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Japanese Tamahagane Steelmaking Craft

Type Object Region Japan Time c. 1630–1640

Traditional Japanese tamahagane used tatara blast furnaces to smelt layered-carbon steel from iron sand and charcoal;…

Timeline

  1. 1635Iwami Province · Iwami ProvinceIn the 1630s tatara smelting typically involved three days and three nights of continuous operation; furnaces were built of iron sand, charcoal, and clay, and by controlling airflow and temperature, tamahagane blocks of varying carbon content were produced for swordsmiths to select and forge.
  2. c. 1633–1639Edo · EdoThe Tokugawa shogunate placed high-quality tamahagane production sites under strict management, limiting the number of tatara firings and output to ensure priority for armed needs such as samurai swords, while suppressing unauthorized expansion by regional daimyō.
  3. c. 1635–1640Kii Province · Kii ProvinceTamahagane was repeatedly fold-forged, steel-wrapped, and quenched by swordsmiths, forming a composite structure with a high-carbon edge and a tough body; in the 1630s the various schools refined fittings and appraisal standards while maintaining tradition.

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