How Japanese Masters Turn Sand Into Swords: The Art of Traditional Sword Making from Start to Finish

We made the sand think: This phrase is sometimes used to evoke certain technical wonders of our time, especially since artificial intelligence appears to be back to the slate of possibilities. 。 There is no Silicon Valley without silica sand, but semiconductors are not the first surprises to be born from such materials. Consider the 3,000-year history behind traditional Japanese swords. Katana (literally “one blade”) – or up to that point Veritasium video above1, 200 years ago, such weapons were made of steel. How Japanese Masters Turn Sand into Swords

In explaining Katana’s science, Veritacium host Derek Muller began more than 200 million years ago, Earth’s oceans were “rich with dissolved iron.” However, cyanobacteria then photosynthesized the iron and began to produce oxygen as a by-product. This process dropped the iron layer on the seabed, eventually becoming hardened into layers of sedimentary rock.

With very little such formation of itself, geologically volcanic Japan actually lags behind steel, using iron oxides that have been recovered as “iron sand” using iron oxides accumulated in rivers. It was imported long before domestic production could be managed.

By then, the iron sword hadn’t cut it at all, but adding charcoal to the heating process could create a “incredibly strong alloy” of steel. Certain Japanese swordsmanship continues to use steel, which is made more or less traditional smelting processes, played in the rural Simane prefecture of video. To the producer’s disappointment, Petr Lebedevthe old foot manipulation bellows that take part in the entire process are electrified, but they don’t seem disappointed with the chance to take up Katana herself. He may not have achieved Master Swordman skills yet, but understanding all the scientific details of the weapons he wields requires the bamboo to be cleaned in half.

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Based in Seoul Choline marshall Write and broadcasting stationTS about cities, languages, and culture. His projects include the Substack Newsletter Books about cities And the book The Stateless City: Walking through 21st century Los Angeles. Follow him on social networks previously known as Twitter @colinmarshall。