| Ever since humans learned how to shape metal, | | | | Japanese military swords were only allowed to |
| the sword has been the weapon of choice for | | | | have a single edge; the dull side was for support. |
| many warriors. It is a sturdy, durable weapon that | | | | Up until the onset of World War II, the majority |
| has been a fixture in the hands of soldiers for | | | | of Japanese military swords were made by hand. |
| thousands of years. Military swords have been | | | | With industrialization and a need to mass produce, |
| used in combat in nearly every continent and | | | | swords created during WWII were done so by |
| come in a myriad of styles. | | | | machine. |
| The process of creating traditional Japanese | | | | It is interesting to note the quality of these blades |
| military swords is not really a process ? it is an | | | | drastically decreased as the progression of the |
| art. These swords are made using an intricate | | | | war gradually turned against Japan. High quality |
| process developed by the Chinese and improved | | | | military swords created at the beginning of the |
| by the Japanese. The method involves an | | | | fighting were replaced with low quality swords |
| extraordinary amount of labor, and frequently, | | | | made with poor materials as combat came to an |
| several workers would create swords through an | | | | end. American forces in the Pacific Ocean had |
| assembly-line like process. The sword maker must | | | | created a stranglehold on Japan?s ability to obtain |
| heat, fold and hammer the metal until it reaches | | | | resources and the quality of these weapons |
| the desired thickness. | | | | reflected it. |
| The steel used in Japanese military swords is | | | | Today, with the modern weapons available to |
| thought to be the best for the creation of these | | | | soldiers, military swords are no longer needed for |
| deadly blades. Folding and hammering the metal | | | | combat. However, modern armies still produce |
| enabled the steel to reach its strongest and most | | | | swords for many of their troops as part of |
| resilient state. Air bubbles were beaten out and | | | | tradition. There are still a handful of traditional |
| the composition of the steel was turned uniform, | | | | Japanese military sword makers that work to |
| thereby eliminating points of weakness. | | | | keep the art alive. |