Master descends to earth

Chapter 112 Casting the Knife
Xu Kui prepared all the raw materials, and Emi Yagyu also came to help, expecting: "Master, do you really want to use traditional craftsmanship to make samurai swords this time?"

After checking the materials, Su Yuan said relaxedly: "Do as the Romans do, since you have one-third of an acre of land, naturally you have to use your skills."

Yagyu Huimei's pretty face was flushed, and she was very excited. Finally, she could see the highest level of samurai sword casting. For her, Su Yuan was an omnipotent god!

Now that Su Yuan has fully mastered all the ancient techniques of katana swords, he just has the opportunity to try his hand, and is ready to challenge other schools in accordance with the ancient techniques.

The first step is to smelt the iron sheet. To make an 80 cm long knife, you must first prepare six kilograms of jade steel.A part of it is melted and made into a rectangle, and bonded with the iron pole, and the rest is put into the furnace to be made.

Put it into water, then divide it into small pieces evenly, put it on the melting table and push it, put it back into the furnace for melting, then take it out and lightly beat it into a thick plate, then heat it, flatten it, and chisel it Put it in the middle and fold it in half. Repeat this practice ten to twenty times.

During the process, the inclusions are discharged, thereby reducing the carbon content to one-fifth of the weight of the gland, about 95 grams.During smelting, plant ash and muddy water should be applied, which will help prevent decarburization of the steel surface and accelerate the healing of creases.

Xu Kui fought with Liusheng Huimei, Su Yuan was watching from the side, and the little girl took the lead. During this period, his level was improving rapidly, and this trivial matter was easy.

Then take out a piece of golden meteorite, which is the key to making the heart iron, add the soft bubbly iron to the jade negative bracelet, fold and forge it several times, so that the carbon content is reduced to 0.25%, and the weight is reduced to one-third of the original weight One, becoming the iron heart is the lifeblood of the samurai sword.

After the skin iron and core iron are smelted, put the core iron in the middle, and wrap the outer layer with skin iron. This is the most basic ancient method, Jiafu forging, which has been passed down for thousands of years and is enduring.

Su Yuan took the small hammer and started to forge with his own hands. Put iron on the top, put iron on the bottom, glue the middle with borax, and forge by beating the iron on the core.Throw it into the fire, and heat it while stretching it, which is called Suyan.

Xu Kui cooperates with the sledgehammer, and according to the force and angle of the small hammer, the output is stable and the cooperation is tacit.After plain delay, the prototype of the knife embryo is further heated and flattened, and the blade is thinned, the back of the knife is erected, the blade is slightly curved, and the shape of the knife roughly appears. This is the fire.

Next to her, Emi Yagyu was not idle. She carefully blended yellow mud and cold spring water, and added various formulas. This is the most mysterious earth-covered burning blade in the legend.

Su Yuan stared at the knife embryo, and at the moment when the light was most dazzling, he inserted it into the covering soil to fully absorb various trace elements, which is equivalent to eating Shiquan Dabu pills.

The next step is the real technical moment. According to the traditional craft, at this time, the light of the forging site must be dimmed, the knife should be put into the furnace, heated evenly, and the best time for water quenching should be judged according to the degree of redness of the knife blade.

This link is the most mind-consuming link in the entire knife-making process. Once it fails, all previous efforts will be wasted.While the blade is heating in the furnace, close attention is paid to keep the clay from being burned by the fire.In this process, there is a one-third chance of failure, and the failed blade will not be usable.

Su Yuan's face is relaxed, and it's easy to grasp the timing. This time, he will not only cover the soil and burn the blade, but also try the method of oil quenching, to see what miracle will be produced by the combination of Chinese and Western?
Once covered with soil, once water quenched, once oil quenched.

again and again,
Three times!

Xu Kui and Liu Shenghuimei were obsessed with their faces. The drudgery of blacksmithing seemed to be a kind of enjoyment.

Especially the rhythm, close your eyes, like big beads and small beads falling on a jade plate, crisp and sweet, lingering for three days, it is simply a symphony.

With Su Yuan's full concentration, the knife embryo passed through ice and fire and was covered with soil, and slowly changed its angle, gradually turning into a crescent shape. It did not require any external force, and it all depended on natural craftsmanship.

A famous knife, the most beautiful lies in the arc, antelope hanging horns, a stroke of genius!
After finishing the last oil quenching, put the knife embryo in the warm fire to return to air, Su Yuan breathed out, and it was basically completed. After the traditional method, the knifemaker checked whether there were any defects, matched it with the knife box, and engraved the name with a steel chisel. The knife is about to leave, and the silver master will make the knife, the sheath master will make the scabbard, and the grinder will grind it.

In the island country, this is a complete industrial chain, with division of labor and cooperation, especially the grinder, who has a high status, no less than a famous knife maker.

Since the Muromachi period, they have been a very noble profession, which has been recorded in the annals of history, praised and praised, and even erected a monument.Even now, the social status of a professional researcher is not lower than that of a professor at the University of Tokyo!
Knife grinding has long been a skill with a complete cultural and technical system that is almost independent of tool manufacturing, and has become a great national cultural heritage.

Su Yuan rested for a while and picked up a whetstone. This is a country with many volcanoes. Most of the whetstones used to grind samurai swords are volcanic stones. They even specially summarized and developed many grinding stone veins, some of which are as high as 6000 mesh and are extremely fine.

For example, this piece of Neitan stone in your hand is an uncut large material. When using it, you must carefully remove the stone tendons and cut it into thin pieces, otherwise it will scratch the ground tool and lead to waste of all previous efforts. Two thousand dollars.

Even now, the most common grinding cost of a samurai sword costs the islanders two or three months' salary, which is equivalent to more than 2 RMB.

After an excellent researcher gets a work, the first thing he needs to do is not his hands, but his eyes and brain.First judge what period and whose work it is, at least what genre it is.Look for any blemishes and damage, and then decide what grind to use to better represent everything on the knife.

According to the Honami family, which has been passed down for hundreds of years, when a researcher gets a sword, he should not do it first, but should watch it for ten days, or even 20 days, until he understands the sword before doing it, which is almost Zen.

For example, there is a huge difference between a newly forged knife and a finished knife reground.Newly made knives do not need to remove floating rust on the surface and rust spots that may go deep into the blade body, but to correct some forging defects, such as forging marks or uneven pick line, etc., many tools and processes are required.

Antique knives may have other problems, such as side bends, which cannot be returned to the furnace or cold forged. Otherwise, the knife body will be seriously damaged or even the crystal structure will be changed. Therefore, only true masters are qualified to accept the job.

Su Yuan took out the knife embryo again, cleaned it, and asked Yagyu Huimei, "In the past, your Yagyu's family used the Ben-Ami's to polish it?"

(End of this chapter)