Traditional "Gendaito" made between 1882 - 1933

[David Flynn]

This topic was inspired by Adrian Schlemmer's topic. If the traditional Tatara finished in 1882 (according to Hitachi), Then are swords made between then and the recommissioning of the Tatara in 1933, classed traditional Japanese swords? I'm not talking about Muratato, or similar blades, but blades made by Gassan Sadakazu, Gassan Sadakatsu, Ikkansai Shigetsugu, Toshihide etc.

[Adrian S]

G'day Dave and all,

 

This page from Hitachi describes the developmemt of western style steel production in Japan beginning in early Meiji.

 

http://www.hitachi-metals.co.jp/e/tatara/nnp0205.htm

 

It also describes a sunstancial increase in the importation of western steel. I would assume that nihonto made during this era used the orishigane method of reworking western steel and "western type" Japanese steel. Since tamehagne was not being produced, it is a fair assumption.

 

cheers,

[cabowen]

I asked several war era smiths this same question myself and what I was told was that two things were done during this period:

 

1. Steel made in a western process was used by some smiths after oroshigane as mentioned above. Minamoto Kanenori, Hayama Enshin, Yoshichika, and others are known to have done this. One such steel is referred to as "Togo Hagane". There is a description of this on the Omura site.

 

2. Smiths used tamahagane reserves. When the last tatara closed, it meant there was no new tamahagane being made. There were still significant reserves left from what I have been told. I was shown a closet full of hundreds of pounds (maybe thousands) of tamahagane that a smith told me was his grandfather's reserve which he received from his father. There are pictures of Horii Toshihide standing next to two kera recovered from an old tatara site and I have a tanto by Horii made with this steel as noted on the nakago. It is reasonable to assume that the better known smiths were able to procure what they needed.

 

There weren't many swords being produced period during this period so there wasn't a great deal needed in any case.....