| Back in the early times of sword manufacture, | | | | the constant folding and hammering of the |
| the production of super strong high-grade | | | | steel, it would create internally something |
| carbon steel wasn't even a vague dream. But | | | | comparable to layers. Take a book and fold it |
| we know, as history has taught us, that sword | | | | parallel to the spine, roll it up and you'll |
| makers of ancient times still managed to | | | | see what a swords structure inside would look |
| produce superb quality, strong weapons.So | | | | like, and also see how strength increases. |
| just how was this possible all those hundreds | | | | This gave the sword a superior strength. As |
| of years ago? How did these ancient | | | | in much of Japanese culture, like Martial |
| swordmakers manage to craft weapons of such | | | | Arts for example, many advancements and ways |
| high-quality? What was the secret to this | | | | are attributed to emulating natures ways and |
| skill of taking poor quality ore and turning | | | | by observing natures patterns.It is sometimes |
| it into the finest quality steel blades? | | | | thought by some that the idea for this |
| Well, it seems the process of Japanese | | | | 'folding' to create the 'rings/layers' inside |
| samurai swords making was an highly advanced | | | | the samurai sword came about by looking at |
| artform. It wasn't as simple as casting a | | | | the cross section of the inside of a tree |
| sword shape with molten steel and sharpening | | | | trunk and observing the way these almost |
| an edge. What the swords makers would do was | | | | layer like rings of wood gave the tree the |
| to hammer the heated and softened steel flat, | | | | strength to stand upto natures forces without |
| and fold it over and hammer it flat again, | | | | breaking very easily, but merely bending with |
| and repeat this process over and over, maybe | | | | the wind. This is thought by some to be the |
| by upto as much as thirty times.This was a | | | | idea which gave birth to the folded steel |
| very long and labor-intensive process, but in | | | | concept of Japans samurai swords. |