Description
A clay tempered blade hand forged in a charcoal fire, water quenched with clay, sharpened with waterstones, and finished simply and humbly in the age-old style of farming and foresting tools traditionally used in managing satoyama lands.
Satoyama are the managed forest areas that border the cultivated fields and the mountain wilds in Japan. Historically they provided soil nutrients, firewood, edible plants, mushrooms, fish, and game, and supported local industries such as farming, timber construction, and charcoal making. The interaction of forest, arable land, wetlands, and streams are an important component of the satoyama landscape.
Forged from a reclaimed harrow tooth, the blade profile of the mountain style kotanto is based on a kamakura sword and has more pronounced belly with slight drop point. The temper of this high carbon steel blade has been left relatively hard in order to hold a keen edge for tasks such as wood carving and hand work. This particular combination of steel and heat treatment is well suited to users who require a good edge and are willing to take care of it.
The tang is constructed in a similar manner to a Japanese sword requiring only a single bamboo peg to hold the knife assembly together. In addition to the sense of beautiful simplicity, this design allows the knife to be taken apart for cleaning, polishing, detailed cutting tasks, or major resharpening work.
The handle and scabbard are carved from local Nootka Cypress and finished with natural urushi lacquer. The handle is wrapped with cotton cord and then lacquered and the scabbard is finished with traditional sabi-nuri (rust texture) style ishimeji (stone texture) made with urushi and crushed tea leaves. A forged copper guard and removable peg carved from Bamboo complete the handle.
The blade is just under 5.75″ long and the overall length is about 10.25″. The spine at the munemachi is about 5mm thick.
Specifications
Nagasa (blade length): 144mm
Motokasane (blade thickness): 5mm
Motohaba (blade width): 30mm
Sori (curve): muzori
Nakago (tang): 102mm
Tsuka (handle): 110mm
Koshirae (overall): 285mm
Katachi (geometry): hira-zukuri, kaku-mune
Hamon (edge pattern): suguha
Boshi (tip pattern): maru
Nakago (tang): futsu, kuri-jiri, one mekugi-ana, signed near the tip
Mei (signature): hot stamped katabami-ken kamon
Koshirae (mounting): satoyama hamidashi style, issaku
Materials: reclaimed harrow tooth steel, copper electrical washer, Nootka Cypress, Maple, cotton cord, natural urushi lacquer, tea leaves, Bamboo
This piece is in a private collection in Oregon.
Process
See the full process page for this knife here: Making the Mountain Kotanto
Hizukuri: Forging the Blade
watch the longer realtime video
Yaki-Ire: Hardening the Blade
Tsuka: Carving the Handle
watch the longer realtime video
Saya: Making the Scabbard
watch the longer realtime video
Urushi: Wrapping and Lacquering
watch the longer realtime video
Final Assembly
watch the longer realtime video
See the full process page for this knife here: Making the Mountain Kotanto