Samurai Swordmaker Katsuo Kato The 25th Kanefusa Fujiwara

[Barry Lee Hands]

When I was in Japan a couple of years ago I met Katsuo Kato and his son Masafumi Kato, the 25th and 26th generation Kanefusa Fujiwara sword makers.
Here are some pics of them , the assistants Hiroaki Fukudome and Hiroaki Korogi, and myself.
They demonstrated their swordmaking to me and showed me the engraving block and chisels used in their work.

Katso Kato and I in front of his forge in his workshop in Seki city.


One of the assistants with raw steel ready to be forged into a billet


What becomes of the steel when finished forging


A heated billet


Forging


Now the lookeylou gets to try


try harder


Not as easy as it looks


Here is a pic of Masafumi Kato, the son, the 26th generation swordmaker, showing a finished sword. He is standing outside the room where the polishing and engraving is done. The polishing and engraving is almost a ritual, very solemn, usually done in solitude.
The steel billet making and forging usually involves two or more people as a team effort.
In this pic Masafumi is explaining the heat treat line, which is like a signature of the maker and he explains how no other family does it exactly as theirs is done.
The edge of the blade is covered with clay, by hand, and the way the clay is applied and the heat is applied determines the look of the temper line on the blade, hence giving it a signature look.



Engraving on blade

[xspook2158]

Wow!!!

I wish it could have gone and witnessed that process myself.
What a experience that must have been.

What I find interesting and would like to ask a question about, is simply this.

The Sword Masters lives and their family name exist for the love of the art that they produce, I understand that.

But I have never seen or observed their method of engraving, what type of tools would a traditional Sword Master in Japan use?

Jeff

[Barry Lee Hands]

Thanks for the question Jeff.
Here is the engraving block and single point tool. It is driven with a small hammer.
The block is made of wood and is covered with pitch. When the sword is to be engraved, the pitch is melted, and the sword pushed into the melted pitch. The engraver sits crosslegged with a small hammer and chisel and performs the work.
They also have flat chisels, scrapers, and punches that are used on the work.

[Steve]

Very interesting. And I think I'm a knifemaker! Huh!

[xspook2158]

Barry, Thank You for the reply!

By the way, The pics were great.

Its nice to get a wake up call at times.

By that I intended, all the expensive and fancy equipment will never replace true talent or skill in what ever you may do.

Jeff

[TacPenguin]

Barry,

I was doing some research on Kanefusa Fujiwara family and found your post. Thanks for posting a pix of this blade. The pix below of the katana w/ dragon engraving is one of three matching swords (2 katanas + wakizashi) that were made as a three generation project. The 24th, 25th and 26th generation all had a hand in the process. First time in family history they had done a three generation project. One of the swords is in a temple in northern japan, the wakizashi is owned by a close friend and the katana is mine.

They were completed about about a year and half ago after more than a 1/2 decade wait.

They were picked up in Seki. We also, had a cool tour of the foundry, saw the whole process and got to pound some raw steel. Then we went to dinner with Katsuo Kato in Nagoya.

Small world.

Originally Posted by Barry Lee Hands

When I was in Japan a couple of years ago I met Katsuo Kato and his son Masafumi Kato, the 25th and 26th generation Kanefusa Fujiwara sword makers.
Here are some pics of them , the assistants Hiroaki Fukudome and Hiroaki Korogi, and myself.
They demonstrated their swordmaking to me and showed me the engraving block and chisels used in their work.

Engraving on blade