Craft of the Japanese Sword

There are several very good books out there on the Japanese sword, but in my opinion as a newcomer to this subject, this one is the best. Very straight to the point, lots of information, and many fine black & white photos of Japanese blades in excellent detail.For me the balance of the book is just about perfect. It tells me in sufficient depth all I want to know about the various aspects of sword making, down to the fitments and the scabbard, and it keeps subject matter like sword appraisal to a nice minimum. I am unlikely to ever want to appraise a sword, in fact it is highly unlikely that I will ever hold a genuine Katana, that being the case, I certainly don't want to be informed of the finer details of appraisal.All in all a truly excellent introduction to the Japanese sword, and far better than some of the weightier and more expensive tomes that are currently available.

A hugely interesting and informative book. What more can I say? The book, unfortunately concentrates on the creation of the blade and almost skips over the koshirae but having said that, I suspect that is the part of the sword that evokes the most interest in most peoples' mind. A fascinating read and still worth five stars.

Very interesting book.......I knew a bit but learnt a lot more with this book.If you are interested in the ral craftsmanship involved then buy this book.

Gift for nephew. He thought it was great

good

good informative book

v.happy

Fantastic book on the beautiful art and craft!

Got my book from daughter , although suggested to understand forging process

Interessantissimo per approcciarsi ad un mondo sconosciuto ai più. Ovviamente in inglese, ma al giorno d'oggi non è certo un problema!

Für alle, die wissen möchten wie ein Kunstwerk wie das Samurai-Schwert entsteht und wie die Klinge und alle Einzelteile aussehen und zusammengesetzt sind.

Un très bon livre pour qui veut connaître les techniques de fabrication traditionnelle d'un katana.Tout est très bien expliqué et accessible même aux personnes comme moi n'ayant pas un niveau exceptionnel en anglais.Un bijou documentaire !!!!! ^^

très bien expliqué , très bien détaillée , énormément de photos explicitesvraiment un must pour un débutant comme moi

鍛造という日本独自の技術を、英語版でよく纏め上げたものだと思います!外国の方にも、日本の方にもおすすめの本です！　鍛冶師は、有名な、吉原義人氏です。これだけの技術を持っていることはやはりすごい！の一言に尽きます。　ただ、もう少しお安ければ求めやすくなると思うのですが・・・。

I have a zillion books on Japanese swords, but never found one specifically detailing the metallurgical and technical side of how a sword is made. This is THE book to have if you want to know step by step how its done. An incredible read. I don't care how much you know about swords, you will learn something here and have a deeper understanding and appreciation for how brilliant a Japanese sword really is. 1000yrs of technology in one book. You will never look at a Japanese sword the same way again.

This book goes into the details of the making of a Japanese sword.I own Sato's "The Japanese Sword : A Comprehensive Guide" as well as Yumoto's "Samurai Sword a Handbook", and they are clearly not as complete as that one (esp. Sato's.)"The Craft of the Japanese Sword" is amazing in that it has a large number of extremely clear B&W pictures. Those are clear enough to show examples of the steel's grain, of what an utsuri looks like, of what makes nie different from nioi, of the appearance of the hamon at each stage of the polishing, etc. The clarity & quantity of the pictures is the main asset of this book to the katana enthusiast, be they interested in modern or antique swords, made in Japan or not.The book is also great because of the info it provides on all the stages before the blade is forged (i.e., how to obtain the necessary steel ingot, or tamahagane) and after it is forged (polishing, of course, but also the craft of the scabbard, of the fittings, etc...)This is a super dense book, packed with info, where not a single line is wasted. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone interested in the Japanese swords, be they swordsmiths, martial artists, or collectors. The book is geared toward the swordsmiths but provide so much info that a martial artist or collector planning to invest into a fine blade should absolutely read that book. This will prevent many a disappointment...

I wasn't expecting a book as good as this. I bought it for general knowledge, but i found many details about the practical craft of making swords, that i'll definitely use some of them when making a blade.

Kapp is an authority on this subject and this is the classic reference work

Very good book. I am happy with purchase.

Everything one could want to know about the metallurgy and forging of katana.

Outstanding read!!

A must for any sword collector or enthusiast or just for someone who wants to learn more about Japanese swords.

An excellent start to finish description of the manufacturing of the Japanese Katana, from the smelting of the raw iron to the final polish of the blade. Very well-written and easily understandable for the novice reader.