How do you make a Samurai sword?

Question

I have just thought that I would like to make a real Samurai sword. What equipment would I need, materials, skills, etc.

How much do 'designer' swords sell for?

Is there a market for custom swords outside of Japan?

It just came to me whilst watching Jeepers Creepers 2 when the farmer was making a weapon i.e. blacksmithing on an anvil.

Additionally:

Is it true they fold the metal hundreds of times?
and
What is the most expensive 'modern' sword?

Answer 1

To create a samurai sword you need to study for many years about 2 or 5 years with a real black smith. he will give you all the knowledge you will need.

The equiptment and materials you will need are:
1 tatara or a traditional japanese open forge.
2 Tamahagane: traditional japanes steel made from iron and carbon from coal.
3 a smithing hammer and an anvil
4 a dipping bowl or the like for dipping the sword in the water to give it a very hard edge.
5 clay to protect the rest of the blade when tampering.
6 coarse polishing stones to bring out some of the swords detail.

The skills you will need to master are:
1 Determining caarbonized and uncarbonized steel.
2 determining how much carbon a steel has
3 folding techniques
4 determining the right temperature for tampering.

Materials in sword polishing are different and consist mainly of rough, coarse, hard, soft and fine stones Also polishing takes longer time to master probably about 10 years.

A designer sword could sell for about 100 to 1000 dollars or more depending on the intricacy of the design and the complexity of construction.

There are a lot of markets outside japan for swords just look at e bay.

Yes its true that a blade needs to be folded to evenly distribute the carbon content inside a steel. some smiths fold the steel roughly about 10 to 25 plus or lower number of times depending on the smith. Folding the steel far to many times for example a staggering 100 times could result in the burning of carbon and the ruining of the sword.

Answer 2

You just don't make a Samurai sword. Before the Kamakura period ( 1192-1336 ) swords in Japan were made by Chinese and Koreans and were of poor quality and primitive. During this period the Japanese had some problems with China and the Mongols, so these national emergencies demanded new and stronger swords. The schools of smiths in Sagami Provence perfected swords, which never have been surpassed. It takes years of apprenticeship before in Japan, you can even try to make a sword. I can buy copies of certain Samurai swords for as little as $19.95. Of course they are junk. You might get a following if you have the talent to make such swords.one last thing,see if you can find a copy of The Samurai Sword by John M. Yumoto, it's a start in the right direction.

Answer 3

You make a samuri sword with the blood of a fallen samuri, duh. No, for real. you wold need real Japanese steel, the handle would need to be made from a Japanese tree (don't ask me which one) and it would need to by made by or under the supervision of a Japanese sword craftsman. You can also make a Samuri Saber. basically the same thing, but saber is thiner, lighter, more agile than a sword.

Answer 4

i bought one and paid $696 for the damn thing, there is definately a market but you need a niche because most buyers like the ones that make then feel more exotic in ownership

Answer 5

Go to Japan as an apprentice swordmaker.

Answer 6

cardboard