always! That sound like a very engaging project, I will check it out. Thank you for sharing!
Yes you're right about the steel bar. But at this stage it's still a steel block turning into a steel bar. At this stage it's technically still "steel-manufacturing"
The block is gradually stretched out at a low welding heat (lemon. White would be way to hot) temperature, because its been forge welded at a relatively low temperature. This is to maintain the integrity of all layers, while at the same time eliminate the risk of de-lamination. So the carbon content must be anticipated from the start, in order to end up at the optimum end percentage. (0.7-0.8%) At this stage it's actually still way too high, so controlled decarburizing (sparks) is one objective...
@@YashaYukawa okay i see, thats very interesting. How would a white heat risk de-laminating during stretching ? Isn't it better for the steel to feel like a soft paste? It moves faster under the hammer, and it's pretty much welding itself constantly...
@@jeanladoire4141 White would be way to high, but yes, as you say at a low welding heat it "welds itself" while drawing it out.
absolutely love the videos you produce. the respect and love for the craft, the slow meaningful tenor of your speak patterns. really loving the series and feeling more and more a passion for a craft i have never touched! thank you
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate your your kind comment!
Let me just say I love the videos not only from the information but the fact that you do it using the old methods, its also so relaxing to just sit and listen to the work and only speaking when its important. Keep up the awesome work.
Thank you very much for your kind words!
Thank you. I'm looking forward to seeing how this sword turns out after all the hard work.
Thank you for your comment! Yes, still a long way to go...
Its a beautiful process to watch, a master at work thank you.
Thank you for your support!
Ser verkligen fram mot nästa avsnitt! 🙏
Tack! Det är på ingång.
Looking forward to the next video. Hope all is well, Yasha san! 👍
Thank you as always! The new episode is soon to be uploaded.
Your passion for the craft is outstanding, creating the perfect katana the old ways. It’s awesome to see you keeping the craft alive. Thank you for your passion and dedication. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Thank you very much for your kind comment!
Another great video great to see i also am a Smith and just love this craft can't wait to see more 😎🔥⚒️👌👌
Thank you for your comment! Happy to have a fellow craftsman on the channel!
Another great video. thank you for your hard work.
Thank you for your kind comment!
Awesome I’m really enjoying this series, looking forward to the next episode 👍. Love the comedy moments you are adding btw. Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much! I'll do my best.
Excellent series. Love it.
Thank you so much!
Seems a lot of urgency and timing in this phase😊
W00! Been looking forward to these.
Thank you!
The best sword making video. Can you tell me why you coat the hot steel with ash ? What is its purpose ?
Thank you very much for saying so. To protect from carbonloss. It's explained in the description box on EP 3 or 4 as one of the Warabai Aficionado notes. Check it out.
im so hoping you perform zuba yaki! perhaps a chu suguha or maby an ichimongi chogi?
Burnt Rice straw in Tatara for smelting?...Interesting. 🤔🤔👍
Live y use modern hammer doesn't get tired ,more impurities gone ,what is Yr thoughts on modern air blowers respect to Yr work ,and continuity of traditional methods of pride in the piece
Yukawa-san, if I may be so bold as to ask a very nerdy question:
Many smith's I've seen work don't let their steel get so hot when drawing out a bar. Is this because of the steel itself needing a higher temperature to be worked accurately? Or is there a purpose beyond simply shaping the steel (regulation of carbon content in the steel or something similar) ?
In a way, it was very reminiscent of senko hanabi with the way it shot sparks.
Yes, the process is very different. Basically it is still in the stages of making the steel. Hand-crafted steel of this kind, needs many different procedures compared to industrial steel.
Great observation! Senko hanabi is the right kind of sparkles in the end stages of this process.
i dont recall seeing the insertion of the softer metal core
It's very exciting to see a drawn out bar now- may I ask: are micro-delaminations the defects you say you have to be careful not to cause? Since you have more than 40k layers now, I imagine it must be a real concern to split one somewhere deep in the bar that may not show up until the final grinding and polish. My understanding, since I haven't worked with it much, is that wrought iron must be worked very hot to avoid splitting- so I expect the same thing must apply here.
Thank you. Yes, you're right.That's basically the main concern. There are possible delaminations, and also to begin with separate pieces that needs to be fused and drawn out. So if temperature is not sufficient, those will not fuse while drawn out. But too high, and the layers will melt together and also carbon lost uncontrollably.
@@YashaYukawa Arigato! This is another aspect of your videos I really appreciate: you mention and show things that no one else bothers to.
I can't even imagine how stressful it would be to have to deal with so many possibilities for failure that would cause the loss of so many weeks of work- especially when you might not even know for a long time, and thus lose even more work.
Would I be correct in believing that much of the way apprenticeship is designed is to cultivate the acceptance of so high a chance of failure? I have always wondered just why it's said to take so long to learn this or that, which looks like something a decent apprentice should become good at in far less time. But if the time said to be necessary isn't entirely just to really 'master' the technique but also to teach acceptance that one must wait, or that one may have to repeat long processes if there is a failure, etc., it makes far more sense.
love these videos and the process in making this work of art.
Also a question about the material that you roll the tamahagane in. Is it charcoal made from the same material that is piled up that you use to stop the heat when your using the power hammer (6:22) and what is it?
Thank you very much for your comment!
It is ashes from rice straw. (warabai) Explained briefly in the description box of the last episode. Please check it out.
@@YashaYukawa oh I think I missed that Ill check it out thank you
I like the way you show the whole process of making a Japanese sword. Everything in your own style.
My question is; I have seen several times how some blacksmiths make their steel, and I usually see that they fold the metal first widthwise and then lengthwise. I always see that you fold the metal in the same way.
Is there a special reason for this or have I overlooked something?
I love your way of presenting and am already looking forward to the next part.
Thank you for your kind comment! I sometime cut and fold crosswise, it saves the tekko-bou as you don't need to draw it out as much. In the filmed sessions I choose this way.
@@YashaYukawa Thanks for answering my question. Now I understand the difference in the way of folding the metal.
I don't think you're power hammer is working properly doesn't seem right
Yes, you are right. Thank you for your concern! I appreciate it.The belt broke suddenly, so the hammerhead was preliminary tied up with plastic bands way too tight. That's why you see me desperately adjusting the bolts in the video. It needs a lot of maintenance, but sometimes there is not enough time... I intend to show my work in a realistic and somewhat raw way, with all mistakes and challenges along the way.
I though it may be interesting that way.
"OR ELSE...I may inflict damage and create defects". That's some hollywood style threat right there, brother! 🗡
Oops, very bad 😎
He’s cheating!!!!