SCIENCE OF TATARA AND JAPANESE SWORD

– TRADITIONAL JAPANESE METHODS FOR STEEL AND SWORD MAKING –

Abstract

Traditional Japanese method for producing steel, or tamahagane, from iron sand by use of Tatara system is introduced which is still active only to make swords. Japanese swords are basically made of the tamagagane by sword master, for which scientific discussions from viewpoint of metallo-thermo-mechanics are stated. Computer simulation during quenching reveals to show how the distortion, or sori and blade pattern called hamon behaves.