Scraping Together the Raw Materials

In stark contrast to Europe, which enjoyed an abundance of high-quality iron, Japan's geographical limitations meant that the availability of good iron ore was scarce. Japanese bladesmiths had to work with whatever they could find, which was often of inferior quality. Despite these challenges, the Japanese developed a process to create their own steel, known as tamahagane or jewel steel.

Tamahagane was produced through a labor-intensive method that involved smelting iron sand and charcoal in traditional clay furnaces called tatara. This process required an intricate...... read more