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Dynasty Forge
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Modern sword smiths often use shortcuts during
production: mono-tempered blades, buffing wheels and grinders to polish
their swords. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you know
what you’re buying. Some of these time-saving techniques are used by
Mantis Swords – for example, in making our entry-level Shoden class,
where value and solid workmanship are the primary goals – but what
sets us apart is our dedication to traditional process in crafting our
higher-end swords.
These swords, in the Tamahagane line are made
in an elaborate process. This begins when the smith hammers and folds
the raw iron. The folding action removes impurities from the metal and
introduces the Hada, a rich yet subtle grain patterning of the blade.
Our Bushi line also undergoes a similar folding process but uses modern
steel as its base material rather than raw iron. All swords in these
three lines have full tangs and all tangs are one inch shorter than
handle length. |
| Traditional polishing of the
blade is perhaps the most labor-intensive (and thus costly) step in the
making of a Japanese sword. Both lines of swords in the Tamaagane Class are
hand-polished by a series of graduated stones imported from Japan, an
artistic procedure that requires more than 30 hours of meticulous
handwork. Each stone is finer than the one before – the scratches left
by the very last stone are so minute as to actually be smaller than the
structural variations in the steel.
To the inexperienced eye,
every blade looks glorious. Full appreciation comes through knowledge.
Our goal at Mantis Swords is to promote a fundamental understanding of
the lore of the Japanese sword, perhaps the most recognizable blade in
the world. As one famous sword expert, Inazo Nitobe, one said. It is no
wonder the Japanese sword thrills “with mixed feelings of power and
beauty”. |
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| Musha Class |
| The Musha class of weapons offers
practicality at an elevated level. The focus is on durability and
performance – these swords are a perfect introduction to the arcane of
the Samurai warrior tradition. These well-balanced, robust blades are
made of exceptionally resilient 1060 steel. |
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