Black katana swords ,the weapon of the ancient samurai

The black katana is a katana which is black , but in Japan this word is used generically to cover all sables. "Katana" is the kunyomi (Japanese reading) of the kanji刀, the onyomi (read China) is "to" (pronounced / t /).
It refers to a particular type of single-edged sword, bent, traditionally used by samurai. Its size is about more frequent meter and kilogram of weight.
The most widespread type of black Katana is now known as "Oda Nobunaga," referring to the creator of the model shogun, curved blade and about one meter in length
The origin of the Japanese black katana goes back to the X-XII centuries, when the Chinese of the Song dynasty in the country introduced a curved sword called "horse ripper" , name given by a weapon used in combat against heavy cavalry or attack the stomach gutting the forequarters of horses. This sword, later known as sable, just moved back to the Japanese black katana.

Due to its curved nature and his single-edged blade, the black katana should be considered a real sword. As such, it is primarily aimed at cutting more than the thrust. Its curvature arises from the need for an effective court when driving from the saddle of the horse, straight blade tends to "embedded" at the time of the cut, while the curve always gets a cut tangential to the trajectory of the weapon and This prevents the black katana becomes blocked.
The Dark or black color of a black katana ,generally denotes virtue ,and respect to the opponent.

The katana was primarily used for cutting and because of its potential to cause severe injuries, was considered a "guillotine of hand." He draws it with a movement of axial rotation, leading edge up and you can wield with one or two hands (the latter being the traditional method).

Although the art of handling the Japanese sword, as its original purpose has now become almost obsolete, the kenjutsu (sword techniques set) led to gendai budo, a modern martial art. Meanwhile, the essence of management persists in Iaido (formerly IAI Jutsu), which is the art of cutting take out "and in kendo (way of the sword) which is the art of wielding a sword known as the bamboo shinai, using as a protective mask (men) and an armor (Bogu). The schools original Koryu kenjutsu still exist and are still practiced, as Niten Ichi Ryu (Kashima Shinto Ryu, Kashima Shin Ryu, Katori Shinto Japanese swords and other edged weapons were manufactured by an elaborate method of repeatedly heating, folding and joining metal. This practice originated due to the use of highly impure metals.

The distinctive curvature of the black katana is due, in part, to differential treatment during heating that is submitted. Unlike much of the swords produced in other places, blacksmiths Japanese scabbardfish harden completely, only the side that has edge. The hardening process makes the tip of the sword to contract unless the steel is cooled when untreated, something that helps to establish the blacksmith bend the sword. The combination of a hard hand and a soft side of the black katana and other Japanese swords is the cause of their resistance despite retaining a good cutting edge.

To assist the management of the black katana, a weapon known as Bokken, in the form of a black katana but Wood, whose implementation is to improve the movement of the black katana without any danger and combat training.Ryu).

The steel used today for the creation of black katanas modokis trading low price is the AISI 1050, as it is easier to work and will get an optimum hardness. Former Japanese steel making themselves at a very slow process in which they baked in an oven closed layers of iron, coal and organic material for over a month.

With current technology, the furnaces are heated quickly and uniformly, but once the simple fact of raising the temperature of an oven to 900 degrees Celsius needed to make steel, required a full month of continuous-carbon .

The steel to be used (and is still used) is the tamahagane, which is broken and the fragments form a rectangular brick, which is wrapped in rice paper and liquid clay to prevent the oxidation once it starts to heat up. When the heating temperature is knocked to join together and form a brick.

Brick is back to warm and striking with the hammer (and during this process, the blacksmith who holds the bloc hit with a hammer and is assisted by one or two assistants who use mallets with two large hands), making it thinner and elongated. When he has reached twice its original length incision is made right in the middle and folds in on itself until you get exactly the original brick, but with two layers of steel between them.

This method of folding the steel over itself is repeated 8 to 12 times, getting a steel block of the same length of the original, but with a number of layers of steel between 256 and 4096, coupled together.

This difference is the method of forging black katanas in relation to European swords. Despite the common belief, this process improves the mechanical properties of steel, but has several advantages, especially on the old steel, carbonated, and much more impure than the current (over-hardened carbon steel, but it weakens as if it was glass). Then remove the impurities from coal, air bubbles and excess carbon and the carbon is distributed evenly across the sheet, eliminating the weaknesses.

Contrary to popular belief, more often bend the steel, no one gets better, in fact, a doubling over 12 times the steel structure is weakened. A folded steel is almost 20 times useless in combat. During this slow and laborious process, the steel is cooled quickly, so you must be continually put in the oven to retrieve the melting point and be able to join the two parts, carbon lost each time it reaches this temperature.

Thus, the brick that is achieved is very little carbon (less than 0.5%) thanks to the dubbing. This steel is very flexible, which serves to absorb shock and enhance durability in combat, but it may not be enough to get a good hard edge. The edge of a katana must be very hard, so they resorted to the second characteristic of these: the use of two steel sheet.
To create the edge, using a second brick with fewer overdubs in the process (4 to 5 times). Thus giving more carbonated steel, which makes it extremely hard, but more fragile.

The second brick is cut into pieces that can completely surround the first brick. Put it all into the oven and are beaten until you take it to the length you want (normal is about 80 cm.).

To give a typical shape of a katana blade, struck the rectangle to get the width needed in the back (depending on the type of leaf), and then hits the edge until it extremely thin (a few millimeters) , so you can cut. It also makes the shape of kisakki (tip) and the nakago (the part that is inserted into the handle).

Following a process of grinding stones for grinding grain with different given the way the blade is tempered to. The mild steel is to raise the temperature of the sheet to the point austenitising and then place it in cold water to cool so quickly. This process gives the steel an extreme hardness. The explanation is that by increasing the steel at that temperature, it takes a totally new structure called austenite and cooled suddenly acquires the structure of hard martensite. Impurities of this steel can be made that last leaf temper temperature (at a temperature higher than the temperature austenitising), also formed a coarse grained steel. This is not possible in modern steels, because they break so sudden cooling by.

To keep the edge is extremely hard to cut easily without any wear, while the spine is more flexible to withstand the blows it will receive, comes into play another feature of the black katana, the differential tempering.

What is done is to cover the back with a thick layer of clay (clay that has hardened for a composition that changes according to the builder, and the clay is added to sand, iron filings, ash, etc.)., And let the edge with a thin layer which also carries in its coal dust. Heated in the oven and then tempered in cold water entering. The spine is covered with clay, it cools more slowly than the blade, which results in a temple for the hard and soft edge to the spine. In addition there is an elementary fact: the steel that hardens quickly, "stretched" to the softer, giving the leaf its characteristic as sori (curvature).
A katana tsuba.

The hamon, or tempering line, so characteristic in black katanas, is merely the separation zone between the temperate zones. As the clay is placed manually, the black katana hamon each is completely unique.

Subtraction and only the slow and delicate process of final polishing. It's slow because it passes by successive leaf stones increasingly thin, requiring hours of work for every inch of the blade, and polishing delicate because a novice can ruin your symmetry. At this point is practiced mekugi-ana (hole nakago) where the cap is inserted to keep it fixed at the handle.

The creation of the sheet tends to last more than a month, but the best black katanas can take up to a year to be completely manufactured. The blade is just the first step.

First up is the habaki, which is a piece that serves as the top of the tsuba and also serves to adjust your black Katana Saya. The habaki can be up to silver, bronze, copper, brass or steel. In antiquity the most common material used was the bronze. Forging habaki consisted of taking a block of brass, to raise its temperature until it malleable, then hammering on the edge of the sheet to adopt the optimal shape of the area to which the assembly. Then soldaría this piece to close the triangular cylinder, which is the characteristic shape of this component.

Secondly, we must make the tsuba (guard of the blade). Its construction was done in copper, iron or other metals, with prints, drawings, engravings, inlays ... When he was sheathed black katana, the tsuba is the visible part of it, and indicating the status or character of its owner, so again it is a delicate process.

Then the size Tsuka or hilt. It is usually made of oak covered with same (ray skin) to improve the placement of ito (strips of cotton, silk or leather) that will weave on the handle increase grip and comfort, besides giving the typical aspect . To facilitate a twisted wedges were used hishigamis call the paper at each fold of ito.

Should also be made of metal and the Fushi kashira, which are usually decorated on similar designs and also with the game and tsuba menukis. These pieces are each placed at one end of the Tsuka to avoid a possible opening of the two sides that form, as with glue stick rice only. In addition, the ito kashira pass to the opposite side to form the final knot there, and also holding the workpiece firmly.

Menukis The amulets are made of metal that may have all kinds of shapes, are placed on the subject by the Tsuka ito so that they are in contact with the fingers, it was believed that they were lucky, and were often a great family treasure.

The blade is inserted into the interior and is fixed by a cap of metal or bamboo to mekugi-ana.
black Katana with its saya.

The saya (sheath) is made usually lacquered magnolia wood. The saya may also be decorated with strips of rotten (similar to wicker) or parts of same. It has built a strip of 1.8 or 2 meters of cotton and leather called "sage", which is attached to the belt (obi) of Hakama and can also be used as auxiliary rope to hold things or to apprehend an enemy. The mouth of the saya, called Koi-guchi "often carries a buffalo horn reinforcement to prevent wear by friction with the road.

The katana should be kept clean and lubricated to prevent the steel alter or fail. Both the dust and sweat and blood affect the leaf and therefore should have a regular maintenance. Currently be purchased at the market the necessary elements to form the cleaning kit, which must or may contain:

* Hammer of solid metal, called Mekugi.
* Vegetable oil lubricant Koji.
* Rice paper, Harai Gami.
* Bola no abrasive dust, known as Uchiko.
* Soft cloth to maintain and a plastic container for storage, known as Erufu.

Some kit bring a small plastic container to protect rice paper with oil. These elements should be kept together, and some kits come in a wooden box carved with simple scripts or kanji in referring to the arts of war.