A History of One Sword
By Tiffany Namwong
With the assistance of Jon Mesina and Luiz Kobayashi
Any errors in this essay is the sole responsibility of the writer and should not in
any way reflect negatively upon the International Classical Kendo Federation
(ICKF)
Many articles and books which discuss the katana will begin with the statement
that the sword is the “soul of the samurai” without further elaboration. The reader
may even be left to draw the conclusion that the sword, his weapon, is as
important as his soul. The Japanese sword is the metaphorical goal in the
cultivation of the warrior spirit. It is a unification of contradictory elements to form
an incorruptible and eternal force.
The sword must fulfill the practical requirements of unbreakability, provided by
the soft yet tough metal, iron, which can absorb the impact of a sudden blow. To
implement the strategy of seizing the first opportunity to attack, the warrior’s
weapon must also have excellent cutting power provided by steel. Durable iron is
wrapped with tough steel and forged countless time to make the polarized
elements complement one another. Thus, the sword is the unity of attack, cutting,
and defense, blocking.
Every sword is the smith’s accomplishment of harmonizing all elements. Fire
used to make the iron malleable is fueled with a pine charcoal: wood Before
every firing the metal is coated with a mixture of straw-ash and clay: earth. The
creation of the cutting edge by heating the blade to a critical temperature with the
aid of bellows: wind. Lastly, the quenching process of the malleable metal and
the polishing of the sword at its completion: water. Throughout the roughly 50
day process, the smith and his assistants isolate themselves, maintain their
purity and observe dietary restrictions. Once, his task is complete the smith must
scrutinize the blade for flaws (kizu) just as a samurai must constantly reflect on
and correct his own imperfections. Rough polishing may be needed to adjust the
thickness of the metal before it is given to a specialist polisher to give it a bright
finish.
I have greatly simplified an amazingly complex and at times secretive process to
give an idea of how valuable each handmade blade was to the feudal warrior.
The focus of this essay will be the Sesshu (Settsu) sumi (or jyu) Ikeda Kijinmaru
Kunishige the beloved sword of Saitou Hajime and the fascinating lineage of its
creator. The blade is believed to be lost. It appeared on the list of swords which
sustained damage during the Ikedaya Raid.