Forging An Ancient Samurai Sword: The Art Of Making A Japanese Katana | BBC Documentary

On the island of Kyushu in Japan, one of the country's last remaining families of Samurai sword makers are continuing a tradition their ancestors began nearly three centuries ago. Shiro Kunimitsu and his brother and son are dedicated to perfecting the art of producing swords of exceptional sharpness and durability. This film follows Shiro Kunimitsu and his family as they lovingly craft a sword. This process takes many months, hours of precision and focusing on the fine details. We discover the importance of the sword in the ancient Samurai code, its enduring spiritual and symbolic power, and the challenges facing the dwindling numbers of sword makers in Japan today.
Handmade In Japan is a short trilogy of films that take a closer look at the incredible and iconic items that originate from Japan. The Samurai Sword, the Kimono and Japanese Pottery. Each film focuses on the process behind the craft as well as looking at their importance in Japanese culture.

[@manicmatt7773]

Love how the elder is not forgotten

[@charlesbarnes6912]

That old dad should be a national treasure 😊

[@clearskies8098]

The dedication it take's to make a sword like that is just fanominal and is an exquisit pice of scared art! ❤ I admire the Japanse culture.

[@Alexxxander_]

grammar police here, woah Im looking at multiple citations buddy.

[@bhambabean1192]

It’s incredible to watch the curve happen in real time as it’s plunged in water

[@samuelrodriguez1314]

💯

[@Chris11249]

I saw that but wasn't sure what it meant. Do they have to hammer it back into shape and then do some form of heat treating again? What does the curve mean, that the steel has the proper qualities they're looking for? Fascinating stuff. Especially when the polisher son said it took him 2 months straight of 8 hour days to finish what I assume was one sword. Crazy. I want one of these "shinken" swords!

[@Junior-jw1bb]

The sword is stunning, and the craftsmanship it takes to make these works of art is incredible. I have a small collection and a admire their beauty all the time.

[@MrErikchaugen]

What a beautiful sword!!I would love to have one like that, with an identical type hamon!!Stunning and magic work of art!

[@dahlionn2119]

I mean you can buy swords like that but they cost like 10.000$

[@Bugnarok]

You can buy it at Touken Shibata Gallery in Tokyo if you want (and have the money)

[@knightartorias7864]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Simply incredible, this is one of the reasons I wish I was in Japan. The people, culture and traditions are so beautiful in so many ways. The art of making Katanas and keeping the Samurai spirit alive is so inspiring. Thank you Japan for showing us a small glimpse into the Beauty of your land.

[@samuelrodriguez1314]

This might be the best documentary I’ve seen in a while.

[@CarlSanford76]

The very pinnacle of artistry and craftsmanship.

[@FrankyBlack]

Amazing. 1000 years of skill and knowledge passed down. I pray good things for this family.

[@gf2390]

Nihonto is mans greatest creation. Im so honoured to be custodian of a few antique and modern Japanese swords. Out of all my blade collection on my channel the swords made traditionally in Japan are by far my favourites.

[@MrJohnblaine]

An honor to see how it's made.

[@leonvermaak7653]

This is so awesome to see how they make it 🙌 keep the tradition alive and honor the grandfather🎉🎉

[@jurgenwerndl1139]

Wow that is Art Love the Blade.....beautyfull Hamon and Kissaki......

[@Arashi257]

That's so raw that they don't even need eye protection.

[@HoodRoI3]

Love it! It would be an honor to own a Katana from this family ❤️🙏

[@coreyrowe2052]

It's sad how few comments are made on this video! It's a lost art few will understand!! I would love to own one of these swords!! That's an understatement!!

[@muning9577]

The sword is the extention of samurai's soul back in the days where sword rule the country

[@user-ht7bm5tu7m]

HUMANS HAVE MADE MANY WEAPONS. BUT THE SAMURAI SWORD " KATANA " IS THE ULTIMATE PIECE OF ART.

[@HuGenitals]

worth the money and worth the wait when you know this is commitment it took to make it.

[@user-wd1vd9du2q]

I would love to have a set of swords made! Beautiful work!

[@LionheartRacingSeries]

I really enjoyed this documentary and a glimpse into the art of Japanese sword making.

[@williamlewis8492]

I really wish that these videos would show how the craftsman lays out the bo-hi on these swords, because I would really enjoy seeing how it is done. Wonderful video.

[@AleksPizana]

But this one doesn't have one.

[@williamlewis8492]

@@AleksPizana look at the sword in the polisher's hands, I do believe that there is a bo-hi.

[@donniegreenway8401]

Lethal works of art

[@yortsemloh1156]

It’s always been a dream of mine to own one of these works of art.

[@eetu1607]

that is real talent and hard work! I greatly appreciate

[@Rambo.Blades]

Deep respect

[@animatedbreak]

What a beautiful piece of art and history.

[@jeffpadilla9891]

Amazing, if I ever get to Japan I would love to watch them work.

[@128789842]

Precious documentary movie. 👏👏

[@jyunte]

Fun video! At 16:40 in the video, you talk about inclusions in the steel and "messed up holes" in the tangs of antique Japanese swords at The Met. The inclusions you see in some blades are not from manufacturing defects, but from poor care of the sword. Rust, fingerprints, impact marks, and damage caused by improper storage are the cause of most common defects seen in antique blades. The "messed up holes" are not defects at all. When swords are passed from one owner (samurai) to another, as they often were, they can be shortened by a swordsmith to better fit the new owner or his style of fighting. The tang is cut shorter and the cutting edge of the blade adjusted. When this is done, the handle (tsuka) no longer fits the tang, so a new handle is made to the appropriate size and proportions, and then a new hole drilled through the one side of the handle, through the tang, and out through the other side of the handle. this results in a second hole. If the sword is further shortened, the process is repeated and you end up with 3 holes. The position of the new holes depends on how much the blade is shortened. Sometimes the holes may even overlap a little. The same process happens if the handle is damaged and replaced for reasons other than shortening the blade. It's kinda funny that you forgive your imperfections in the blade by saying you just ground it by hand and hand sanded it rather than using a jig of some kind... as if Japanese swordsmiths use any jigs or anything other than forging techniques and hand files to create the blade! LOL. Katana blade thickness varies by individual smith. Some made blades that are nearly 1cm thick near the habaki (collar) and less than half as thick near the yokote (the line delineating the cutting edge of the blade and the start of the tip). Others start and end thinner. Those menuki though! HUGE!!! What's up with that? Menuki are usually less than an inch in length and 1/4" in width and maybe 3/8" in depth! Maybe next time, take a look at some videos on how the real thing is made... might not make it easier to make, but will show you how to make it better! The end result looks good, but a katana it ain't! Still, much better than I could have made, which is why I buy my antique katana, wakizashi, tanto, and yari from dealers in Japan! 🙂 Thanks for the video!

[@timmcclain2519]

Amazing and inspiring. ❤

[@joeleonard1314]

If the swords are as magnificent as the grandson's hair, they must be incredible.

[@thayerross]

Amazing!

[@charlesdavis9937]

I wish I could afford one. They are works of art.

[@althesmith]

That's one advantage to edge-quenching I've found- lateral warpage is easilly taken care of by cold hammering IF you take care to avoid striking any part of the hardened area!

[@jamestipton7872]

I like how they are a modern blacksmith shop with power hammers and blast furnaces. With the sword thing being just this dope shit they know how to do on the side.

[@reynaldosantos4667]

It’s really a masterpiece ❤

[@johnbwill]

Wondrous. T he Japanese culture can be summed up in a single sentence - A love of attention to detail.

[@shanewright344]

I respect the Japanese sword for the way it is constructed, and for the beauty of the blade. I see them as works of art, more than anything else, and their value shouldn't be underestimated.

[@adonian]

If I could win the lottery, it would be an honor to purchase a sword from this family.

[@rexwilliams4273]

i love watching the traditional swordsmithing over todays modern style. wish i knew how i could place an order for one

[@user-zs4rt3lx1f]

It's really hardwork, I like it the Japan tradition has to keep,thanks.

[@morpar318]

I heard a story from a lady a while, back that one of her ancestors used the blade like that to defend his land, and with one individual, with one solid movement, he took off both of the left right and legs. Before the man’s torso landed by his feet on the ground below.

[@BMK173]

I find the old ways of making this rather interesting, I know the tamahagane is poor steel to begin with, which is why it needs to be folded etc. And with a modern forge like that they can produce far higher quality sword which are far stronger. But through all that modernity they still keep the tradition up, thats amazing.

[@anthonyleong9901]

I hope to be able to migrate to Japan soon and learn the art of making the majestic Katana and make one or two with the guidance of the Japanese masters. 💖🇯🇵💖

[@abrahamgustavoguitiperez-m2937]

Your training will be 10 years MANDITORY. Could you handle that?

[@longrider3585]

เราพยายาม ไช้เทกโนโลยีทั้งฟมดเพื่อเลียนแบบงานศิลปเหล่านี้ แต่ก็สามารถทำได้แค่คล้าย น่านับถือจริงๆที่สิ่งนี้มีมาเกือบพันปี และฉันอยากให้มีมันต่อไป ขอบคุณความมุ่งมั่นของคนรุ่นก่อนๆที่สืบทอดมาถึงปัจจุบัน

[@sebastiankowaas3204]

The dedication to craft this beautiful sword is amazing I love it i have poor quality katana in my house crafted by locals well i won't even called a Japanese sword because of that 😅

[@andyorwig]

I can only imagine the toll it took on these craftsmen when it was the primary weapon during the peak of the Samurai-age.

[@mikeluongo6338]

The true star of this video is the father!!! And how he is still involved in the entire process.

[@sgt_malice4521]

I wish I can learn to make one my own

[@effendieffendi9018]

Budaya yang sangat kuat ❤❤❤

[@Admindakunkhmer]

excuses me people ! May i know the font letter'sname in thumbnail please?

[@DrewD748]

Whats great about Tamahagane is that it is terrible steel, but they are able to work it into something strong and beautiful.

[@feroIrwanda]

Pedang yg sangat indah, saya melihat banyaknya penigalan waktu jaman petang dulu TPI sayang di ambil pemerintah.. saya ingin s x ingin memiliki karya dari tuan ini, ya tapi bagai mana caranya mamilikinya.

[@feroIrwanda]

Ditempat saya cuma yg tinggal peningalan lubang2 jepang LG, samurainya udah habis diambil pemerintah

[@BungoTV]

I love that they wear costume when forging the katana

[@samuelrodriguez1314]

Probably just for filming the show. Their kimono was extra clean and bright white lol

[@6e498]

You lied in the thumbnail

[@Superiorlumbago9260]

They mend the bend after it cools down, with cold hammering, and quench in water, thats brave, i dont know any modern smith doing stupidly expensive knives that will do that, an example is almost every episode of forged in fire, when there's a bend after quench in oil, its dealt wit before it cools down, got to be the low-ish carbon content, or something beyond my knowledge

[@althesmith]

CC is rather misleading, what it calls "melting" should be interpreted as "welding".

[@fishmaniachannel]

Great honourable japnese 👌

[@jasongeyer2111]

one of the most awesome things on planet earth is a authentic japanese katana... I think so anyways ❤❤❤. wish I had at least 10,000 dollars to buy one 😢. I would spend that money if I had it to spend on one. maybe one day I will and I would cherish it like my own children 😁👍. truly amazing weapons ❤️

[@abrahamgustavoguitiperez-m2937]

How can one contact this HONORABLE family directly?

[@jimmyfleebot]

It was sad for me to hear that business is only so-so for this family. With the swords, and the history of the family being such cultural significance, I would have expected the government to contract the bulk of production of these artworks. They could display the swords in museums, or gift them at culturally significant events, or at high ranking military promotions. The list is endless. It's a shame.

[@kringle02]

Family is every thing with out it we have no roots and weather and die they are very wealthy with family is worth more then all the treasures of the world. I bring that up because family shows threw there work beautiful.

[@ReiMonCoH]

👍🏻so, the lesson I learned today was: if you’re going to be a sword making apprentice, learn to use a knife and fork. Sore arms make it hard to separate your chop sticks😆👍🏻

[@bagualimara6883]

En Japón - No usan servilleta para limpiarse la boca cuando comen???

[@neildorado8735]

Agree Samurai sword or Katana is the best sword in the World..

[@speedysandisk78]

Greetings, fellow students of the blade.

[@RobertMunei]

This lost art but se a sword made is honor know how that family. Been making swords true family of sword making a lost art making katana sword

[@anmolsandhu6732]

😮❤

[@C.J...]

Why is the Katana in the thumbnail the wrong way? Silly goose.

[@RyanR-ty2nw]

Amen. It's not tachi... or, at the very least, it's not mounted as one... and that said, it just bugs me that the thumbnail image has the ha facing down. Does that make me a stickler? Probably. I dunno. 8-/

[@mikeford963]

@@RyanR-ty2nw Something I've recently learned is it depends on which side the maker signature is on. Most tachi's are signed on the "thumb side" of the blade, and are displayed edge down. Katana's are signed on the "palm side" of the blade and are displayed edge up. I'm thinking this so that if the blade is displayed without it's fittings, the signature is readily apparent and readable.

[@RyanR-ty2nw]

@@mikeford963 Indeed! But, so far as I have ever seen, the koshirae seems to have the final say as to how they are displayed. If the sword is mounted as a tachi, it's displayed with the ha facing down; if it's mounted like an uchigatana, it's displayed with the ha facing up.

[@dougadams9419]

You display the sword with the CUTTING EDGE UP. Tsuba to the right means ready for war, to the left means Peace.

[@TenguSteel]

In your title thumbnail you have a naked katana resting on the sharp edge. This is just wrong as it should not be rested on the sharp edge when placed in a stand.

[@wernerstogmann531]

Grandmaster REI

[@yokolee5243]

You wouldn’t wanna be on the receiving end of a katana that’s for sure

[@imranmdyatim3674]

Blue Eye Samurai

[@user-bs1is7up1z]

Real sword

[@Aeronaut1975]

Yikes! The katana in the thumbnail is upside down.

[@Rammsteinschmidt]

21,000 $

[@adonian]

Worth every penny. I wish I could afford one.

[@L-Francis]

I want to owned a Japanese sword oneday

[@l_7911]

Японские мечи лучшие в мире......ахахаха поржал)))

[@YIIIIEOVA]

I,C, I SEE MIZPEH 😮😮😅😂

[@Dreez76]

I'm no expert, but i've always believed that a *true* Katana is not forged bent, it receives it's bent form from the final Tempering because the spine of the sword is of a different type of steel that contracts more than the steel forming the edge. Whenever i see a blacksmith forging a Katana and not using that method, it's not a real Katana imho.

[@RICKster859]

The bending is not from it beeing a different steel, the steel throughout the Blade is the same. Also it's not "tempering" that forms the bend, it's "differential hardening" or "differnetial quenching". Tempering is done after hardening and is used the lessen the brittleness in a steel. The bend forms through the insulating clay that is put more of on the spine of the blade, which insulates it from the cooling medium (oil or water) throught that the spine of the blade cools slower, which makes it bend it the direction of the spine. This makes the spine of the blade softer and less brittle.

[@rm8846]

Mntp

[@ratlips4363]

Your still image of the swords at the very beginning is all wrong. Simply put, blades up. Makes me question anything else you bring to the table

[@buddkhang2183]

😂😂😂😂🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

[@nazmaahmed9061]

T

[@Nobody-si7ie]

I want me a 🗡️

[@corvavw6447]

Documentaire begint met japanse katana is het beste.? Zou dat zelf niet durven beweren metaallurgie ,is al lang verbeterd. Maar geloof zit hier tussen.

[@projectrevspec1338]

Should never be on its sharp side. It’s disrespect to the blade

[@kelevra558]

I'm sorry to say the katana is far from the best sword. They are sharp, beautifully made objects of war. However a Damascus broad sword would render a katana useless if the two crossed in battle. I know because I've tested it. A Japanese friend of mine disagreed with me. So we both put our skills to the test. The old man made a katana in the traditional manner. I, a Damascus broad sword. Not only was my sword just as light, it quite literally destroyed the katana. They are strictly offensive weapons. The samurai struck with surprise for the most part. The knight fought offensively and defensively. Needing a more stout weapon. I wouldn't want to get hit with either. The katana has all these myths about them. You can drop silk on the edge and it would cut the silk in half. That's bullshit and completely ridiculous. As are every other myth about the katana. It's just a sword. It is not a magical thing.

[@buddkhang2183]

This dude lmfao fake af but anyways the professionals has already tested it before u better then u more times then u so your basically bs but u tried ill give u that lmfao. Ps it's not the sword that wins the battle its who's behind it remember that son lol

[@kelevra558]

@@buddkhang2183 Son? First and foremost cowboy, i aint your son. Im a combat veteran, the son of a combat veteran, and the grandson of combat veterans. MOS 0317 13th Marine expeditionary unit. I probably havent killed as many men as you've snuggled but whos counting. The fact you sit on your computer and attempt to insult a man you know absolutely nothing about who would without a doubt make you wish to god you were born a woman shows the level of stupidity and arrogance you possess. You have no fucking idea what ive done, where ive been, and the blood ive shed serving my country. Be careful who you call son jack. I dont take kindly to that sort of bullshit. I dont give a fuck if youre a JDM fan boy sally you read me? Im a 36 year old 6'5 260 pound walking fucking nightmare for men like you. The Japanese are notoriously good storytellers. They create these fantastical myths for one reason, to attempt to divert the timid blade. The shaky hand thats apprehensive to strike. That's just a fact of life. So is every single thing i said. If you disagree its because you dont know. If you flap your cock holster about things you dont know, youre nothing but the worst part of what ran down the crack of your mommas ass and ended up a stain on the mattress. Ill tell you what punkin, the next time you have a thought, just let it go. Out of the 3 brain cells you have 2 are on vacation and 1 is talking about quitting. Dont insult a man for speaking fact. Its your OPINION with which you're attempting to counter these FACTS. Which is the epidamy of a sub standard level of intelligence. You disagree? Do a little research sweetheart. Forging steel is what the fuck i do after my tenure in the corps. I dont speak unless i know for a fact what I'm saying is accurate. So take your samurai fan boy bullshit to someone who doesn't know any better. My grandfathers on my moms AND dads side fought the Japanese. Want an example of the fact they prefer a surprise attack than to fight toe to toe? Pearl fucking harbor. That was the actual definition of a cheap shot and they deserved what they got. To be clear, i LOVE Japan. Ive been there 3 times. The reason i say what i say isnt because i conjured the information up in my head. Its because my buddies 84 year old Native Japanese grandfather FUCKING TOLD ME this shit. I have nothing but love and respect for Japanese culture as well as the people. That doesn't change the fact they are kinda full of shit. They'll admit it if you're not a tourist. Im basically family to the people i know in Japan. I saved their oldest sons life in Chechnya. I also re-roofed their home in Nagato for free. I flew out there ON FURLOUGH to help out in 2011. You dont know me. Im a better man than you lie about being. You assume everyone else is full of shit because YOU'RE full of shit. Its called projection and its painfully obvious thats the sort you are. So go back to sleep on your futon and dont forget to let those thoughts of yours go. Kisses.

[@user-lr3dt4me5j]

No more samurai but they make swords? People use guns and rifles now,maybe someone should tell them....